O our Father which art in Heauen.

IN the whole course of the Scriptures, The differēce in the pray­īng of our forfathers & the contrarie aic in ours. the men of God when they prayed to the Lorde, vsed to call vpon him, in the name of their Fathers, Abraham, Isaack and Iacob, that hée would remember his pro­mise made vnto them, and his couenaunt vnto their [Page 81]posteritie: but now the scepter being giuen from Iu­da, and the Lawgiuer hauing lost his title: and Siloe nowe come to comfort his people: They prayed as for one they looked for: vve pray as thankfull vnto him in that vve haue receiued him. wée leaue that olde and auncient spéeche of Abraham and of Iacob. Wee take a more familier and common language, and cal vppon God, as wee woulde or coulde speake vnto one that loueth vs: or as to him that dwelleth with vs: or to suche a one as teacheth vs: or to such a one as nurtureth vs: or as to a louing and kinde man: who for his tender and natural affection beareth with vs. The threates of the lawe, take no holde vppon those that call vppon him. Not the fire at Sinai, is able to discourage those be his: for he hath abolished the olde scourge, and the hatred and wrathe he conceiued a­gainst man: and he is reconciled and made a father vnto vs in his sonne Christe.

Firste then here appeareth the loue of God, God is our father, in that he is the fa­ther to his sonne Christ: and God to vs in that vve are his bre­thren. that when wée were dead in sinne, and chayned to the weakenesse and beggery traditions of the Iewes: he hath nowe appointed a more excellent and vndefiled lawe, that will not permit the sprinkling of bloude: nor the death of creatures that were innocent: No more now to shake the earth: nor to appeare in fiery cloudes: nor to haue his seate like pillers of brasse to discourage vs: but to make an attonement, he hath sent his onely begotten sonne, that tooke our shape vppon him, and became weakenes to make vs strong and to make an agréement betwixt him and vs, that he might be kinde and fatherly vnto vs.

Secondly, he hath assured vs for euer of his loue, and in his Christe, made an eternall testament, God spake vnto our fa­thers but roughly: to vs familiarly by the man Christe. that cannot be broken, to the ende wée shoulde acknow­ledge him and call vpon his name all the dayes of our life. Can the mother forget her young one? or the Eagle those that shée fostered? Will the Storke re­turne no more to her egges shée hid: or the Part­ridge [Page 82]discouer her nest, to giue vp her young ones to the enimie? The heauens may passe a­vvay: but the loue of God vvill neuer faile his children. if all this could happen, yet will not the Lorde forget vs. For as is bonde betwixt father & the sonne: and as is the couenaunt betwixt the mo­ther and her babe: and as is the loue of the Turtle to his mate: so is the Lord fixed to vs. He is a righ­tuous God, he will not breake his promise: and wée may claime our priuiledge fréely: for he hath giuen it vs freely in his sonne, purchased in a great prise, & bought without any substance that wee gaue, euen with the life of his onely sonne: so that hee will not forsake vs to the ende, that be his: neyther giue vs ouer, for he is our father. The assurance hereof, appeareth by the will that hee lefte vs at his depar­ture, & that in that he bequeathed vs his Indentures to shewe for it. For, as power and auctoritie was giuen to Christ bothe in heauen and earth: The death of Christe, sea­led our re­demption fully: and made accō ­plishment for our sinus. and those which were in the worloe, those his father gaue vn­to him. So, hauing title and interest therevnto, hée made vs his heires and fellowe brethren, that wée might haue one father with him, and haue our man­tion and m [...]elling, there where he hath: and to shew this vnto vs more perfectly: hee lefte vs, when hee tooke his leaue on earth, these his letters, & his seale to shewe for it.

Firste, The letters patents vvee can shevve or our [...]nhe­itance.he that willed and dyed, and gaue vs this testa­ment, is christe.

His heires he made all such as be of his churche.

His executours and administratours, be the pastors of his flocke.

Witnesses at his death, and that bare recorde here­of, be his Apostles.

The riches he gaue vs, the substaunce he bequethed vs, is the kingdome of his father.

The title wee haue to it, the writings wee can shewe for it, be his last wordes, at his laste supper: which hee [Page 83]strengthened and sealed in his bloud.

It is not vnknowen howe shrewde a fall man had at the firste, that bruzed and mangled his ioyntes in such sorte, The loue of God is seene in the vse of all his crea­tures: the heauens, the earth, &c. as that wee which are his children are lame almost euer since. Nowe to comfort vs in our weakenesse, and to teache vs to go better then be­fore we did: God hath lefte an ordinarie meane to craue for helpe at his hande. For, as the father hel­peth his tender and beloued childe, when he néedeth: and the mother cannot refraine from teares when the infant weepeth: No more can our God and our father but pittie vs, and the state of man, when hée asketh.

Two things I haue in this place offered mée, that I would gladly open. The first, what wee should eschewe and auoide in our supplications and prayers wee make to the Lorde. The seconde, is the vse here­of, which the sonne of God hath giuen vs. And albe­it I haue set downe before in my former treatise to my young scholler, a large and plentifull discourse to trouble his young head withall: Yet it is such, as the grauest father that I knowe may looke vppon. I pro­fesse, neyther will I striue herein, No excus [...] can be ad­mitted for thy negli­gence, in the seruice of the Lord. the weightinesse of the cause, and my small skill, and fewe yeres that yet I know: But for all that, giue mee leaue to speak to them of the countrie, and to the husbandman. I medle not with you of the citie. And if I haue forgot my selfe to pleasure them: pardon mee but this once. If not, the rudenesse I haue learned, since I gaue ouer my studie, is ciuilitie enough to speake Northe­renly to the labouring man.

It commeth to my remembraunce, that I assayed before, to beate some knowledge of the abuse of pra­yer into the mindes of my auditours: But looking at it then, neuer touching it I am admonished, that there is something to be do, e in it nowe. Therefore, [Page 84]to féede here, vppon the grosenesse of our stomackes, before we come to taste of swéeter meates, I haue to clip away the peruersnesse of our time, vsually nowe accustomed among men. And it is the prayse wée looke to reape at the hands of God: Short prayers if they be earnest, are better then much bab­bling vvher­in is no sted­fastnes. for that we either staye long at the temple, or vse tedious and weari­some prayers at our méetings. But if thou praye vntill the night, and then goest late to bed: or if thou continue till the twilight, when the cocke warneth thee to come home: yet it is nothing to y^e Lorde, if thy praying forgetteth following him, when thou retur­nest. For y^e they of Christ be not babblers as the Eth­nickes bée: excludeth the long and tedious reading at the Churche, and men busied at their bookes, when the Congregation is otherwise to bee edified, it lea­ueth thee a small roome to put thy rewarde in. Abuse of mē, if they mis­like the man that precheth or if he vse common prayer. The firste it perisheth by this, for that God knoweth what wée haue néede of before wée aske: wherein the errour of the Gentiles is shut out, that kneeled so de­uoutly before their Idols, when happely they were abrode, and busied in some other place, and coulde not so presently heare them, vnlesse they tarryed till they returned. But it is with the Lorde, as is with a cunning and expert Physition, that can iudge by the sight of him hée seeth, what disease it is whereof he sickeneth. And our Lorde, he knoweth whereof wée stand in néede, Precise men haue noplace that pray at those times they like: othervvise forget them selues, the vvhole mo­neth and the vvhole yere [...]. and searcheth the sorrowe of our soules: and wée néede not to tire our selues, houres, and dayes, and nightes, and wéekes, as the Papistes doe. Againe, that superstitious custome of old time, to praye at certeine houres, and at no other I con­dempne it: for Christe all night, and in the mor­ning, and at noone tyde prayde: I am ashamed to stande draining to searche out their beastly customs: I therefore leaue them to suche as wilbee blinded in their foolishnesse.

[Page 85] The Epicure and the Athist, haue reasoned verye subtilly agaynst prayer: If hée knew before what wee should neede why pray wee? hee coulde giue it vs: if hee did not know what it was wee needed, why? hee is not God, wherfore then praye wee? If hee giueth not, it is because hée loueth not: if hée loueth not, it is because hee-careth not: if hée careth not, it is because hee will not, then wherfore is it, that wee praye? But let them dye in their carlesnesse, and con­sume in the filthinesse of their thoughtes, for wee are assured of his loue and fauour, in that hée commaun­deth vs to pray, and in the name of Christe. It were enoughe for vs, in that God doth bidde vs: yet other causes there bée, al which I haue set downe in my for­mer Treatise: Notwithstandinge, doo the Chickens begge at the handes of her that hatched them? Nature con­dempneth in the wicked, that do as their kinde and manner is: only they forget God. and doo the Lyons Whelpes craue for their pray? doth the Beare & the Sauedge beast, féede hir younglings whē they cry? and wil the Tigar returne vnto her cowtch to helpe them shee left behinde her? and will not God looke vpon vs whom hee hath created? But wher­fore hath Christe willed vs to aske, and taught vs to praye? truely, for that wee neede many thinges, and bée as naked, so ashamed of our selues if hée helpe not: For of our selues wee haue nothing, and in him wee haue aboundaunce and plentye of all thinges: Christe alone vnspotted & blameles: mā of him selfe, vvicked and shamelesse▪ If wee looke for the giftes of the spirite, wée finde them all in Christe, for hee was annointed: If for strength? it is in his powre and in his gouernment: If for pu­ritée: and for corruption that it may bee wiped away: wee haue it in his conception: If for loue? wée haue it in that hée was made like vnto vs: and hée came in­to the world to saue vs: If for redemption? wée haue it in his passion: If for absolution? we haue it in his submission:

If to take awaye the curse from vs? Why? hee [Page 86]hunge vpon the Crosse for vs: If for satisfaction? hee was our Sacrifise: If for clensing of our sinnes? wee haue it in his blood: if for reconciliatiō? we haue it in his descending to Hell: If for mortification of the fleshe? All our cor­ruption is hidden, and layed vp in Christe. it is showen in his Buriall: who was as touchinge the body layd in Graue, that wee as touch­inge the body might bee buryed to sinne: if for new­nes of lyfe? wée haue it in his resurrection: if for im­mortallity? hee rose, and ascended, and dwelleth with his Father to make vs perfecte, and immortall, and Kinges and Préestes for euer: If wee praye to bee heires of Heauen? his ascending and magnefiynge a­boue the Aungels hath giuen it: If for securitée, for treasure, for ritches? they bee layd vp for vs in his kingdome: If to haue him mercifull, and to spare vs in his iudgement? No mā hath hated his ovvne fleshe at any time: then Christe can not cast of vs. why? hée is iudge him selfe, he will not cast away and condempne his owne fleshe. So that out of season came this question, wherfore pray wee? for wee must, and wee ought to pray, that the greater encomberaunces, ouertake vs not. And for a truth, if our vesselles did not taste of this lycour, and wée our selues ouerthrowen in our vnaduised be­hauiour, the prayers of those which so often times come vnto the Temple, would haue bin heard of the Lorde God ere this: But the commers, they come in sutch disguised and maskinge manner: eyther ha­uing their minde at whom in their Cofars: or think­inge on the pryde and brauery they bee in: or cōming sluggishly: This misha­pen visage in a Christian is filt [...]y. or returning wawardly: or requiring re­uenge greedely: or askinge coldly: or wishinge that which is vnseemely: or despisinge thy neighbour vn­christianly: That it is no marueyle, if the Lorde God thrust thee away and heare thee not, the soules of such a number of men cry out agaynst thee. But to returne, and to leaue the Epicure, and the Ethnicke, and the other rable whatsoeuer: Let vs vnderstand [Page 87]that God hath debased him selfe for vs, and tempered his talke, and applyed his speech vnto our capacities, and hee hath taught vs very breefely to call vpon him: The reason hereof is, for that wee are weake and ve­ry feeble in our dooings, in our life, God think­eth vpon our imbecilleties in all he doth in our conuersa­tion: and at death, in extremity, in peril, in ieoperdy, in calamity, at the fier, or when wee be at the Block, and the Sworde ready to bee layed to our necke, wee oftentimes forget our selues. Therfore to mollesy their stony mindes, and to inamour them as it were, to make men haue a lykinge of the Lorde: Papistes con­uicted: olde vviues fables, haue no place: pre­sise, and nise, & long prayers be cause that vvee slip so often. to shewe that hee beholdeth three wordes aduisedly and wisely spoken: rather then a number of Aue Marias, and a bedroale of Credoes in deum, heaped vp without dis­cretion: hee hath included in fewe wordes such good and pleasaunt lessons, as if they be duely consithered, contayne in them a pure and perfecte platforme of prayer: first wee praye: to whom? to our Father: Wherfore? hee is our God: but where? not on earth: Hee is aboue, hee is not heare, hee is in Heauen.

That late and worthy man of God M. Gualter (as it seemeth to mee) in his Treatise of the prayer of the Lorde, hath iusteled with some one or other, about the force, and vertue, and strength, which is thought to bee in this prayer, I finde also that the Rabbines of the Iewes boasted much of y^e words that were written in the forhead of Aaron: and the Magicians of their ex­orcismes, and the Papistes of this prayer: all which they thinke to bee of great force, Superstition crept in by ignorauce. if they hanged about the necke of any man. His talke is agaynst them (and so is mine at this presente) that thinke there is saluation, or life, or health, in that they repeate the wordes of Christe: And therfore the enchauntresse, to dissemble hir wickednes, and cullor hir guile, adioy­neth vnto hir inchauntment the Lordes Prayer: And the Diuinar: or hee that telleth, and calleth vp by [Page 88]Spirites, As murther­ers & Theues vse Kniues & Svvordes to­geather vvith good men: so do the vvic­ked their praiers, toge­ther vvith the fàythfull: yet to one they are life, to the other death. hee snatcheth something from Christ, and hée will haue a leg, or an arme of him: and so infla­mously abuseth the godhead of the Lorde.

But to take away this olde wiues Tale, I thinke it expedient to say somewhat: and at the first, rather then to interrupte my speech hereafter: As therfore Nadab and Abihu the Sonnes of Aaron, that offered vp incense in the same Censor that their Father did: Yet because they did it not aright they dyed for it. So heare: though wee praye all with one prayer, and powre out our supplications at one time, because wée praye not all alike, with minde in spirite vnto the Lorde, they bee to none effecte, neyther auayle they: And as there was in the Wildernesse one Manhu, wheron Israell fed, yet some wicked and disobedient, had not the like nourishment and effect therof as had others: So the prayer of the Lorde, though hée gaue it to all, God permit­teth: the Di­uel vvorketh: and man sin­neth: & vvil­fully they proucke God that all might vse it, yet it is not profitable to him abuseth it: And as Saull vsed Samuell after his death, & the Pythonest called the Diuell by the name of him hee was not, and the Diuell deceyued Samuell and did not profit him. So it is with vs. The prayer of the Lorde vnto the wicked, beeing wrested to their death: as Samuell was by the Diuell to blinde Saull: shall neuer helpe them: But abandon these wicked men wee must, The Sinner doth all hee doth to death hee vvanteth grace and light: the godly they vvorke to life and vse the same thing vvell by the Spirite. and permit them not so much as to haue, speech with vs: God hath heaped vp iudge­ment, against the day of iudgement to consume them: For the prayer of it selfe, (I say not well) the bare wordes, not rightly vnderstoode, they bee no better then any other: The Oyle, and the Waxe, and the Hony, and the Tarre, bee common things, but to ioyne them, to mixte them, to compound them togea­ther, to giue them to the pacient at conuenient time: there is the cunninge. The Nettle byteth, yet it healeth: the Flaxe it cureth, yet it burneth: the Spi­der [Page 89]poysoneth, yet shée profiteth: Then all thinges are good, euen the vngodly man to him can vse him: So is the prayer of the Lorde. Otherwise as God hath his electe in the Courtes of the Ethnicke: and as hee saueth some in the Turks Pallaces, and among the Iewes kéepeth those he will haue kept: God hath no­tied vs to pray after one manner [...] but this and others bee good: for his vvill sake, and the per­fectnes ther­of: vvee vse this. so what saluation can they or others looke for, if faith and life of man were tyde to this prayer: seeing there bee a number that neuer as yet did knowe the same? Also, where is Abraham, Isaak and Iacob, which neuer prayed thus? There is then many things to be wayed before wee presume to ground any Religion and health vppon man, for repeating this prayer. Then this order and manner of praying, we must haue it of some other, not of our selues: therefore hee whiche hath taught it vs, and instructed vs in his Spirite, graunt vnto vs the true vse hereof in his bloud.

Trueth it is in Crisostome his Homily, that Max­imus speaketh. Euery one when he prayeth: let him pray vnto the Lorde: Wherefore my procéeding in­to this so great a matter, maketh mée in doubt, but that the Lorde is, where he alwayes was, to take in hande so great a mysterie. But I am content as hetherto I haue to vse my countrie speeche: God looketh not on man, but on the minde. and I knowe that all alike vnto the Lorde is that man ac­cepted, that goeth cottered and torne in his ragges, as he that is stuffed and pampered vp in veluets: and it is a common fashion in the worlde in those our dayes, for euery one to vse his libertie of spéeche and lasciniousnesse of tongue in this point. All states can reason, vvhy they need no praier: but all must sub­mit them selues, and pray to God. Hee that is poore, why shoulde I praye (saith he) for I haue no­thing. The ritche man, he standeth in little néede, he hath enough. The strong man, hee knoweth his portion, hée séeketh for no more, so valiant and pu­issant is he in this life.

The proude man, he is in his ruffe, hee noddeth [Page 90]with his head, and beckeneth with the hande: hee setteth saile to all things. The incestious person, what can he aske? he liueth in pleasure. The mer­chaunt, what hath he to do with God? the winde and weather serueth him. And in commeth the student, and he maketh his reckoning, he casteth and he tum­bleth ouer his bookes, he looketh and hopeth for no­thing: for his witt helpeth him: So that the whole worlde it is deuided: euery one thinketh he hath little to do with God. Then my firste note is, that this prayer in generall appertaineth to all. For, from the tabernacle to the tente: from him that sitteth in the gate, As is the sapp & the earth: so is prayer and Inuoca­tion to man: to the poore man in the fielde: from Tirus, euen from those that go to Tharsis, to the thresher, & the corne flower: from him that giueth wages, to him that receiueth hire: from him that putteth on silke and softe clothing, euen vnto Lazarus that lyeth at the doores: seuerally from the toppe of Sion to the poore cottage: From the Cedar trées of Libanon, vn­to the man remaining among the fennes and flagges: it is his duetie, he is bounde, he ought to remember that he should praye: For hée that sendeth his Cam­mels for spieerie: and aduentureth to Corinthum for Iewels: that prouideth into Arabia to get the purest golde: and so gréedely searcheth for the riches of Da­mascus, As vvater confumeth all: so God dis­troyeth all degrees, if they call not vpon him. nay, though he tarrie at home, and abideth the Sunne all the dayes of his life, and suffereth the bitter frostes in Winter, though hee be created to tende cattell, and to kéepe the wilde Coalte, and the Asse in the Wildernesse: though his handes be wea­ried with the plough, and his arme withered vp with holding of the rake: though he sit at the thresh­holde, and haue not wherewithall to féede him: yet hath he his soule to looke vnto: that in my iudgement it is time to séeke narrowly abroade, to recken with our selues, to giue attendaunce, to waite on God: [Page 91]for euery one that liueth, hath néede of prayer.

But to ransake euery thing more narrowly: let vs knowe what it is, is contained herein: As our life it aboue vvith the God of glory: so must vvee be spiritually bent at prayer. for wée dispute not for ritches, or for wealth, or for honour, that vanisheth away: but for the Lorde, & for Christ: the firste thing that is mentioned is this: that wee call on God, and we saye: O our father: In the scrip­tures God is called the Lorde of Hostes, the iudge of the whole earth, the King of Kinges, a consuminge fire, the founteine of life, that sitteth vppon the Che­rubynnes, that ruleth the worlde: And here we call him by the name of father: I am not purposed to runne paraphrastically on this: if it please you to staye on my simple iudgement, this I thinke: God named him our Fa­ther: for that as a Fa­ther, he giue­eth all things that vvee his Children, neede. If in our prayers we make vnto God, we should call him Lorde, wee spake vnto one that wee thinke shoulde haue dominion ouer vs: If as to a Iudge, we ought to stande at the barre, and holde vp our handes, and pleade for our selues: then shoulde he sit with his twentie foure elders, and giue sentence vppon vs. If as to a King, his Scepter and royal seate, it would dismay vs: if happely we forgate our homage & went awrye, the messenger of death is readie for vs: If as to consuming fire? what eye coulde abide him: for if the beast that touched the burning mountaine was shott thorough, what hope hath man to skape, The Lorde is terrible: yet in Christ is his loue and fauour ope­ned: in vvhō only there is satisfaction. when a flaming fire must go before him, and thou­sandes, thousandes minister vnto him, and ten thou­sande times ten thousande stande before him: when the seates shalbe set, the bookes oponed, and iudge­ment giuen, what mercie then can wee looke for at Gods hande? But if wee called on God, as on him that is the fountaine of life, howe coulde we call vp­on him when we be in death? And if you prayd vn­to him as the ruler of the worlde? then is man bea­ten downe, that coulde neuer as yet, among all the [Page 92]beastes thereof be tamed. But sée howe louing a Lord God we haue, that in our transgressions, woun­deth vs not: in our sinnes striketh vs not: in our dis­obedience remēbreth vs not: God a Father in the cration and a Father in his bles­ing, and a fa­ther to vs, in giuing to vs: but all alone is hee our fa­ther in the attonemente. in our euil wayes pu­nisheth vs not: that neuer thinketh on our iniquities, but calleth vs as children to aske at his hands, y^e more willingly to trayne vs vp in his feare: & hath for all our manifolde transgressions, made himselfe a father to vs. But from whence cometh this? our father is Adam, and he is dead: and we be his children, and howe can we liue? To him he gaue a charge to sweat it out, and to labour on earth, what then can happen to vs but miserie? Then which way so euer wee looke on our selues, wee are in death: and whence haue wée this therefore, that wee call on God as on our father? Pardone mée, if being a man as you bée, I am inquisitiue to search out what man is. And say what you will, yet will not I be satisfied til I knows more. For as Crisostome is plentifull in the des­cription of man: So I thinke, that as the shippe is in the Sea that tottereth: or as the fether in the ayre that houereth: All thinges turne to our destruction, if God helpe not. or as the trée on earthe that shaketh: euen like portion indge I to be allotted to man when he offendeth. For wishe any thing that is good: that can not man do, without God wil: neither willeth he that God wisheth without God please: And that I will, and that I may, I do not, if he permitteth not: So wish I, If as vvee bee frō the eathe earthly: so vvee vvere not also go­uerned by the spirite: then vvere vve in death. yet misse I, if he directeth not. Trewe it is that Isychius saide: in man there is two natures, or rather properties: one is, that wee carrie about with vs, & it is dust: the other, it is giuen vnto vs, & it is y^e spirite: & both these making but one man: yet do wée not know on Christ. Salonius writing vpō Ecclesiastes, giueth wisedom & vnderstanding vnto man, aboue al others that haue life: and in the same, hée giueth vs free passage to know God, but it is in Christe.

[Page 93] And Agustine in his Apognosticon, agaynst the Pa­lagian: guieth vs liberty to Ploughe, to Till, to labor, to Sowe, to Spinne, to Carde, to drinke, to eate, to féede our cattell and our Beastes (if so you will) to vse the Arrowe, and the Bowe, and the Hearbes: but to come vnto God, and to haue any portion from him without Christe, that hee permitteth not. Beeing in death & in s [...]n it is requisite that vvee should haue a Mediator. Sedulius, vpon the Corrinthians, giueth no liberty vnto vs, but only to sinne: and Primatius, in his Treatise on the Romans is of the same iudgement: so that in the ende when our deedes bee ransackt, & our thoughts sought out, what is it that wee can clayme of the Lorde? Then hereon wée stand, Christ which alwayes hath bin with his Father (the liuely and expresse Image of his godhead) came into the world and was debased for vs: and we béeing of his flesh, and the same mould that hee was of: beeinge perfecte man in all poynctes (sinne onely accepted) hée hath made vs one with him and taken vs into the same felowship of his kingdome and of his Sainctes, Vnmeasu­rable, and vnsearchable is the loue of God: that beeinge life, gaue himselfe to death fo [...] vs. and wee are made Sonnes with him vnto one Father. Vnto this it was alluded by Dauid, As the Father hath pitty on his Children, so hath the Lorde on all such as call vpon him faithfully. Esay touched this in his comparison that hee maketh with the Woman and hir Infant? whom though shée could forget sucking at hir Brestes, yet would not the Lorde forsake vs: If I were not drawne into a nar­row straight, by the importunitée allotted to mee at this present: I would see what that were which man so mutch braggeth of: and if it were possible, that frō top to toe: hee had no one blemish to bee found with­in him: Yet if a man might enter into his hart and search his Sinewes and his cogitations within, how corrupte and vnfauorye should wee finde him? well: this is our comforte: and it is the noate of Maister Gualter, that hee is not onely a Father in gouerning [Page 94]the world, and the whole trayne that waiteth theron, but hee is our Father: And as in Iob, hee is called the Father of the Aungelles and of the Sainctes, and holy men which loued him: so that, it is litle vnto vs, and small prositte haue wee therby, beeinge neyther Aungels or so holy as they: Our Father. Seeing our benefits are common to all: it is reasō that vve pray for al [...]and for that God is the author o life: vve pray if it bee his vvill, that all may liue. if of his bounty, & mercy, it were not sayd vnto vs here, that hee is our Father toe: but I consider yet an other thinge: and why saye wee not, O my Father, as well as O our Father? Ciprïan on the prayer of the Lord, giueth this reason. This prayer it is cōmon to vs all sayth hee: for when we pray, wee pray not for one but for all, because all they & we are one: And he is sayd to be our Father: euen of vs, as many as be sanctified, as be renewed, as bee strengthned in his Spirit: as for other, they stande aloofe, and wish they may to come vnto vs, come at any time they shall not.

Thus you know, hee is a Father, and hee is our Father: it is adioyned, he is our God: hée is aboue, and it is in Heauen: These three I ioyne togeather, neyther will I seuer them: The electe & chosen of God, none o­ther come vnto him: For as hée is far aboue the reatch and capacitie of man: so hath he no terres­triall Throne to sit in: but a more bright and glory­ous Seate, is that of the Lorde our God. And as was the Arke and mercy Seate within, wherunto no mā durst presume to come and looke into it, but sutch as God had chosen from the rest: so to his kingdome and his Empire shall no man approtche, but sutch as hee hath elected in his Christ. It may seeme a vayne thing to aske this question, why wee praye to God? Yet sutch is the vanity and ignoraunce of man, that hee knoweth not: and such is his dulnes, y^e he answe­reth not: but the weakenes it is alike in vs all that searcheth not. Why vvee pray to God. To say the truth, this question, is a­boue that I can well attayne vnto, and the reasons that may bee giuen, they bee so innumerable, I bare [Page 95]not enter now into them.

If God do spare me so much leisure, All things are not fit for all times. as that succes­siucly, I may but steal one or two houres to labour in, I will aunswere this fully: I haue nowe sett my pen vnto an other treatise: wherein before I end, I shall I trust stoppe the mouthes of some, as touching God. Let this my small time and stolne houres, craue par­don for this present, and suffer me not to drawe out the length of this threede, For as mutch as God is vn­searchable, & incomprehē ­sible, it is good reason to submit our selues, & pray to him. that we shal neuer winde it vp: And if this will not suffise, looke toward the hea­uens, iudge the number of the stars, call them by their names, and giue euerie one his seueral charge. Com­maund the Sunne, the Moone, to stayde their course, let there not be light any more vpon the earth: and if these things be to high for thée: iudge of y^e cōmon crea­tures that doe dwell with thee, and tell me the droppes of y^e rayne: ride vpon the wings of the winde: measure me the weighte of the fyre. Call backe againe the day that is past: and renewe the course of that whiche is to come: drawe out the deapth of the Sea by his bucketts: and let the earth cast forth the hidde treasu­ries that be within her: & if silence hath caught thee, All Gods creatures are ready to fulfil his cōmaun­dements, a­gainst his enemies. and thy wisedom fadeth, then giue homage vnto him, at whose commaundement they be: intreate him to spare thy life in time of neede, that hath iudgement in stoore, and a consuming fyre to runne before him: if they or thou rebell. Lactantius in his seconde booke, se­meth to me to haue delte with these men: who dwel­ling in ignoraunce, had small delight to seeke the Lorde. And doubted, as touching their prayer vnto him: his iudgment is this. Nothing must be honou­red, nothing worshipped, but the only one Lord God, proceeding and comming, from the only, owne, eter­all, and euerliuing father: and therefore hath crea­ted man to want many thinges, that in his necessitie and want, he may know where and of whome to aske [Page 96]for all thinges: We pray in the name of one: for that the th [...]ee persons make but one God. and Ambrose, in his Spiritu fancto: The father is to be glorified with the sonne: the sonne with the father: the holy ghost with them both: for these three are but one God. Basill against Iulina (af­ter that also Martured) councelleth him to giue all ho­nour and preheminence in prayer vnto God: That in his heauenly and eternall wisedome created all. Epi­phanius in his thirde Toome: Beside many excellent and good sayings, pleaseth me in this: for hauing to do with them, that giue vnséemely reuerence to saincts, teacheth thus: Let Marie be had in estimation, & Pe­ter: but let the father, & the sonne, & the spirit, be wor­shipped: for neither to woman nor to man perteineth this honour & inuocation, The sainctes vvith god vve confesse they vvere good men: but the honour due to the Lord, is not to be giuen vnto them. neither to Angles, or to any other perteneth this glory. But it is a mistery, proper only to the Lord: The time would faile me, to vnfolde­the heauenly sayings of the fathers: I leaue thē to the diligent searcher: The houre passing away so spedely, maketh me to hasten to the rest.

And here I admonish you that in praying to our father, you pray to him that is in heauen. For wee may aske many thinges on earth, yet can we not at­teine them: but if we aske and faithfully of our father in heauen: he will giue vs them: where that infidell is condempned, that is found in Dauid to haue cryed out and to haue saide in his heart there is no God, and that he whiche is in the heauens, regardoth not them on earth. seeing all things be vvonderfull and straung, hovv is he most glori­ous that made them. Teach this man I dare not, counsell him I will: For let him cast out his eyes, & lift vp his heade, and thinke but on the creatures that be made: Howe the Sunne giueth light a farre of: and the Axell trée of the heauen doth compasse the earth: how the clouds power out their reigne, & the dewe his siluer dropps: and the night his grimme and fierce countenaunce to man: and shall we then giue nothing to the Lorde, that made them? But I cease to followe this path, I [Page 97]take an other. For if he thought on Israel, In that perill vvhiche is greatest: God is readiest. when their shoulders were worne in péeces with carrying brick: or if he brought them from Babilon: or fed Elias with the Rauens: and made the dumbe creatures to bee Nurses to his seruauntes: and sent Daniell pottage into the Lyons denne: and stayed the force of the flaming Fornace: he can, and he will, and he stayeth not, and I doubt it not, but that hee still will helpe vs.

Last of all, it is a good consequent, our father is in heauen: Wee therefore ought not to repose our trust and confidence belowe as wee do: either tarrie here, If the hea­uens passe, & the creatures perish: man also shall haue an end. so much as to abide and lay our affiaunce and steadi­nesse on things that be aboue. For it is an vnfallible trueth, that I finde in Paule, that wee haue no aby­dinge here on earth, but that our life it is aboue, where as is the father of light. I might take good oc­casion to withdrawe a number, from the transitorie affaires of this worlde, which haue their change, and their ende, when the heauens shall roll as a scroole, and the elements burne with fire: but these I leaue them till more longer dayes, when the Sunne and the light shall giue vs more libertie, who runninge foorth so speedily, hath put mée in minde to cut of this spéech. It followeth:

Hallowed be thy name.

THe great care that the Lorde God hath had of his churche, is verie worthily set out in the generall discourse, and pittifull callamitie wherein they that knewe him, and called all onely on his name, con­tinually were assaulted: Out of which troubles hee alwayes both mightily and fatherly deliuered them: yet in no one thing hath he shewen his tēder affectiō [Page 98]vnto man, No mā hath feared God, and remai­ned helples. more then in this, in that he hath set him free, from the bondage of the diuell, the flesh, and the workes thereof: in that he hath created vs, redeemed vs, sanctified, and regenerated vs: And yet lest wée should falter any more, and forget him, he hath lefte vs a comforter, which is his spirite: and taught a way and set vs in the path, & directed vs by his owne mouth, to be in our prayers, holie and vnspotted vn­to him. Then in this wherewithall we be instructed of Christ, though it be a short lesson, is conteined for all that the whole and plentifull discourse of the life of man: euen what is meefe and requisite to be done: meate, as well for the foule to feede withall, as for the bodie to liue withall: the summe whereof is set downe by Christ in sixe principall heads: wherof the firste is this. Man com­mēdeth mā: much more man God. Hallowed be thy name. For as al thin­ges vppon the earth were created by him: so ought all that be on the face of the earth, continually praise him. And as we be children and heires vnto him: so cheefely ought all our force, our strength, our might, & ought else that is in vs, be directed vnto this: that we might magnifie his name and praise him. First seeke the glorie of God: then thine ovvne glorie. The ex­ample and patrone whereof, is seene in the good Iud­ges that liued, who before they established their own thrones, their dominions their Empires, or sought their owne glorie: made an entraunce & ready gate to set vp and establish the sincerity & puritie of religion. Therefore Christe of him selfe testifieth, God honou­reth those that honour him: and in all thinges that are is he honored: if man shuld holde his peace. I séeke not mine one name, but my fathers that sēt mée▪ & I haue glorified thee among men, and I will glorifie thee a­gaine. For, if he be our father, where is our honor: Will the childe acknowledge his parents: & the wild and sauage beast giue place to them that nourish her? succeadeth the fire the heauens in his place? and the fire the ayre? and she ayre the water? and the water the earth? and the earth vs? & shall not we acknow­ledge [Page 99]and reuerence the Lorde of Hostes, who dwel­leth betwixt the Cherubynnes, and ought to be wor­shipped of all nations vnder heauen? Cyprian hath giuen, as touching this firste point, hallowed be thy name: in mine opinion a verie good reason. For saith he, God needeth not man: but man needet [...] God. wée craue not that God should be sanctified in our prayers, who is alwayes holye: but that his name sanctified in vs, wée might be made perfecte and holy in him: Thus I also finde it in the booke of God, in that place: Be thou holie, because I am holy: Then our prayer is, that being sanctified & cleansed, & made perfect in the Lorde: we may be holie and good & per­seuere therein. For this cause Paulinus in the fifth age of the Churche when he liued, called our Bapti­steries, places of restoring againe of man: meaning thereby, as I do gesse, that we ought to rise frō sinne and liue to life, mortifying and beating downe the lustes of the fleshe: and as wee shoulde sanctifie the name of the Lorde, so we ought in our conuersation, and in our walking before him, to bee againe sancti­fied: that is, walke as holy before him. For, as the water, in the fifth of Iohn, did neuer clense & make perfect, but when the Angell moued it: No more is man renued and altered, but when the Spirite sanc­tifieth him. And as Sara was not by nature, but by promise made a mother and bare a childe: So are we holy, not of our selues, but of the Lorde. Therefore we neede daily sanctifiyng: and seeing that wee sinne, All goodnes, all perfectiō, and all holi­nesse, com­meth of the spirite. and fall so often, wee must rise, and be reared vp in Christ, in renouation and sanctification of the spirit. For this is our sanctification in Paule, that we be no fornicatours, no worshipers of Idols, no adulterers, no light persons, no folowers of wemen, not théeues, not deceiuers, not haters, not drunkardes: and these sometime we were, but we are washed, but wee are iustified, but wee are sanctified in the name of our [Page 100]Lorde Iesus Christe.

Master Gualter vppon this place, hath an es­peciall note, as touching this hallowed, or sancti­fied be thy name: neyther wil I blame him here, in consideration the superstition of y^e world is so great: who begyled in y^e vanitie of their thoughts, are not a­ble, Not euery one that saith Lorde, Lorde, shalbe saued: but he onely that calleth on him, and beleceu [...]th. or else will not iudge aright of the will of the Lorde. He findeth greate faulte, for that men take an occasion from the name of God: as though the bare rehersall thereof had vertue in it to doe woun­ders, signes and miracles in the earth. And of truth that wherewith M. Gualter found fault is so common in the worlde: that as euery one is holyest and wilbe counted godlyest, so is hée in this life peruersist: I wish that of Cyris were setled in the mindes of men: that beefore they iudge of any thinge in the Booke of God, they would consider thrée things: the time, the person, and the matter that is handled: which if they were duely wayed, it would bee a cause good enough that men should not stray as they do in the iudging of the Scriptures. For as out of this place is grounded this error, Plaine men begyled in time of po­perie, keepe the olde su­perstitiō still in much bab ling. that if wée recken vp the bare name of the Lord, it is sufficient for vs: if we say sanctified be his name, it is enough vnto saluation: therfore y^e commō sorte of people, repeate and vtter these wordes of Christe, but they consider no more: and so think, that by saying of the same, they haue discharged their due­tie: but this it is grosse and pernitious: it sauoureth of the flesh alone, that is sluggishe and heauie, & tired if it take any paines in searching out the wil of God: For not euery one y^e saith, Lord, Lord, shall enter in­to the kingdome of heauen, but be that knoweth the will of my father & doeth it. This is the onely cause that the heretikes haue erred so grossely heretofore, [...] haue taken the bare wordes, not the meaning of the spirit: Therefore, to take away all occasion of falsho [...] [Page 101]which is gathered frō the name of God, I save this: God knovvē in all his vvorkes, hath names giuen him to shevv the same. The name of God in Scriptures doth signify euery thing which is proper vnto him, wherby his heauēly & diuine nature, or his works & glory appeareth: As in Dauid, thy name O Lord & thy praise endureth for e­uer, it extendeth and reacheth to the ends & coastes of the world: and againe, praise him al you people, blesse you the name of the Lorde: Iunilius, Iunilius, cō ­tra, haereti­cos. writting a­gainst heretickes, reckeneth according to the He­brewes computation, eight especiall names, giuen vnto God, which bee these: first God: then Lorde: also Lorde and God together: or else almightie, or suf­ficient or omnipotent, or our piller and stay, or God of hosts, or a iudge and searcher: The He rew I haue lefte out, for I thinke it not cōuenient the rehersall nowe: these onely significations be they that are pre­sented vnto vs: Gen. 17. and by these names is he called in the scriptures, especially by Abraham when he apeared vnto him: and then when he spake to Moses. Exod. 3.6 Exod. 15. Psalme 86. And the Grecians call him a secret sercher, or pearser of all thinges, and a sister of our thoughts. Wher vnto Peter Martyr, & Musculus haue in diuers places alluded: and maister Gualter se­meth to touch the verie same vpon the exposition of y^e name of god: Here vnto I adioyn & put those same glo­rious titles giuē vnto him by Moses, when he desired he might see and looke vppon the Lord God. Exod. 34. For then when he passed by in the cloude, when Mo­ses was put into a clifte of the rocke, and God had put [...]s hand before him, and Moses sawe his backe parts alone, he cried out. Lord. God, mercifull, and liberall, [...]ntle and pitiful, of infinite goodnesse and trueth: kee­ping thy goodnesse for thousan [...]s, forgiuing iniquitie and transgressiōs, and sinnes, leauing not vngodlines vnpunished, but visiting the sinnes of their fathers, in [...] sonnes, and sonnes sonnes, vppon such as feare [Page 102]not him and kéepe not his commaundements: This & other such like places of scripture, No fleshe shall die for others: all flesh dieth or liueth to him selfe: do open and shew vnto vs the incomprehencible Godhead of the Lorde which onely is seene in his workes, his creation and his creatures, and by the same commaunded in this place to exalte magnifie and blesse his name: The wicked take occasion (as I shewed you before) to call on his name verie often, and thinke they doe sanctifie it, when they name it: but it is not so: For Moses did not speede the better for his calling on God, or for his stretching out of his armes, or for thy squeaking out on the name of the Lorde, when he commaunded in his name that life should departe, & the Grashoppers runne away out of Aegypt: but in acknowledging his might and his power, and his greatnesse that was able to doe it, and bring it to passe, and by faith, he did accomplish it: So we thinke in this sole speach vtte­red, halowed be thy name: there is no commoditie com­meth to vs. But in remembring what we be and desi­ring by all meanes, with our might, with strength, with our power to blesse it, and set it forth, in that is our obedience and prayer knowe. Elyas called on the name of God, All flesh ought to seeke the glorie of god and then is the name of God hal­lovved. and fire came downe from heauen, and consumed the water, the stickes, and the sacrifice: And Ieremy in the name of the Lorde, foretolde their capti­uitie into Babilon: And Micheas in the name of God, prophesied of the ouerthrowe of Ahad: And yet by re­hearsing the name of the Lorde, did they not this, but by faith thorowe the spirite. In like maner we, by as­king or demaunding, or [...]rauing, though it be in his name, if it be not by faith, it is nothing. The reason hereof is, vse his name, and in [...]are, and in skill, a [...] as he biddeth, it helpeth thée: Abuse his Godhead, and turne it to thy pleasure, and racke his libertie to th [...] commoditie, and he consumeth thée.

Then in this place sanctified be thy name, is no­thing [Page 103]els mente, then his glorie, y^e knowledge of him, God gi [...]eth his glory vn­to none: and those that serue him, those he hel­peth. the true vnderstāding of his maiestie, the debasing of our selues, and the glorifying of the Lorde our God. This was the onely cause that Moses and Aaron did not sée the lande of promise, neitheir entered into Ca­naan. For they did not sanctifie the Lorde at the wa­ters of striefe: That is magnifie and extol their God, and that ought to haue glorified him, who in that dis­tresse wherein they were, was able to haue helped thē if they had called on his name.

Hallowing, that is making holy, Such vvere the holy thinges be­longing to the tēple such also vvere the pri [...]sts in the lavve: such be the preachers novv: that be kept as holy vnto god and seuered from the vvorld, that they might [...]lisse and sanctifie him. or holying and sanctifiying, doth signifie any thing that is consecra­ted, or giuen, or seuered frō man vnto God, and is on­ly proper to the Lord, to his seruice, to the worship of his name: I take this worde to proceede from the Hebrewes, that in their spéech, called it a gifte (as it were) presented to God. It came of the ceremonie which was vsed in Israel, who as any thing was holy, and consecrated to the Lorde, vsed to lay their handes thereon singnifying that, that thing they gaue, they willingly gaue it to y^e Lord. So Iacob blessing Ephraim and Manasses, laide his handes vpon them, and blessed them: or put them a part from other, vnto God. In the same signification they laid their handes on their sacrifices, as being holy to the Lorde: and pastors and Deacons kept this order in the church: and so did Paul and layed his handes vpon them, deliuering them vp, or putting them in minde of their duetie, that ought to be holy and vpright before the Lorde. In that sert we do make holy or sanctifie the name of the Lords our God, in that it is onely he, to whome we giue ho­linesse and sanctification, and reuerence, & hemage a boue the rest, and doe confesse none to be like him: Here it commeth to passe, that we call those which be the Lordes, Saincts: that is holy: as comming from one that is holy, which is the Lord God. For an those [Page 104]that are begrymed and sweltered in claye, or sayde to be claylike: and of blacke, blacke men: so from him that is holiest are we holy. Gualter, out of Cratilas in Plato (as I take it) hath properly deriued this worde, Holy, as like to God. for that he is holy. and calleth it [...] (not earthly) of the priuatiue α, and [...], That is without the earth: As then being worthy of the names of sainctes, when we haue for­saken the enormities of the flesh, & of the earth, which is of those that beinge heare are earthly: But parad­uenture ouer farre in this, and easely knowen from whence I came, euen from the earth, that sauoureth so much of these grosse and crooked speaches: yet as content w^e my portion, I cannot be ashamed to power foorthe my harde and crabby talke, seeing so greate strife in others to be nice: and in their finesse and pu­ritie of tongue, could to this day (in my iudgement) vse none: I aske at your handes this a lone: to suffer me patiently, to speake vnto rudelinges, euen them of the countrye where nowe I am: If not, but you will snoffle at it, and enuie my small skill: truely, I giue you warning to chaunge your mindes: for euen you with all your eloquence shall neuer perswade me to giue ouer: And as one vnaquainted with so dainty eares, I returne againe to the earth from whence I went: more exquisite, more delicate, and the gorge­ous stuffe, God most glorious and vvorthy all honour hath created al the treatures, to se [...]ue for the vse of man: man onely did he make to honour him. I leaue to you.

In this place by this worde sanctifying, or halowed I vnderstande to estéeme or thinke as holy: to honour and celebrate, and to call on the name of one eternall God which is holye: and in this sence God doth vse these words in Ezechiel, I wilbe magnified, and I wil be satisfied, & I wilbe knowen in the eyes of the na­tions: and they shall knowe that I am the Lorde. Ezech. 38.23. and Esaie shewed the same verie effec­tuall: The Lorde hath opened (or made his arme na­ked) in the sight of the Gentiles, and all the ends of the [Page 105]earth shal sée the saluation of our God. Esay. 52.10. For in that the name of God is holy and reuerent, & verie holinesse and sanctitie it selfe: therfore are we commaunded to hallowe it: But because he is not knowen of all, and the mindes of men are cloyed and worne with superstition, Idolatrie, Blasphemie, in­cantation, execration, periurie: therefore is it that in prayer we praye, that glorie may bee geuen vnto him, homage, ductie, feare, and reuerence, that all may honour him, praise him, and laude him.

For this cause I haue set you downe a perfecte rule, These three are set dovvn for that his mercie and his loue ap­peareth most in them. Theodoree. and square to directe our life and conuersation withall: and to vnderstande howe God is knowen: which is, partely in our creation: partely in our re­demption: partly in our iustification: that the Lorde God may bee knowen vppon the earth: his sonne Christ among men: and the spirite that gouerneth & directeth the heartes of all fleshe. Theodoret, in that place where he sheweth what God is: maketh this sanctification or holines, a name that doth appertain to the Trinitie: for y^e none els by nature are Gods, but they: his opinion is, that Lorde and God apper­taine to the thrée seuerall persons: but our Lorde & God is to be honoured or sanctified: so that in one God: the Father, the Sonne, and the holie Ghost, ar to be sanctified: Eucherius vppon the Kinges: Eucherius in Reg. sheweth the wisedome of the Lorde God, which doth wonders and signes, and miracles, without any slothe or stay­ing, but euen spéedely at his woorde: not saith hee with many trifling circumstances, but in his wise­dome at his pleasure. Howe glorious a God then is he, and worthie to be magnified: Therefore Crisos­tom to Philemon: When God did not stande in néede of our helpe, he created & made vs of nothing. For when he had made euery thing, then made he man: what reuerence then can we giue to our God, more [Page 106]then sanctifie him, & shewe his power among men? Primatius on the Romanes, atributeth mercie, iustice, goodnes, Here is it knovven that vve loue God vvhen vve set out his name feare God. & increase the number of his Church. peace, with all other good giftes vnto the Lord: and to this end he doth it, euen to pluck downe & debase man, & to exalt and sanctifie the name of god. Augustine is verie excellent in his meditations: hee giueth vnto God these titles: Great, mightie, omni­potent, eternall, pittifull, long suffering, righteous: that hydeth many things, knoweth all things: Only strong, onely present, onely of force and of strength, vncomprehensible, seeinge all thinges, iudginge all thinges, vuchanngable, yet chaunging and altering all other: immortall, infinite, whom no man can at­tayne vnto, Immoouable yet moouinge and turninge all: vnsearchable yet searching all: feareful, and fea­ring all, yet neuer feared: that is aunciaunt and olde and gray headed for hée was euer: not altered, for hée is the same: that bringeth all to age, and continueth alwayes: workinge, and fashioninge, and framinge, and making, and creating all, yet alwayes quiet: al­wayes strong, alwayes giuing, neuer needing: de­fending, These are vn searchable: not to be at­tained of vs: yet do they not, and they cannot set out the full povver of God. distributing, nourishing, profiting, louinge, ayding, mainteining: displeased, yet pleased: repen­ting, not striking: and consuming, yet protecting & fostering: that is onely one, and eternall, and euer­lasting, and vnchangeable in his counsell. I suppose that Augustine hath shewed vs howe to iudge of the Lorde, howe to sanctifie him, howe to glorifie him? euen when we lay aside all that is in man, and giue due honour, reuerence, feare and maiestie vnto him: I will staye no longer in this place, I procéede to that which followeth: for I dare not stande in curi­ous intermedling with the Lorde: but I shewe yon briefely in what the Lorde is sanctified, euen in all things that are vppon the earth, whose excellencie (if it haue any) and glorie and goodnes, commeth onely [Page 107]from God: But in especial, God is sanctified by these two workes and iust iudgements of his, that happen in the worlde.

The firste is his righteousnesss and his iustice, God helpeth the good: beatethdovvn the vvicked punisheth the sinner: & succoureth his faithfull: in vvhich chiefely he is glorified. in the reuealing whereof, euen by punishing the wic­ked, and comforting them that bee his, the Lorde God is chiefely glorified: as in Pharao his ouerthrow in the read Sea, with the destruction and ouerwhel­ming of his captaines, horses, and chariots, that was a feare and astonishment to all nations. The like in Sennacharib, the Tirant of Assiria, that ouerthrewe the Gods of the nations, and blasphemed the trewe & liuing God, and perished he and his people, by y^e hand of the Angell. In no one thing is the Lorde so glori­fied as in this: Though Israel vvas as it vvere eaten vp of the vvie ked for a time: and the tribe of Iuda extinguished and the root of Dauid for­gotten: and the temple forsaken: yet soudeinly vvas all this renued, and God glorified in his Christ. in shewing his rigour and sharpnesse to the infidels and nations, and by sauing and pro­tecting his people: what glorious & beautiful steppes had the daughter of Syon, when Iuda was brought out of captiuitie, and Hierusalem from thraldome, & bondage: and the lame man went in the stréetes: and the blinde could sée the Lorde: and the Leapers were clensed: and the bloudie Cyte, was made a running spring: and the standing poole, a riuer of sweete wa­ter: and when ioye and health was spreade abrode, vpon the children of that wofull and desolate widow Sion: when the Messias was come: the Churche de­liuered: the Apostles called: the Gentiles elected: & Herod eaten and deuoured with Lice, the enimie of the Lorde: and the Churche had quietnesse: and the enimies were swallowed vp: and glad tydings of the Gospel, was preached on the face of the whole earth. When the Lord permitted persecution vnder Nero, Domitian, Traian, Dioclesian, vntill Arcadius, howe rose it againe triumphantly? & the Lorde God mag­nified in Asia, in Aphrica, in Europe, and the here­tikes beaten and suppressed downe, by the worde of [Page 108]God. This persecucion was greate. yet vvas God ho­noured in the sight of men, by the courage & death of his saincts After that from Arcadius vnto Honorius: vnto Theodotius the younger: vnto Martian: vntill Leo: vntill Zeno. Howe worthie a passage had the power of the Gospell: euen from Arrius and those heretikes that went before him, vntill Pelagius and those here­tikes which succeeded him? I might cunne ouer the sixt age since Christ, where albeit the countenance of the Lorde, shined not so pleasantly, as it did [...] others: yet the stories of Anastatius, of Iustus, of lus [...]mian, & of Iustin, of T [...]berius, of Mauritius, do testifie, that the Lorde God gaue his Church an honourable conquest, ouer the enimies of Christe. But I let this [...]ip, and I returne thither from whence I went: For all men vve pray: for the good, that God vvoulde strengthen them: for the faithlull hee vvould deli­uer them: for the vveake, he vvold incou­rage them: for them vvithout, that he vvould cal them: and for the rebell and obstinat, that he vvuld consume thē: in all vvhiche God is mag­nified. namely, that this ought to be our petition, our earnest sute and de­sire vnto the lord, that he would not permit his name to be blasphemed and prophaned among the nations: but in his mercie he would giue vs of his grace, and in his iustice strike and punishe those that be his ad­uersaries, that all men may knowe him, and adore his name: and that he may be feared and honoured among all. After this manner be the godly brought, speaking as it were in their owne persons. Not vn­to vs O Lorde, not vnto vs, but vnto thy name giue thy praise, for thy goodnesse and for the truethes sake. And againe in pittifull sorte do the Sainctes com­plaine by Dauid: when the heathen cryed out, where is their God? And againe: Powre foorth thy wrathe and indignation vppon the heathen which know thée not, and vppon the kingdomes which call not on thy name. And againe in Ioell: Help vs O Lord of our strength, euē for thy glor [...]e & for thy names sake. Let the reuenge of the bloud of thy Saincts powred forth, be openly shewed among the nations. Yet herein is héede to be taken: namely that priuate gr [...]dge, & pri­nate malice, make vs not to burst out into these excla­mations: but that it be done in the zeale of the Lord.

[Page 109] The seconde kinde or manner of his power, God is a con­suming fier to the vvic­ked: to them that fea [...]e him, [...]ee is a mercifull God. where­in he is sanctified, his name glorified, and he praised among the children of men: is his infinite mer­ [...]ic and goodnesse, that is extended from generation to generation, euen vnto thousand shousandes, of such as feare him, and kéepe his commaundements: and were it not for the Lord of hostes & for his great mer­cie: that in Esay shoulde [...]e fulfilled, that we were as Sodoma, and become as outcastes in Gomorra: the ca­lamities that happened to Iuda, in so oft [...] times chan­ging their iudges that were falne so strangely, & yet recouered themselues againe so mightely in a shorte space, are a witnesse vnto vs, to testifite this.

Their transgressions vnder Samuel, yet he deliuered God trieth his people & suffereth thē to fall: that they may ha [...]e a better risinge. them: their falling in the time of Dauid yet he [...]a­ued them: their miserie and desperate case wherein they faltered vnder Salomon, yet he protected them: vnder Ahab yet he defended them: vnder y^e residewe of his successours, yet did he not deface them: so that his iustice to punishe them: his iudgmentes to tame them: his wraith and his furie to consume them: And his mercie to incourage them, his righteousnesse to helpe them, his clemencie to hold them: and his good­nesse for to ransome them: be the greatest and the mightiest woorkes of the Lorde, wherein hee is glorified: Yet in none so much as in this: that they which went before vs, and we whiche followe nowe that be aliue, are in his mercie and goodnesse saued, Sin raigning in our [...]or­tall bodyes: vvee vvere c [...]oked vp in the san [...]e: but tha [...] only vve are faued and li [...]ted vp in Christ. & in one Iesus Christ: that being deade are made aliue: being fal [...]en from grace are raised vp in a gratiou [...] Lord, and swalowed vp with iniquitie, are made new treatures, and a perfect workemanshippe vnto God our father: Thelassius hereon, in his Hecatondate the seconde, properly toucheth this: Thou art frée saith he, and called vnto libertie in Christ, by grace: giue not thy selfe then vnto the pleasure of the flest: for e­uen [Page 110]in this benefite, is wrought the worke of our sal­uation: which is, that we be true & vprighte, and per­fect: that by vs & in our works the name of God may be glorified. For euen in this is the worde euil spoken of, in that we be followers of the flesh: & for this the name of God is dishonoured among the Gentiles. Losenes of life in Chri­stians, is the cause of the dishonoring of God: and maketh the infidelles the vvorse. Then to the end this parte, for I see that I am ouer reached by the houre: nothing on earth both set out his glorie that made it, somuch as this: That he con­foundeth his enimies, wherby the Godly are comfor­ted, and his worde hath free passage, and in his mer­cie forbeareth his saincts, and at once consumeth not, or in his wrath destroyeth not: but patient, lōg suffer­inge of great goodnes, vseth all kind of clemencie, to bring those his vnto him.

To conclude: it is the onely ende and vse of this pe­tition. Halowed be thy name: That if we shall see the whole world to be deuided, and cut in sunder: For the word of God: then in our peticion, y^e sects may be abo­lished, falfe opinions defaced, the truth established, the Gospell confirmed: to pray to our Lorde God. Hallow­ed be thy name: if we be snared with the intisemēts of the flesh: if glorie puffe vs: if brauerie & gallantnesse in the world do moue vs: Scismes in our common vvelth: be for our sinnes: but the euill life in precise people, certe­fieth vs, that they haue an other ende in their dealing then all the vvorld knovv­eth. If concupisence sturre vs, or impietie and vngodlynesse wrestle with vs. No easi­er way can befounde to ouercome them then this. Halowed be thy name: The ritch man he forgetteth the Lord, and is choked with the cares of this life: hée scrapeth greadely, he oppresseth vnbrotherly: begileth vncharitablie: dealeth with all men vniustly: and li­ueth vnchristianly: The aduouterer vnchastly: the thaefe vntruely: the extortioner by robbery: the vser­rer by pilferie: or els if al the world should ioyn toge­ther in tyrranie, it can no better way remedied, bee more easely redressed, or the word of God obeyed or thy life and wicked demeanour purged: then by this [Page 111]prayer: Halowed be thy name: but let vs leaue this, & come to the next: and it folweth.

Let thy Kingdome come.

OVR Lorde and sauiour Christ, If God vsed an order in praying: then vve in our supplications and in our common vvealth, must be also er­dered. as tendering the health and safetie of man, hath set downe a defini­tie, & certeine order of prayer, to be vled: Not to take away all other: or y^e no man may or can pray, but one­ly praying thus: but to shew vs in espetiall, that the glorie of God is first to be looked for: his name pro­moted: his aucthoritie established: his Godhead mag­nified: his kingdome inlarged: that in all our peti­tions this aboue other things ought to be regarded: to desire earnestly, that the retrennesse of the flesh, and beastlines thereof might be launched, first seeke the kingdome of heauen and the righte­ousnes therof then all things shall [...] giuen you. and the glorie of God: his gospell, his worde, his kingdome ratified: This is the seconde peticion or request that we make vnto God in our prayers: For we desired at the first to be helped of him as of our father, & it is expedient that we shoulde not séeke our owne commoditie but the Lordes, and it is knowen in that we aske newe: Let thy kingdome come: This kingdome, it is net gi­uen to one onely, but to all fleshe: it is not of man, or the power of man, but of the Lorde: for that wee bee weake it is giuen to strengthen vs: because we be so­rowfull, it is giuen to comforte vs: and knowing wée be ignorant, he hath giuen it to instruct vs: The [...]ai [...]ctes & holy men they, pine a­vvay and take thought if a­ny supersti­tion do heare svvay rather thē the truth, and for our better consolation, this is that he teacheth vs: Let thy kingdome come.

M. Gualter is of this opinion, that for so much as sinne and iniquitie reigneth in vs, therefore we pray that vngodlynesse may be expelled, and wickednesse banished, and the only kingdome of God knowen a­mong vs: Cyprian vpon the Lords prayer. We pray [Page 112]saith he, that the kingdome of glorie may come, pro­mised by Christ, and bought by the bloud and death of Christ: that we which reigned in the world, may now againe be chaunged, and reigne with Christe: For so it is prepared of the Lord, that such as be his, shoulde be seauered from the Gods of this worlde, and made a newe people to him & his father, As the light is more excellent and bet­ter vvelcome vvhere there hath bin darkenes and ioy, vvhere sorrovv and truth, vvhete vvas ignorāce so out of the kindome of Satan, is the kingdome of Heauen, made more glorious, and better accep­ted among, men. & so receiue (as it is in Matthew) the kingdome that was prepared for them from the beginning: There is in this life two manner of regiments: two kingdomes that be among vs: one it is of God and of the Lorde, and of his sonne Christ: The other is of y^e prince of this world, the ru­ler of the ayre, that gouerneth the hearts of the wic­ked (as in Peter.) And this cōquest, this victorie that he claymeth and the rule which he hath, it came in by that vntimely fight which he had with our first father Adam, who in the cumbat and battell whiche he had, was seduced by the wilinesse of a poore woman: you may easely knowe what force we be of, that are ouer­come by so weake creatures. And from that time Sa­than hath so preuailed with the sonnes of men, that they haue haene slaues and Galeboyes, to doe his worke, and toyle in his carte euer since: yet not so: that he hath cleane swallowed vs, & taken the whole gouernement into his handes: but in this respect said to reigne: in that commonly he infecteth the kings of the earth, The vvicked hee blindeth, the godly hee stirreth vp: & by his temta­tions, he doth make those that be the Lordes, more vvarye: and the most of the nations, with the cup of his fornication: That in iust iudgement, and in ful desert for their manifould sinnes, are permitted to be scourged, and for their malice and ingratitude duely punished: In whome the kingdome of Sathan is said to haue poure for that he gouerneth their déedes and their whole life, neither suffered hee them to sée the light and puritie of the Gospel: And this gouernemēt it hath stollen away and so bewitched the mindes of men: that for the space of one thousande sire hundred [Page 113]fiftie sixe yeres, the Lorde God, saue onely in a poore family, or nowe and then in some Seth, or one Enoch, was scarce knowen vppon the face of the earth: for which cause, the windowes of the heauen opened, & they powred downe rayne, and consumed those of the earth. And to so many thousandes as were there, what was the Arke that it might be rompared there­vnto, which had in it but eyght persons, God ne [...] forsaketh hist but in despe­rate cases, v­seth mightily to restore hi [...] children. as a seueral people kept to God? And in this place I haue drawn you out a shorte catalouge of the peruerse and crooked kingdome, the dominion of the diuel: by which you may knowe, what wee are of our selues when God forsaketh vs: and you shall vnderstande againe, that the Lord, euen in the midst of death, can keepe vs that be of his Church vnto life. I knowe y^e I haue to deale with a great number, that if God would not cut off y^e presumptuous spéech, would complaine with Esdras, y^e he had forgotten Sion, & that his people had hanged vp their harpes by the riuer of Babell, God vvilha [...]e his to mourn a season: that they may be glad and re­ [...]oyce vvith great honor. and wepte there, yet could not be heard of God. And if euer it appeared in blacke and mourning wéede, then was the Church of God chéefely destitute & voide of helpe: when as Nemrod that mightie hunter, grewe vp to so great strength, and consumed the flocke and heri­tage of the Lorde. This kingdome of Sathan, it is enlarged especially by these three meanes: the firste, is in belying and defacing the trueth, the woorde of God: the seconde is in open wickednes: the third is by sects, scismes & heresies, to beat downe the Gospel. An example of the first, I cannot shew better, then in him of whom we brag so much our first father: No trueth is in his lippes: but falshod and lyes: be the vveapons of the diuell. what a lye was that he made vnto him, to begyle him with­all? If you eat of this fruit, you shalbe Gods knowing good & euil? then take this in the meane time: as God his glorie, his kingdome & his empire is enlarged, by setting out y^e trueth: so is y^e kingdom of the diuel by disceit.

[Page 114] After this sort, he bewitched the Philosophers of olde: he begyled the Gentiles, and nations on the earth, with fonde and fantasticall illusions: taken frō the Sunne, the Moone, and the other creatures whō they worshipped. The beginning of the Kinge of Ba­bylon and of Assiria, Of euill Pa­rents, often times good children: and of an euill stocke good branches: yet onely the vvill of God: that is tyed vnto no per­son. after the floode. 131. yeare, testifie the same: euen from Nemrod (before named) & called of M. Bullinger and of the Poets, Saturnus: how great blindnesse and filthie superstition incroched on the earth? euen that blessed nation, (whome God hath nowe mightily prospered) the Germanes: frō whence I knowe not whether any more heauenly, or more wise, or better learned, or greater number to set out the glorie of the Lord and his Christ, hath risen out of any place or nation, or countrie vnder y^e Sunne, then hath from them: Yet these came out of the loynes of that beastly Monarcha: and liued a long time in I­dolatrie. For take a viewe of their predccessours frō whence they came, and iudge whether God hath bles­sed them or no, that when they were wilde grapes, & good for nothing, hath graffed them againe vppon a newe stocke, and they bring foorth verie plentifull fruite. For consider all and the power of God which wrought it. Howe sprang vp Idolatrie when Ninus sonne to Nemrod (otherwise of the Poets Iupiter Be­lus) began to reigne. Hee erected a temple to his fa­ther: and to his mother Iuno: and to Rhea his mo­thers mother: and be was the chiefe author of idola­trie, God is not tyed to the greatest number: but hee taketh, vvhere he pleaseth: and chooseth vvhere he listeth. euen the moste grosse and beastliest, that I finde among men. Him did Semiramis (a Paragon, and his mother, and an Amazon, as filthie & wicked as her sonne, succede in the Empire. Only in an out corner about Mesopotamia, and in other pettie vilia­ges was God knowen: I touche this age. For that it pleased God to suffer Sathan to build him a throne & a kingdome among men in those dayes especially: [Page 115]which was the foundation and Piller of all vntrueth vntill this day: For nowe began the Aegyptians to bud vp, that vntoward generation (whose name de­serueth to be hated) for that all our toyes and inuen­tions, in hidden and vnknowen artes, began with them. And the diuell to establishe and ratisie his do­urine, began in Aegypt the fiftéenth yere of Nemrod: God seeth [...] and in due time execu­teth his fierce vvrath. which was of Noe the 745. & of the world 1801. yeres. Then began Mizraim (so called in their language) his tyranny: this is he called of y^e Histeriographers Oceanus, that made great broyles in the Church, and confirmed his wickednesse with bloude. But it is true that is in Salomon. The Lorde that sitteth in his seate doth wipe away all euill. And againe: the wise King doth scatter the wicked, and bring a mischiefe vppon them: And therefore this buylding of Sathan it lasted not long, but was broken downe, euen the chéefe walles thereof: when hee suffered Abraham to soiourne among them. For his posteritie sufferes many troubles, and diuers calamities, and were op­pressed many yeres: yet in the ende, the Lorde God was magnified, his name was praised, and his Ma­iestie séene, & his people had a glorious day of them, when Pharooth and his horsemen and his Chariots, were ouerwhelmed and drowned in the deapth of the Seas. Prayer refiss teth all trou­bles: and if vve vvere at the dore of death: yet are vve deliuered by it. Therefore in my iudgement this is a worthy and moste excellent prayer, that the olde reliques of the auncient building may be defaced: and to desire the Lorde that his kingdome may bee increased, and superstition and falshod sowed and setled in y^e hearts of men, rooted out: and the puritie of the Gospel may take holde: and veritie and religion shine among vs: For it is the olde custome of Sathan to begyle vs: & as auncient as the Aegyptians be, and the Caldees, & the Hebrewes, so is his pollicie and his wilinesse of many yeres, and long time, & greater continuance, [Page 116]then our late and miserable dayes be able to resist: This serpent, vvith many heads: God vvill bring dovvne: and you shall see him treden vnder foote. if we were assaulted with the like. For which cause sée­ing superstition hath heretofore ouerflowed the face of the whole earth, & from the beginning might haue continued vntill our latter times, had not the Lorde God in his sonne Chrisie looked on vs. For that Ma­homet, and the Turke haue their dominion and glori­ous titles to be made Gods aboue all that be in earth: and his neighbour his nexte rempanion, The Pope vvil fall ere long: and his time as it is but short: so it is the easier to be borne: as he is novve rent & torne in peeces: and his legges al­so and feete, almost cut off. hath nowe a long season set him selfe in his chaire of state, and Imperiall throne, and hath made al the princes of the earth drunken with his venomous eup: for that wée our selues bee a gazing stocke almoste to the whole worlde, and the eyes of euery kingdome and nation, cast vppon vs: for that peace and quietnes & the true light of the Gospel, was neuer set out in his perfecte colour, as it is at this day with vs: and for that if vn­thankfulnesse continue, and lothsomnesse take vs: we are at a venture, that God will depriue vs of his benefites: Considering the brickle state, and distresse wherein we be, no greater consolation (in my iudge­ment) may or can happen to vs, nor worthier bles­sing light on vs, or more earnest supplication moued by vs: then that he would promete his glorie, sanctifie his name, The enimies backbite the vvorde, and God, and the Gospel, if any fall: neither knovve they hovv out of their fall ther commeth vp strength: and abey the bet­ter armed. defend his church, establishe his kingdom, roote out the posteritie of Sathan, & suffer his peace to be among vs.

The second shift, and pollicie that hee hath to erect his owne glorie, and set vp his kingdome: is by open sinne & manifest breach of the word of God, whether it be in Idola [...]rie, or murther, or whoordom, or incest, or sorcerie, or theft, or in any other kind of vngodlines whatsoeuer. For what a victorie & glorie hath he got­ten, when the children of Abraham, & the heires of his couenant, do stide so far from the trueth, as that they be a gazing stocke and eyesore to all other.

[Page 117] This impure and wicked spirite, the author of se­dition, and father of all vntrueth, by cogitations, by cuill thoughts, by deuises, by euil pretences, by lustes: by concupiscence first moueth them: then by breath of the worde, by malice, by begiling, by deceipt, by in­tisement, by incouraging to all cuill, in the ende con­sumeth them.

And here créepeth in his last & most deceiuable [...]ite: Our strife is for trifles: & albeit great shevve be made of cons­cience: all men may see hovv small [...]nscience these haue: vvhich leaue their vocatiō their calling, the church & the faithfull: contemning brotherly fe­lovvship: ab­sent them from prea­ching, and hearing the vvorde: and distike al but such as they vvould haue: this is puritie vvith secura­tie. that incenseth, and inflameth euen the brightest and the glorious starres, with his rancor and pride: And so puffeth them vp with vaine conceite: by his wea­pons which he giueth them: sectes, scismes, heresies, fonde illusions, they commonly drayle with them most good and exquisite pillers of the Church: For my owne parte if euer sathan displayed his pagiaunt, and set abrode his insignes among men, I am perswaded he hath don it very cunningly in these dayes: For the word of God is troden vnder foote, vnrighteousnesse (hath almost) the vpper hande: the alters of God are broken downe: the temple is pestered with monie chaungers: euery one hath his religion: euery one his God: botherhoode is forsaken: loue is forgotten: trueth and equitie are banished into farre countries and faine to begge their breade: contention is growen vp: diuitions & enmitie are creapte into our heartes: some delight in one man: others in another man, Paul and Apollos, and Clephas are so much talkte of, that Christ and religion is neuer a whit thoughte of: this building vp of the Sinagouge of sathan, and despising the worde, doth make our prayer of small effect: no though we crie out day and night before the Lorde, Let thy kingdome come. Yet till these and such like bee amended, thinges that bee amisse, it preuaileth not:

Can the Rushe growe without myre? or the grasse growe without water: will the trée beare fruite with [Page 118]out moisture, Very subtil is Sathan, & see­keth by all meanes to suppresse re­ligion: euen by couler of Religion. or canne the spider make her house or weaue her web without labour? No more can the de­uill without beguiling vs, nor his workemen with­out intising vs: nor his builders without molesting vs, bring any good successe or passage to his kingdome: and this deuise of Sathan hath been put in practise of late, and I can testifie it: for that great zeale which I haue séene, and the small knowledge whiche men haue: their religion in matters of no value: their ig­noraunce in thinges of great weight: can ought dero­gate so much from the kingdome of God and of Christ as this? It is an old barre and a croked péece of yron he hath laide in our way: & the best Smith that I know this day, This diuisio [...] came in but of late yeares and Sathan mightely preuailed. is not able to bring it to any fashion: And laboure asmuch as you can therein, yet will it neuer be brought to good passe, that any one shoulde seuer the congregation, plucke the Lorde Christ in péeses, deuide his church, bring in brawls, contentions, strife debat grudging, without greate perill and ioperdie to the nocke and houshoulde of God? And euen nowe we beginne as they in Asia did, to striue for the passe­ouer, and the holy day: yet in this enimitie & debate, if euerie man would examine his priuate conscience, and his dealings wherin he is blinded, the great shew and faire face for the Surplesse and the Cope to coun­tenaunce them: wil neuer make recompence for the oppression and guile, the vse whereof somuch shameth them: I knovv not vvhat this precise life meaneth: & this dealinge vvilleth: but I knovv it is against the vvill of God. But if that complaint so common nowe among vs were trewe: yet there is little consideration of the kingdome of God, when the apparell & attyre that is worne in the church shall driue thée from it: And it is not a sufficient cause for any of you all, to crie out re­formation and reformation, Church men and Church men, the Pope, and the Pope: yet I say not truely, there is good cause to do so, for if maners in men could be reformable: and they that be about the offeringes [Page 119]of the Lord, were sound agréeable: no man in tongue threatening out vengeaunce against the Pope, Flyinge from the Church: & ronninge frō preaching so small fre­quentinge of the Temple, on the saboth vvil cause the Lord to take his Gospell from vs. were founde in heart to dissemble popishly: the arke of God it néeded not be caried into so priuate corners as it is, neither woulde a greate number runne rather vnto priuate houses to serue there, then refuse to come vp to Bethell to offer with the congregation: But I saye vnto all in the Lorde, and as from the Lorde: If God when wée haue plentie of the worde, and eate in full aboundance of the fatnesse of the Oliue: doth for this our sinne take breade and the worde from vs too, wée haue in our transgressions worthely deserued it: the dayes are nowe so miserable, that euery man maketh conscience of nothing: euery base citchinboy must nowe play the Leuite, and yet vnworthy to enter in­to the porche of the Lorde: It is filthy whē priuate men become Preachers. The people is as the priest, the priest must giue place to the people, & that man that commeth not to please them, is thought vn­worthy to speake among them: The Lorde end the troubles of his sainctes, and vnfolde these, deuises of the diuill: that all flesh may sée his dealings, & speake well of the name of the Lord: for till these thinges be amended, and our holowe hartes better setled, and our braules and debats ended, the kingdome of God, can­not be builded.

But to vndersrande this more fully, Let thy king­dome come. We haue to consider, God taketh to him: no man can take from him: that as god hath per­mitted in his eternall counsell and limitted vnto vs whome he hath chosen, a verie ordinarie way to come vnto him: as he hath kept a certeine portion to him­selfe, as he hath giuen them strength and might to resist the deuill: so he hath from all beginning in his secrete determination giuen a part & company vnto Sathanas: vnto vs that be his, he hath squared out a pathway and entrance to walke in: euen thorough his sonne Christe: in whome wee are reconciled: in [Page 120]whose bloud we are washed: Gods loue vvas seen be­fore the vvorld, in e­lecting vs: at the creation in giuing to vs: in the vvorld in cal­ling vs: then in Christ in redeeming vs and it vvilbee fully shevven in be [...]uen vvhen he crovvneth vs. in whome our glory ap­peareth: our sanctification commeth: his kingdome and dominion increaseth.

And this is our kingdome, that God in his sonne Christ wrought and brought to passe before the foun­dation of the worlde, that the heade of the serpent should be troden downe: & our deliueraunce bought: that we might liue in obedience & knowledge all our life: of this kingdome, ought these places to be vnder­stoode: opened before and prophesied of the kingdome of Christ and his regiment. Psal 2. Psal. 47. Psal. 72. Esa. 9. Iere. 23. But most excellently and generally in the discourse of Daniel and his prophesie: and it is al­luded vnto by Paul. Colos. 1. that chargeth vs to giue thankes to God the father which hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenesse, and translated vs into the kingdome of his welbeloued sonne: and this is it for which we pray, Let thy kingdome come. There­fore Eucherius vppon the kings, doth figuratiuely drawe the kingdome of Saul vnto Christ, All things do appertaing to the Lorde: for he vvas made all in all, for vs. in that they of Israel lost the kingdome and gouernement by his reprobation, and it shoulde be recouered againe vn­der the Messtas by free gift: Lactantius giueth a spiri­tual & heauēly kingdome vnto Christ: for that he was obedient and fatthfull to his father and fulfilled all thinges, euen to the death of the crosse: therefore he hath giuen him a kingdome, and honour, and rule. Al­so Epiphanius maketh a comparison betwixt the house of Israel, and Ierusalem, from whome the scepter and kingdome was some times taken away: but saith he, for euer shall our glorie last, which we shal haue in the throne of the Lorde: And his kingdome it is not on yearth, for so he testified vnder that testimonie hee gaue vnto Pontius Pilate: Therefore Cyprian: Christ may be called the kingdome of God, whome we looke for dayly, and in our prayers desire he woulde come [Page 121]spéedily: for in so much as he is our resurrection, our glorie, our crowne, therefore shall we rise & be made like vnto him, and raigne with him most gloriously: Wee haue no glorie but in Christ: nor kingdō, but in Christ: no [...] honour but in Christ: therefore are vve joyfull, & glad & onely in Christ. It is true and certeine, as there is a dominion and sceptar on earth, so there is and shalbee a kingdome in heauen: so that at such time as wee pray, and de­sire to be with Christe, we desire to bee with him in his kingdome, which in the ende hee will giue vnto vs in heauen. Then as the power of Sathan is great, and as he hath his pollicie and ingins readie prepared to snare vs: so hath the Lord God his ordi­narie meanes to bring vs to his kingdome, and hee layeth vp in store for those that bee his against the day of his comming.

First of all the kingdom of God was knowen and opened, & inlarged verie aboundantly, by his worde which he gaue vs: so that they which were snared & intangled by Sathan, had to runne vnto that eternal decree and heauenly Oracle, that was deliuered by the Lorde: The séede of the woman shall tread down the head of the Serpent: with this as with spirituall foode were our fathers fedd, and liued in the hope which they had in one Christ: for they hoped for an heritage, and for a kingdome, and for their redemp­tion which they knewe shoulde bee fulfilled in their season.

Secondly, Faith finish­eth, and dis­poseth all things. the amplification and increase of the kingdō of God was shewed to man: in that when the appointed houre was come, he sent his onely begot­ten sonne into the worlde: that beeing made man of the virgin Marie, he might take our weakenesse vp­pon him, and beare our infirmities: that our naked­nesse might be no more open before God his father: but we might be clothed and couered in his peace. First he washed away our sinnes, and nayled them vnto the Crosse, and adopted vs into the libertie of [Page 122]the children of God: That we might falter no more, and slide from him: he lefte a defence and shielde for vs, which is our faith: that albeit we haue sinne and iniquitie ranging in our mortal bodies: yet by a liue­ly hope in his bloud, we might stande stedfast against the enimie, An instumēt to vvorke vvith all sharper then any svvord, to deuide the vvorde of life. and haue our sinnes no more imputed to vs: but be counted able to stande before his tribunal, in the merite and death of his sonne: and such an as­surance is giuen vnto vs of life in that kingdom: that Paule bursteth out into a verie vehement speeche, and wondereth at the Lord, that hath brought to passe so much for vs: For who can lay ought to our charge that be the children of God? It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne? It is Christe that is dead: nay rather which is risen againe: that sitteth at the right hande of his father, and is an intercessor and media­tor for vs. Wherefore, séeing the sonne of God hath made a satisfaction for our sinnes: Though god defer long: yet hee vvill pay vs in the ende. and hath by his resurrection, vanquished hell, death, the diuell, and condemnation: it doth followe, that he hath made vs a frée passage to his kingdome, and hath set in good order the perfection that was wanting: to make vs obedient children in this life, and to giue vs his re­warde at the length, euen a crowne of immortalitie and glorie.

And here commeth in the thirde thing, that esta­blisheth and giueth vs full certeintie of our kingdom in Christe: whereby he squareth vs as fit stones, he­wen out in good time, Man, vveake of him selfe, & vngodlye: he is perfited, and chaūged by the Spirit of God. for so excellent a building: and it is the earnest of the spirite procéeding from his fa­ther, to direct, sanctifie, and gouerne vs, against all the assaultes and temptations of Sathan. And here it commeth to passe, that where as by nature and of­fence of the first man, we are vnreadie and vnméete to do that which is acceptable & pleasant in his sight: nowe by his spirite woorkinge in our mindes and [Page 123]consciences, and daily striuing with the fleshe: wee finde aptnes in our selues, and a more readinesse to obey the Lorde. This comforter as he was moste plentifully in great terrour and astonishement ma­nifested to his Apostles, at the firste enlarging of the kingdome of God: so hath he not forsaken vs, thoughe visibly he appeare not vnto vs: but doth purge and wipe away our infirmities, and lighteneth vs by a perfect calling, and secreate operation, through the obedience of his name? that we may knowe what y^e holy and perfect, and readie will of God is. And as Saul, a verie wicked and vngodly man was founde prophesying among the Prophets: and Amos from the Mulberie trées, and from the plough, The time it is appointed vvhen vvee shal come to God: beefore that, vvee are as men in this vvorlde drovvned in sin and vvies kednesse. was taken into the temple and Sinagog of Hierusalem: and as some of the Apostles from the net, and the fishers hooke, were altered and chaunged vnto other maner of men: so is it with vs: made and fashioned againe that were before filthie and wicked, we are purged, renued, clensed and renouated by a more liuelye quickening: wee stande boldly before his throne of grace: and heare, & knowe the glad tidings of peace: for the spirite maketh intercession, with groninges for those that be the Lordes, and worketh mightily in our heartes vnto saluation.

Fourthly and lastly, this kingdome of God is in­creased and inlarged by the preaching of the Gospel. a verie ordinarie way that God hath left vnto vs, to bring vs to heauen: euen to beléeue the worde, and obey the Lord God, If the contēpt of this be death, vvhat shall become of them that do contempt it. and to attaine to the ful measure and depth thereof, which is the eternall decree, pur­pose and determination of his death, the ende wher­of is our life: the cause thereof his onely loue, good wil, and fauour, that he bare to man, openly knowen and apparant by the Gospell. It is therefore called the Gospell of Iesus Christe the sonne of God. Mar. 1. [Page 124]It is called the word of Christe. Collos. 3. It is called the worde of the Lorde. Act. 6. It is called the doc­trine of Christ, or the teaching of the Lorde. Act. 13. And it is called the teaching of him that saueth. Tit. 2. It is called the preaching of the Lorde. Rom. 16. all which titles & epithites giuen vnto the Gospell that is preached haue this ende: To knowe that Firste it came from God: then it is deliuered vnto man: next we must beléeue it, (and herchy it is wée are saued) for this cause it is called in Math. 13. the good séede. By this Gospell health and life is shewed to him that be­léeueth: for which cause Paul said: I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ: for it is the power of God to all them that beléeue. The ordina­rie meane to come to God is by hering: by this life: by life God: in him our heauen and our saluation and our life. It is also called the worde of life, Verbum est vi [...], that containeth or layeth vp a crowne of glorie for him that is stedfast in faith. It is called the worde of reconciliation, for it declareth the agréement betwixt God & man, in our Lorde Iesus Christ: and so finde we it. 2. Cor. 5. All thinges are of the Lord, vnto whome we are reconciled in Christ, & hath giuē vnto vs the ministerie of reconciliatiō. And this Gospell, it is called the Gospell of the glorie of Christ. 2. Cor. 4. The God of this world hath blinded y^e eyes of the vnbeléeuers, that the brightnes of the glo­rious Gospell of God cannot shine amōg them, which is the expresse image of his father: therefore in Tim. be calleth it the Gospel of the eternall & blessed Lord, The loue of the father, is the loue of his Christ, that came for man, & dyed: that out of death, there might spring foorth life, to all beleeuers. for this is he that God hath giuen vnto vs, a verie pawne & pledge, & full satisfaction for man. This is the cause that it is called by the name of good tidings, & to be the Gospel of the kingdome of God & the word of the kingdome, Mark. 1. Math. 13. For it bringeth vs from the dominion of the diuell, & placeth vs againe in the kingdom of the Lord: which kingdom as Mat. recordeth, hath béene prooided for the godly, from the verie beginning of the world: but as concerning this [Page 125]kingdom, we haue it not in this life present with vs: neither attaine we the perfection thereof: for there is a kingdome of fauour and of grace, & a kingdome of glorie: this grace then it is in vs, because this glorie may bee with vs: therefore is it, No man is crowned, if he haue not runne for it: no man hath it, if also hee win it not: no man doth win it bntby strength: no man is strong but in God: so that wee must stay til God giue vs povver, that we may haue the victorie. that the kinge of this world is taken from vs, that the spirite of God may rest by vs. Then in briefe: this is the summe of our prayers, that for asmuch as Sathan hath his mi­nisters to help & assist him to suppresse the worde and beate down the kingdom of Christ, & of the gospel, & to set vp fashod & vntrueth: We humblie craue of the Lord, that y^e enemie of mankind may be snafled, and tyed vp, his empire rased out, and his force abated, and that the kingdome of God may onely be among vs. Thus much for the second peticion that we make vnto the Lorde, wherein is set downe, that we ought to pray, and vnto God: vnto none that is enimie vn­to vs, but to him that loueth vs: and is our father: Not to any among the sonnes of men, but to one that ruleth them all that sitteth aboue: that wee looke for [...] kingdome and from the Lord: that it is giuen not to vs onely but to all that are his elect: not for suche as be earthly, but for them that thirst verie gredely and séeke after God: that it is not for a time, but it is for e­uer: Althings are giuen to knowe God: but these are giuen to knowe God, our neigh­bour, our selues, and his Christ, in whome wee finishe and end all. That this kingdome is with vs and we haue a good assuraunce thereof by the worde of God: giuen vnto man partely to instruct him: partly to strenghen him: partly to comfort him: that the king and ruler of the ayre may be driuen from him: and the kingdom of God and of Christ knowen vnto him: whiche king­dome he graunt vnto vs all, that hath redéemed all, Iesus Christ the righteous: to whom with the father and the holy ghost, thrée personnes, one euerlasting, trewe, onely and eternall God, be all honour, and glorie, and power, and dominion nowe and for euer. Amen.

Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heauen.

CHrist our sauior instructing his disciples to pray, The ende of our prayer is that the king dome of God & his Christe may shine: & darkenes, and popery and dregs of su­perstition may bee abolished. gaue them firste in charge to sanctifie the name of the Lorde, and directe their actiones and voo­inges to him that is aboue, the father of light. For it is the foundation and verie piller of our faith, that all thinges be done to the aduansement and setting out of the glorie of our God and his name: before wee presume to serch and séeke for our owne commoditie. And for that this cannot be done vntill the heade of the serpent and his force be beaten downe: We pray that he and his kingdome may be abolished, and that the Lord & his sonne Christ, & the kingdome of salua­tion & his gospel may be set vp, yet because God can­not reigne so in vs, and dwell among vs, as either we looke for, or we wishe for. We make our continual prayer, The kingdōe of God. that his will may be done in earth among vs as it is in heauen: Whereby wee giue our selues aswell in bodie as in soule to obey him.

Where our onely demaunde and peticion is vnto the Lorde, Nothinge so accepted to the Lord: as a vvillinge and ready minde to serue him. that his kingdome may come among vs: his name knowen of vs, hee woulde take vs into his protection and guidance: to obey his will, to remem­ber his lawes, to fulfill his heasts, to vowe our bodies and soules as [...]uch as in vs lyeth continully to serue him.

M. M. Gualter.Gualter in his question wherefere wee pray not for our selues: and that our will may be done as for the Lorde and for his? Seing that is against rea­son we shoulde make request for an other, and leaue the commoditie which is our owne. Hée aunswereth thus: for that Christ hath giuen an exāple of praying, [Page 127]and set downe that which is is porfitable for vs: he could not say that our will shoulde be fulfilled which is vngodly, euill, malicious, and dayly requiring that doth hurte vs: But he leaueth it to God, as knowing what it is that is more néedefull for vs.

Cyprian discoursing hereof, giueth a good reason: Ciprian. that because the deuill desireth and striueth with vs: therefore pray we for resistance, that God woulde comfort vs: For the deuill willeth and we will: But the will of God breaketh both: So that neither wil I, neither nill I, but that God woulde.

This place it wipeth away all that the Pelagianes can or may say herein: Pelagius con dempned heare. for if the will of man be ruled by the will of the Lord, and our works and our wits, and our saying and our doing be all framed by the will of god: What is there left behinde for vs to rea­son of? Thy hands if they laboure: thy wisedome in foretelling: thy bodie in thy indeuour: thy minde and soule what euer it be that it reckeneth: yet it is gui­ded by the Lorde.

And to the man that hath reason, The obediēce of creatures to the Lorde, doth continu ally checke vs that d [...]scbay him, & break his commaū ­dements. what can bee more vnreasonable, then when the Angles doe there messags at his wil? the heauens obey him at his beck? The ayre flickereth & fleeteth away when hee bideth it? The waters roll and plounce forth and consumeth the inheritannce that dwell vnder the sunne? And at his pleasure returneth to his place: when the earth remoueth at his wrath, & the mountaines leaue there dwelling and runne a wrie in his displeasure? Yet that man shoulde as a Lorde and king ouer these, bée without a king and guide to rule him? It pleaseth God I shoulde sée the maner of the world and of foolish people in my youth: and glad I am thereof. For if a man liue many yeres, & in them all reioyce, yet shall he remember the day of darkenesse, and in the end all whatsoeuer commeth is but vanitie. But hee that [Page 128]knoweth the will of God and is led by it, The life of man is for a time: but he that feareth God, liueth for euer. his ende is gladnesse and his yeares is glorie, and honour shalbe his portion for euer. For as the cloudes drop in there season on the earth, and as the trée doth fall towarde the South, or as the North winde blustreth & consu­meth, or as in the place the trée falleth there it lyeth: So is it ordeined to man, that according to his life, he shoulde finde it when he commeth to accompt.

Who can measure the waues of the Sea by his Bucketts? or who is he can shewe me the way of the spirite? The incom­prehencible vvisedome of God, and the vveakenes of man. Howe doe the boanes growe? And howe in­crease our Synewes? Or what is the iust order of the bodie, when thou liuest? What is the secreate wor­king in the womb, when the infant striueth with his mother, & shee bursteth & consumeth with Sorrowe? All these be harde and the wisedome of al flesh cannot iudge hereof. But the will of the Lorde who knoweth it? Then happie is that man that hath vnderstanding and he is blessed of the Lord that hath wisedome: & his dayes are prolonged on earth y^e measureth his doings by the will of God. For the husbandman soweth his séede: but he knoweth not the gaine that will come vp thereof. Gods proui­dence, in gui­ding, and prouiding for al. And the wayfaring man he taketh his iour­ney in the morning: but he is not aware what wilbe fall or night. The craftes master, he worketh and wearieth himselfe, yet little doth he knowe who shall eate the labour of his handes. And he that planteth & buildeth, cannot tell to whome his substance is pro­uided for. Then if in these thinges that bee on earth, the Lorde God is knowen as guider and directour of them all. What saluation can we looke for? What health can we wishe for? What preseruation can we hope for? But from the Lorde? Is it then any mer­uaile if we pray, Let thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen?

Two fortes of men I condempne here. The first [Page 129]they that be emong them selues a seuerall house and churche from all other, Two kindes of Heretickes. bee condempned here: the housholde of faith. that be louelike & of the hous­holde of faith, with whome against the will of God, there is thoughts, cogitations, euil pretences to mis­chiefe, that thinke, though they bee vile and lasciui­ous, yet to bee accounted as holy and righteous: and do thinke that they are led by the Spirite of God and cannot erre. And though they will and wish nothing else then is wicked, yet that all is done by the will of God.

The seconde, is against the Pelagians and againste free will men that giue saluation to their déedes, Free vvill men, bani­shed by this place. and life vnto their workes, and heauen vnto their owne will: to haue frée power to choose or refuse: to take it or forsake it being offered them: to haue a minde to obey God, and a will to serue the Lorde: and readines to fulfill the commaundements, of them selues and from no other. Mā striuinge vvith God, is as a beast, but vvhen he fighteth vvith him, he vanisheth as doth the dust Among whome this prayer is chan­ged: Thy will be fulfilled, and their owne imaginati­ons strengthened, for their will is sufficient. Let no man wounder at this: For the place is not so incon­uenient, but that I may touche it. And I wishe wee might not haue to do with them, they bée so daunge­rous.

But as the winde that is in the East, commeth néere vnto the Westerne parte, and is scattered a­broade through all coastes of the earth: So am I a­fraide, that our neighbours infected about vs with these heresies, driuen to seeke their harbour & dwel­ling in other places, shoulde wander nowe too néere vs. And vndoubtedly, if this watcheworde be not sufficient to stay the course that is begon. My little treatise heereof at this time shall rise hereafter to a greater volume.

The firste Heresie tooke his originall from Simon Magus, the inchaunter: hee that woulde haue [Page 130]bought the Holy ghost for money, Simon Magus the beginner of the hous­hold of faith: some call it the family of loue. when he was bap­tized of Philip: That did thinke it was no sinne to vse the company of all women indifferently. This herctike thought also that he could not sinne. And if any fault was committed, that it was forgiuen him. And lawfull to vse any company, any vice, any euill déede, sinne and beastlinesse without exception. And this herisie, The beastli­nesse of man drovvned in sinne. as I heare, is blowen abroade, and euen nowe renued not many myles from vs: that it see­meth high time to confound them, least they shoulde spreade abroade and infect others.

I séeke not curiously to knowe whome especi­ally they followed. Carpocrates heresie. For they sauour partly of Carpo­crates, that filthie and beastly liuer. They take part of Prodicus, Prodicus errour. that did prostitute him selfe to all maner of lasciuiousnes: that was a defender of those that were called Adamites. They haue a portion among the Donatistes that seuere them selues from the sup­per of the Lorde, Donatistes their fall. least they should be insected with o­thers.

And Pelagius hath schooled them, In time of peace men do occupie them selues vvith idle questiōs: and among those that thinke them selues purest, are greatest [...]eresies. to thinke well of them selues: and to haue saluation in their own wil. So that if they knewe not before: I shewe them nowe (I hope in time) what father they had, and from whence they had their beginning. All whiche commeth from the enimie of all fleshe, the father of lyes, and Prince of this worlde, that is ruler of the ayre, the diuell and Sathanas.

This houshold of faith, commonly called The fa­milie of loue: it was spread abroade in Germanie, & in the lowe countrye, The house hold of faith, brought in among the [...]ermans. verie nigh about thrée hundred yeares past: and renued of late within this fourtie yeares: and hath continued vntill nowe: If so that it had not pleased God the more to lighten them with his spirite, that in time they should reuolt.

[Page 131] First, they do thinke that he which is regenera­ted can sinne no more: and that the Spirite will ne­uer leaue them, for what grosse sinne soeuer: and that they are deified. The nexte, that their bodies may as common ware bee solde to euery one to vse them alike. Which grosse and pernicious errours, I am forie I must close them vp in so short a roome: But yet content at this present to kéepe a lowe sayle, I will touche them briefely. A reason that vve all do sinne, & this man doth erre.

• All fleshe doth sinne, for man sinneth daily.
• Some men I doubt not haue the spitite of God:
• Then men hauing the Spirite of God, sinne dayly.

I sometime woundered at the first entrance & step I tooke vnto diuinitie, The sinne­of the elect, are not to death: but falling they rise again by grace. to sée what ende was alotted vnto the sonnes of Adam. I marueiled at the grace wée haue from God. That though Lot was called good, yet fell in drunkennesse, and rose againe so sp [...]e­dily by the Lorde. And Abraham so well beloued and commended from heauen: howe it came to passe, that hee should prostitute his wife. And why Moses, that spake vnto the Lorde face to face, had not the power nor wisedome at that instant to sanctifie the Lorde at the waters of Merebath. The imbeci­litie and fall of the faith­full. I could not a long time dis­gest that same of Saul, that though he had grace most plentifull, yet fell be from it. Nor of Achitophell, that was so often times in the tabernacle of the Lord, and in the ende strangled him selfe so villenously with a halter. The godly are neuer cast off: the vvic­ked vvhen they stande, fall dovvn to hell. Or why Iudas that was among the twelue (and I doubt not but he did myracles & prea­ched to) yet fell so strangely in the end. And hardly was I satisūed when I found a doubt of a number in the booke of God, whose dealinges were somtimes commended, whose liues at length so altered, whose endes were feared and despised of many.

The first sorte were good, and are saide to haue pleased the Lorde God: and I knowe, and I am [Page 132]assured that they had the spirite of the Lorde aboun­dantly, yet did they fall verie grossely.

The seconde forte that I reckoned vp, The spirit of God is not tied to man: but man is [...]ied to the spirit. had the Spirite of the Lorde for a season, and it was taken away from them: for it was abused by them, and they had their portion, whiche was condemna­tion.

The thirde sort that I finde, are such as fell and did rise: and yet in the ende, howe they ended and dyed: for that they are not condemned, we haue lefte it to the Lorde.

Three sortes of men I synde: Three kindes of operation and vvorking by the spirit. and three sortes of workinge: and thrée manners of operations, by the Spirite.

The first from death vnto life, and saued dayly by renouation.

The second, from life vnto death, that fell conti­nually by reprobation.

The thirde, betwixt them bothe, that lined & sin­ned, and offended, and were strengthened: & I doubt not but saued: but by imputation, by grace through Christe.

The Creature cannot bee as is the Creator: neyther Adam, as was God that made him. But hee that hath the fulnesse of the Spirite of the holye Ghoste in ample and full measure dwelling in him, Reason that man ruleth not the spirite of God. remaining in deitie, in godhead, in diuinitie, hath that which is proper to God and Christo.

Then neyther man, neither creature, neyther a­ny thing on earth can haue this propertie to winde the Spirite as he listeth: for it is proper onely to the Lorde.

Elias prayed for rayne & God heard him: When he fled from Iezabell he was nourished by the Angell of God. Elias deuideth the waters, and is taken vp into heauen in a flerie Charriot, If hée prayed he [Page 133]had it not of himselfe, he acknowleged the gift there of from God.

If the Angell was sent from God, he did not com­maunde it, nor trust in his owne might, he confessed one that sent him. He deuided the waters for the spi­rite of God did moue him: yet stayed he his time, for the spirite of God did leade him. And he was taken vp not of himselfe, but at the commaundement and will of God that called him.

Are they better then Elyas? I neuer sawe it yet. A comparisō vvith the Fa­thers and our men: that in all manner dealings, crye out that it is the spirite of God. Are they stronger then Moses that made Aegypt to quake? Then shewe me thy myracles and commaund the waters, the Sea, the ayre, the heauens to obey thée. Yet shalt thou be but a man and be ruled by the Lorde. Are they more perfect and vpright then Samu­el? Hardly is it to be credited. And yet worke what thou canst worke, it is not of thy selfe. The spirite it is not thine. Thy déedes and dealings be not thine owne. Thy cogitations and thoughts if they be good, I say with Paul and with the prophets. They be the giftes of God.

Will the Sunne and the Moone rule the heauens or be they not ruled of the Lord? The dumbe creatures are a vvitnesse a­gainst vs, that obay the Lord: yet man doth not. Can the clouds scat­ter their droppes abroade? Or the horie frostes lie on the grasse? Or the caterpiller eate vp the hearbes? Or drought consume them on the earth? Or the pesti­lence ransake the kinges Pallaces? Or death do his mesage in aresting thée. If the Lore send them not? No more canst thou doe any good if he guide thée not.

The gould is digged in the earth, the cloddes be bro­ken, the drosse is purged, the fine mettaile is laid vp for store: And so is man by the Lorde altered, renew­ed, strengthened, and clensed, and kept against the day of righteousnesse. Can the potte pleade with his maister: Be it of brasse or clay, of Copper or Siluer [Page 134]or of Gould? Mā on earth is a straunger but kept of the Lorde till the daye of iudgement. Or the plante that is set in the earth, be it peare or aple or what fruite else soeuer, may it rea­son with him that graffed it, for that it might haue ben made one of a better tast? Why then shoulde we murmur at the Lorde that ruleth vs, and giueth a boundaunce of his spirite, and vprightnesse of life ac­cording to his will and secrete purpose: Not as man thinketh at his owne pleasure, to vse or abuse as him listeth. It is very true that the holy ghost appeared visiblie by signes on the apostles like clouen tongues, and is saide to come in fyre. But it is no argument.

• God sheweth his powre visiblie by his spirite,
• Ergo,
  Error and faulte of a false argu­ment.
  God is in vs really? in spirite.

For I knowe that the Apostles were not deisted in that place, & made so perfect that they could not sinne. For Paul resisted Peter to his face, in the Gallathians, For that when he was in Antiochia, before certeine came from Iames, he eate with the Gentiles. But when they were come, he withdrewe him and sepe­rated himselfe, The fall of man, is for tvvo endes: to knovv his ovvne vveak­nes: to praye the more earnesty. fearing them whiche were of the Cir­cumcision. In like manner Barnabas. So that it is no argument. They receiued the holy ghost. Ergo, they sinned not. But euen God in his elect wil be glorified in that they falling downe, rise againe so gloriously.

In déede the Persians doe reason here, that therfore the fire is God: because the holy ghost appeered as fire. And these heritickes that they be as God: because God is saide to dwell in them. Heresy of the Persians. Truth it is, that the spirite of God is the earnest of our inheritaunce, and that we are the temples of the holy ghost, yet but by a way of comparison. For wee finde it in the lawe: get you out from among them O my people. Their false conclusion taken avvay: And se­perate your selues from them saith the Lorde. And touch, not him that is vncleane, the one expresseth the other: As the Temple is kepte and consecrated to god so ought our bodies and soules to be hallowed & sanc­tified [Page 135]and kept cleane vnto the Lorde.

As touching the beasty and lasciuious life where­vnto they be giuen, no heart can suffer it, Argumentes to proue that vve bee ful of sin: and that hee vvhich continueth therin shall die the death and my pen it shaketh to report it. But if that be true that is in Paul. Let not sinne reigne in your mortall bodies to obey the lustes thereof. If that be so in the Galathians, Fornicatours, idolaters, adulterers, wantones, bug­gerers, théeues, dronkerds, extortioners, raylers, shall nót inherite the kingdome of God: If it be true to the Corinthians, The Famely of Loue con­dempned. to avoide Fornication let euery man haue his wife, & let euery woman haue her owne hus­bande. If vnto the Ephesians: beware of fornication, vncleanesse, coueteousnesse, let it not be once named among you as becommeth sainctes. If in the reuela­tion. The Lord had some thing to say vnto the church of Pargamos although that in the heat and percecuti­on and slaughter of the Martyrs of God they continu­ed steadily. Yet had some among them, where as sa­than dwelt, that mainteined the doctrine of Balaam, The doctrine of Balaam. that taught Balaac to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to sacrifice vnto Idols and commit fornication. If hee had something to say vnto them for that they mainteined the doctrine of the Nicoli­tans which thing he hateth. Nicolitans, that make o­ther mennes vviues cōmō: condempned. It is most certeine and true that the family of loue hath erred.

If God taught vs a right, commit not adulterie. If Moses said that very truely ioyne not your selues to the maner or custome of the nations. Manlynes, is beastlynes: & humanity is villany, vvhē grace vvan­teth. If Samuel chec­ked them for that they wēt a whoring after straunge wiues. If Esaias, for that Israel rose vp early and went astray. And as the vntamed and vnbridled Colt went a neighing after other mens wiues: if Ieremie, that confusion shall come on them, and baldnesse on their pates for defiling their owne coutche. It is vndoub­ted, it is most true that the famelie of loue hath erred.

[Page 136] If the fathe [...] haue iudged rightly, if Nazianzen in his funerall & laste talke vnto his sister: Nazianzon. To ioyne vs together in one flesh, cannot seperate vs from the spi­rite. Ambrose. If Ambrose in his speach he hath of virgens, was wont to commende Sara and Rebecca and Rachell, as Matrons of chastitie. Their husbandes as Lordes to direct them in integritie, Epiphanus, that doth a­lovve maria­ges. Ierom. Basill. If Epiphanius in his second booke, agréeth with y^e church as vnspotted & cleane ha­uing honest & comly mariages therin. If Ierome vpon Timothie the 4. condempneth suche as thinke not re­uerenly of Matrimonie. If Basill in his Examero cal­leth it the chaine and bonde of nature. If Athanasius accuseth Miluius of this heresie, Athanasius. and in iudging not ho­nourably of mariage setteth forth Adam and Eue ioy­ned together in Paradice. If all the fathers haue a­greed and set themselues against the adulterer. If Christ committed them to death. And Paul, that in­cestuous man to Sathanas. If they in the prematiue Church haue consented all in one, and our lawes a­gree in the same at this day: What néede we to striue any more for this. The case is open, the thing is knowen. It is vndoubted, it is most true, that the fa­melie of loue hath erred. To confute them perticuler­ly as it were by treatise, that I leaue to them whose priuate charge requireth it.

To you I speake this, The revvarde of sin is death. to giue a warning that all such detestable vnto the Lorde, are reserued against the great day, the day of wrath, & he will iudge them: Partely to awake you out of that slumber wherein you be, that this beginning and enteraunce which I nowe perceiue to be grounded a little in smaller tri­fles, burst not out into greater heresies.

But I returne to the next, and that is of frée will men. And yet a little I am inforsed to serch out this which is verie comon and it smelleth of the Donatist that thinke the Church is no where, but where suche [Page 137]as they be are. Your prayer, The abuse of our men, that vsurpe the glorie of god and edifying and suffer all things: and he accounted as vvicked that misti keth them. that the will of God may be done in earthe, willeth not thée to iudge so rashly of thy brother. And that byworde so common in the woride: Do all thinges to the glorie of God: tasteth of those runninge heades in the Primatiue church in Affrica. The Circumcelions: that thought all thinges which were not done and liked by them, they coulde neuer be done to Gods glorie.

Againe, for I will neuer spare the wicked. It is not the will of God, that any as a man franticke and without wit, shoulde scourge and whip them selues as the Iewes and Italian fashion was: and renued amonge them in Italy of late, that remaine as the Iewes do in the olde ceremonies. I touche them vp­pon good occasion: for I haue knowen of these Iewish rites, renued of late.

And it is a wicked and moste heynous [...]fence, This errour is common: but as God loueth the good and the godly: so he hateth the vvicked and the sinners, they be not the Lordes. & a­gainst the rule & prescript commaundement of God. To kéepe trueth in thy heart, and to lye vnto thy neighbour for aduauntage: or for the Gospell, to sweare to an vntrueth, to honest him that professeth religion. And it tooke the beginning from the Ma­niches, and from the Gnostiches: and renued in Pris­cillian, which thinge I thinke it is but of a blinde af­fection and ignoraunt zeale, and not knowen vn­to some. Let warninge therefore bee taken in time.

I finde that vnder Gratian and Valentinian, In this age increased this grosle igno­rance: after Christ the fourth age. the as­sembly of the Priscilianistes were verie greate, suche as were defiled with filthines, with whoredom, with euill dealing, with any vice whatsoeuer. If they came vnto their secte, they kepte it close. If they ioyned with them, they concealed it. All others, they estéemed as castawayes. There was a verse a­mong them: ‘Iura, periura, secretum prodere noli.’

[Page 138] Sweare and forsweare, Iudges take heede, hovve you admitt othes: for this herisie is commonly sprong vp: & it is abyvvord that those that be not as they are: they be vvithout: therfore they may, svveare though fals­ly: if it be for the safetie of their compa­nion: others are thought to be but Aegyptians: that are not as they be. Arbitrarii. kéepe secrete, thy secret déedes bewray them not. I accuse no man: I wish a­mendment: for I sée that which is amisse. God which knoweth the hearte and the secretes, and searcheth the raines, will search out and examine and iudge it to. Let this be a remembraunce in prayer: His will be done in earth: and it will take away thy wil from this wilfulnesse. And nowe I come to the frée will men: I am longer then hitherto I was wont: but the matter, and the weightinesse of the cause com­pelleth mée.

This order in prayer, taketh away the will of man: it taketh away workes: it taketh away all po­wer y^e is in vs: it referreth vs only to the will of god. Fleshe and bloud, hath in this place a great combate with the Spirite: that seeing he is lorde in earth, and maister of the fishes in the Sea, and guyde and ruler ouer the creatures in the earth: yet shoulde be so de­barred of his libertie, and so tyed vnto thraldome, that hee hath not so muche as power ouer his owne soule: nor discretion to iudge of that should bring him life. The fishe that swimmeth in the riuer: The birde that flickereth in the ayre: the worme that crée­peth on the earth, A subtile and craftie reason taken from the impoten­cie that is in man: the more by his [...]railtie and vveikenesse to stirre vp man. may séeme to be happier then man is: For euery one hath an ende and appointed time giuen him to iudge of that whiche bringeth life, and avoide that which is euill. As for man, he is so tyed: that the sworde, the Ieobet, the Axe, the water, the fire cannot bee auoided, if it bee determined by the Lorde. But vnhappie is man, that cannot sée the goodnes of our God. For séeing all things happen by the Lorde: what is it shall trouble mée? God hath appointed the heauens, the earth, the clowdes, and all shall be obedient to them that feareth him. For it is our comfortes: we are weake, and we be not able [Page 139]to helpe our selues: But one there is that sitteth a­boue, and it is hee that shall prouide for vs.

Ierome vnto Tesiphon, Ieromagainst Bryto. Marke the state of vvic­kednes: for as euery thing is most phan­tasticall, so commonly i [...] is beleeued. complayneth of Pelagius by sirname Bryto, according as Prosperus writeteth in the yeare of Christe 415. Or as Marianus reckoneth 414. In the time of Honorius and Theodotius, that spreade abrode his heresies throughout all the East. And hee with a greate number more, infected the whole countrie. And it is complained by Augustus that it blazed and bruted foorth throughout all Pale­stine. And the same is author, that it was knowen in Affrica, and then carried to Constantinople: Sooner is the trueth aboli­shed, then filshod roo­ted out: and for this, reade the state of the kings of israel. Osorius. I thinke as o­diosus, to the church of God. into Italy: into Scilitia: into Fraunce: into Englande, as Prosper recordeth: So that I wounder not at all, if the reliques thereof remaine still. For Melanchton, though otherwise a good man, and a verie notable member in the Churche of God, of late yeares in Germanie was ouerthrowne in this. And Erasmus that Semipelagian (verie vnsteadie I must needes saye, and one that durst not stande longe vnto the trueth) stumbled in this. As for Osorius his swéete woordes hath so rauished our young wittes, that it is to be feared, they taste a little of his rankenesse of spéeche. Therefore, to confounde him with others that Hyerarkye, Martyn Luther. I referre you to that man of late me­morie, the light and glorie of Germanie, Martine Lu­ther, that I knowe bothe can and will take my parte against them all. For I stande not here by waye of confutation, to set my selfe an aduersarie against all: but to giue vnto you a notice of some, for bothe I & others may well touche it, seeing it hath had so great defenders of late and so néere vs. Many things to be vvayed in the hande­ling of free vvill.

Nowe then, I speake not of the state of Adam, and his s [...]yding from the Lorde: what hee was in Para­dice. It is another question, I talke of such as wée be now: I touche not what wée are in ciuil matters: [Page 140]or what our will is in common affaires, eating and drinking, in cloth, in apparell, in suche of that sorte. These pertaine to the earth: Wée dispute of that that leadeth vs to heauen. Wee take not in hande what there is in that man, that is regenerated by the spirite: where there is a minde and a will to the Lorde, In God are vve made re­die to doe good: in our selues, vvee Iose all: euen our ovvne selues. by the Lorde. But wée speake of him that is in sinne, howe he commeth to God. And I meddle not with destenie, with prouidence, with necessitie: they are not depending hereon: For there should then be no ende of our contreuersie. Neither with the mi­nisterie of the woorde, and of the Sacramentes, as meanes to bring vs: Wée shoulde then bee too long. Nor yet, whether wée haue any light or not, any force and might or no, any wil, any mouing, any care any desire: For it is easily knowen, without God we haue nothing.

This is it which I touche briefely at this time, and it is my question: The calling of the finner, and the alte­ration in this life of the vn­godly man, is the onely vvorke of God. That in the conuersion of the wicked and vngodly man vnto the Lorde: Whereby hée is throughly greeued for his sinne: whereby hée séeth in a liuely faith, the frée mercie of God, and the benefite of his Mediatour: whereby hee is instified before the Lorde: whereby hee is renued: whereby he is lightened: whether or not, there be a minde and readinesse in him: whether his will, his soule and his vnderstanding is raised or stirred vp of him selfe, of his owne libertie, at his pleasure, for to knowe, Séeke the Lorde, and his Christe? Or whether his whole conuersiō: his alteration: his regeneration, is to be referred to the Spirite of the Lorde, and the woorking of God? and his minde moued and settled by the Holy Ghost? or whether it commeth and pro­réede of him selfe? This therefore to bee shorte, it commeth and procéedeth all from God.

[Page 141] For first I shewe, With our conception commeth in sin: vviped a­vvay in the blood of Christ. that from the toppe of the heade to the soule of the foote, wee are full of botches and blaines, there is no whole parte within vs: as the leprocie the bodie: so doth Sathanas infecte the soule: as the botches and byles, the skinne and fleshe: So the deuill, the minde and heart of man. For wee are vnder bondage, & seruitude, and in the slauerie of this world.

Secondly, the spirite of God onely doth drawe vs and doth renew vs, & doth make vs newe creatures. The minde and heart of man is ruled and obayeth: of our selues wee can doe nothing, The manner and order of our saluatiō. no not thinke a good thought: this is more plainely seene by the forme of this prayer that I haue in hande. For the caller is the Lorde, it is done by his will to saue them that bée on earth, to fulfill the petition that it may be with vs as it is in heauen. The next cause hereof is Christe. If man had life of him selfe: then no man vvoulde die: but this is salse: then no doubt, e­ternall life commeth from God. First for that he became man. Nexte, to saue men, his bloud was shedde, and hee died to get vs life. Thirdly, he rose from death, and went vp to heauen, that wee might haue our dwelling and mansion with him who is aboue.

To haue an assuraunce hereof, we haue the spirite that continually worketh in the mindes of those that be his, whome he hath seuered from the beginning of the world to dwel with him. That he hath predisti­nated vnto life, and made the heires of his glorie. Sorites: or rather grada­tio. For whome hee hath elected those he calleth: whome hee calleth those hee iustifieth: whome hee iustifieth, those hee glorifieth. And where is nowe the will of man?

But to vnderstand more plainely the way and or­der of his elect whome he hath appointed in this life, to dwell with him.

First I giue them this note, that it is by regenerati­on of y^e spirit, which they shall féele working in thē, in [Page 142]that being ouerwhelmed in sinne, and loden with ini­quitie, they shall haue tast of their owne transgressi­ons, and a hatred of themselus as touching the flesh. And they doe rise out of darkenesse and the lustes of this life, So longe as there is life, so long raig­neth sin, in our mortall bodies: yet by our imputation in Christ, it is vviped avvay. and reforme them as newe creatures vnto God and his Christ, making shipwrecke of their bo­dies for the testimonie of his trueth. And therefore conuertion or repentaunce is in the regenerate man in whome there is an alteration and chaunge from this wicked and vngodly life. His soule it sorroweth for the sinne past. Contrition and repentaunce is so setled within him, that the feare of the iudgementes and wrath of GOD hangeth ouer him. But hee knoweth that he is saued and kept from it in Christe.

For this cause we haue a lather to climbe w^eal into heauē, & by steps & degrées as it were to come to God.

The first is our conuertion from sinne, Foure seueral things requi­red in the re­generate man vnto holi­nesse and good conuersation.

The second is our quickning or our renewing ac­cording to the image of God, that is in man. The third is our gouernement or direction in the whole course of our whole life. The fourth is y^e perfection of righ­teousnes, according to the gifte of perseuerance & con­tinuing to thend of our race. This meane is much con­tempned: preachinge despised if the man bee misliked: therfore is there open to kens of infi­delitie.

Truth it is that God hath left vs a meane in earth and a way to atteine to this, and it is by hearing his word, wherein the lawe and the gospell is verie plen­tifully set out vnto vs. And therfore the counsailes of Christ may be sufficiēt, that vpon the excellēcie of his message sheweth our duetie. For hee witnesseth that he spake not of him self, but from the father, that sent him y^e had giuē him a commaundement what to say, & what to speake. And sainct Paul saith, I make open vnto you the Gospel which I preached, Enthusias­tike, very he­retikes. whiche you haue receiued, wherein you stande, and wherein you are saued. Therefore we looke not here vpon the mad­nesse [Page 143]of Enthusiastists, that be franticke, and thinke they haue the spirite. Nor of the Anabaptistes that looke for reuelations and dreames. Heare the vvorde, refuse it not: rebell not against the spirite. But wee take a meane giuen vnto vs by the spirit which is the word. For as man hath power to heare, to vnderstande, to giue eare, & to reade: so vnlesse there come a schoule­maister to instruct vs, and a gouerner to guide vs wee doe as Agrippa did. We come but faire and softely.

I acknowledge an hethnish and as it were an out­landish kinde of reuerence that we giue vnto the lord, which is in a bare sight of the heauens & vewe of the Elementes, that iudgeth there is a Lorde. But this it maketh not vnto saluation. And for that cause the Prophets & the Apostles calleth man but by the name of him that is in darkenesse and in death. And there­fore sainct Iohn saith, the light appeared in darkenes, and the darkenesse comprehendid it not. And Sainct Paul saith, the worldly or fleshly man perceiueth not those things which are of the spirit, for they be foolish­nes vnto him. God is saide to do it: the sonne to bring it, the holy ghost to finish it, if it be good that is man: and this vvorke is but one. And Christ himself affirmeth y^e no man knoweth the father, but the sonne & he vnto whom he reuealeth him. And againe when he asked Peter, who saist thou that I am? He aunswered, thou art Christ the sonne of y^e liuing God. Happie art thou Symon said the Lorde for flesh and bloude hath not reuealed this, but my father which is in heauen. And therefore ve­rie louingly it is said vnto vs that for this end, Christ came into the world euen vnto iudgement, that those which are blinde might sée. Then this is the ful force and aucthoritie of the spirite, that ruleth and altereth the actions in man, and maketh the doings of those in the world to be acceptable, by quickening & reuiuing, Proofe, that all our good actions come of God. by altering & by renewing the man of God which be­fore was vnperfect.

That it is the worke of the spirte, take that in the [Page 144]Prophet, they shalbe all taught of God. Any that of Christ, when the comforter shall come, the spirite of truth, he shall teach you all things. For so I finde it euerie where: Lydia did heare, whose hart the Lorde opened that she might giue eare vnto y^e words of Paul. god electeth: Christe sa­ueth: the spi­rite vvorketh and all this, is but one vvork in one God. And therefore one of the Prophets. I will giue them an heart they shal knowe me. So that the true vnder­standing, hearing, following and obseruing the laws of the Lord, from whence come they? But from aboue from the Lorde of trueth, from him that willeth the saluation of all, euen of all those that hee will saue. For where Sainct Paul saith, that the fulnesse of gen­tiles shall come in. And againe it is saide in the Pro­phets all flesh shall sée the saluation of our God.

I vnderstand it thus: Euen as Augustine doth vp­on that place in Math. That God willeth all men shal­be saued, of those saith he whome he hath determined for to saue. For as Gregorie Nazianzen confuteth the heretickes that denied the holy ghost to be God, out of the first of Iohn that reasoned with him in the same text. Euen so do I here. For vpon that place in Iohn by him were all thinges made and without him were nothing made that was made, they cauell thus.

• The holy ghost is some thing and existeth.
• Ergo, the holy ghost is a creature and made by him.

That father Nazianzen aunswereth thus. Nazianzne. Al things were made by him, or created, of those things saith he which he did make or create. Ierom. And so say I, he willeth the life of all, and giueth saluation vnto all, euen to whom in his secrete power, The verie chosen and elect vessels of God haue their faultes: some more and some lesse. and determinate pur­pose he will giue vnto: To those he giueth. Therefore Ieremie had a sore fall here at, and stum­bled greuously in my iudgment in one place, where I finde thus. It is our parte to beginne that is good, but the part of God to end it: our part to offer that we can, his part to finish that we wil: But howe can we most [Page 145]miserably liuing here on earth, will that which is good, without the will of God? or giue assault thereunto which are of strength to accomplish nothing?

Augustin fasted hereof, Augustine. The labor of man is in vaine if God helpe not: then much lesse is our saluation in our povvre, being sinfull and almost poysoned him selfe therewith, if he had not lifted his head from the cup as he did: For he imagineth, that faith whereby wee beléeue in God, is not to bee saide the gifte of God, but to be within vs, as from vs. And thereby wée begin to wishe and to aske the giftes of God. But he gaue ouer this in the ende, and attributeth all vn­to the Lorde, that helpeth & prepareth, & prospereth, and maketh readie all our heartes.

The diuersitie in those that are baptized sheweth this: For all alike receiuing the Sacraments: are not like in conuersation, in life, in manners: Iudgemente [...] and vvorks in God, are se­cret: and chil­dren some are taken awaye at the time of regenera­ting: some before they are brought into the Church. Others before they come to full groweth: dyuers in the middle age: of which, none of them I know, but would go to heauen, if it lay in their power to get it. But because it is the choise of the Lorde, and he clec­teth vs: wée may cry with Sainct Paule: Oh, Cyprian. The Pathers are very daungerous to vvade in, vvithout great aduise­ment, and er­nest prayer for euery one hath his fall & the young vvits are case­ly choked vvith them. the heighth, depth, and breadth of the riches of the Lord, howe vnsearchable are his woorkes, and his wayes past finding out. Therefore I like that whiche is in Cyprian: That wee must bragge in nothing, because nothing is ours.

Onely among the fathers, Clemens and Cyprian are those, whose bookes I wishe alone to bee read of suche as God hath giuen wisedome vnto, and good iudgement in the discerning of Scriptures: For they bee daungerous to wade in: and though they were neare the Apostles time: yet all the chaffe and the rubbigges that our late writers haue stuffe vp their volumes withall, séemeth to bée fetched from thence.

[Page 146] This disputation might bee prolonged: But the searching out of the fathers is a greater labour then can be arraigned vnto soudenly. And the lothsome sente, wherewithall our late writers dooinges are taynted, do discourage mée to meddle with them. I briefely ende thus. If there be yet a reason to bee shewed in naturall causes? Or if we wauer and fal­ter in things that be common with vs? If the mo­uing of the beauens cannot be opened? If no man can shewe a reason of the brightnesse in the Sunne? The consideration of the creatures conuersant vvith vs, doth amaz and dim our sight: then much more God. nor of the cléerenesse of the ayre? or of the operati­on of the winde? or of the order and knitting togée­ther of the bodie? If wee cannot measure out the si­newes? or drawe out the ioyntes? or vnfolde the se­creat creuisses in the head? What are wee to reason and dispute with God? Howe feedeth hee the young Rauen? Howe is the Phenix hatched? Howe kee­peth he the Storke? What daiyaunce hath he giuen to the Conney? Or what yeres doth he permit to the wilde Colte? Howe gardeth he the Lyon? What harbour hath he giuen to the sauage beastes? If vvee could but imma­gine the state of the blessed vvee shoulde be rauished, O Lord hovv straungly? And to saye a trueth: what ende hath hee allotted vnto man? I saye: all the woorkes of the Lorde are won­derfull. But his secreat wisedome, wherein he hath prouided and laide vp in his mercie for the sonnes of Adam great and most singular benefites. They are not to be attained vnto: For his doings are incom­prehensible, his iudgements are secreat. His wayes vnknowen: his counsell hidden: his loue and his fa­uour farre outreaching vs: that wee may well make our prayer vnto the Lorde, to haue his will fulfilled, & his commaundements obeyed in earth: Contentious Scismatickes become (if God stay not, grosse Here­tickes. because no man is able, eyther by wishing, eyther by desiring, eyther yet by willing it to come to heauen. Thus much for these two kindes of men y^e are in our dayes, whereof I am sure there is a greate number. For [Page 147]partly by their déedes, for they be outragious: partely by their courage, they be so quarellous, the common sort of men must needes knowe them. But to that which followeth.

Cyprian géeueth a verie good reason hereof: Cypri [...]. Vo­luntate Dei id est Dei protectione egeamus. The will of God, that is the ayde and helpe of God is that wée néede. For without his will we haue nought. And no man is of any force, if he in his fauour and his mer­cie help them not: for who hath resisted him and hath not dyed for it? Then we haue to searche what it is, that is the wil of the Lord to be done. And this is said by the fathers, The vvill of God is of tvvo sortes. & the same I find in y^e Scriptures to be of two sortes. First his will it is holy, pure, perfect, eternall, euerlasting, from all beginning, without power of man, according to the which he ruleth all: he gouerneth all: he guideth and protecteth all, God as hee is, can not bee comprehen­ded: but as hee shevveth him selfe vn­to vs, and hath reuealed him selfe in the vvork [...] of his hands, so, not els can vvee knovv him. wherein all things be as they are. And he hath created & fashi­oned all whatsoeuer that is on the earth from y^e foun­dation & original of the same. And this is alwayes ful­filled. No man hindereth it, no man stoppeth it: For the Lorde hath his decrée aboue all the inhabitants of the earth, & of the Sea, and they be obedient.

Of this is written in Esay: I am God the Lorde which speake it: my counsell is firme, or indureth e­uer. Whatsoeuer I will, that I do. Dauid also pro­phesied hereof. For our God he is in heauen, he hath done all things whatsoeuer pleaseth him. For y^e coun­sell of the Lord remaineth for euer. Againe in Esay: If the Lord of hoasts decrée any thing: who is y^e shall resist him? But of this the eternall purpose of y^e Lord I speake not of: for it conteineth the secret and hiddē mysterie ef our election, of our predestination, of his prouidence, of his gouernement, of his regiment in the earth. And here we do as Iob did: Wee lay our [Page 148]hands vppon our mouth: wee staye the course of our lippes: we falter in our spéech before the Lorde. And therefore, for that hee ruleth all, let vs commit our selues into his hand that guydeth vs: and not curi­ously serch, that hath in his secret determination ru­led the wayes & the steppes, and the hearts & mindes of all fleshe. We therefore handle this point reue­rendly, and stay on him, that assuredly worketh for al those that be his. The minde of God, is said to be knovv­en, for that he gaue vs his Worde and his Gospell: vvherin vvee savve the vvil of his father. Onely let man, and the sonne of man giue him selfe into his handes, & leaue to serch out by any curious meane, what it is he hath purpo­sed. The next and the moste perfect will of God is reuealed by the Gospell, without which knowledge we are in death. This he hath moste fully opened in Iesus Christ his sonne, the redeemer onely & sauiour of the worlde, whome hee hath appointed the onely, true, & right instructour of those that dwell in earth: according to the Oracle receiued from heauen. This is my beloued sonne, In Christ are vve partakers of the hea­uenly nature heare him: verie nighe to the saying that is in Iohn: No man hath séene God at a­ny time. The sonne which is in the bosome of his father he hath reuealed him: For he is the true in­terpreter of his father. And therefore Christe of him selfe saith: The pro­phets and the fathers recei­ued the same spirite, vvhich vve do novve: yet it is more ap­parant, & speketh more familiarly vnto vs, then in olde time. All that I haue had of my father I haue shewen vnto you. Not that Christ was not knowen before: for he is openly desiphered out in y^e Prophete. But in especiall at his incarnation: when hee tooke our flesh vpon him, & was made man: it was fulfilled that euery one shall tell his neighbour, & from y^e grea­test to the least: euen babes & little ones shoulde pro­phesie of the workes of y^e Lord & tel abrode his name. Therfore Peter, the Prophets and men of God, spoke by the Spirite, suffered persecution & death, & were serchers out of the mysteries of our redemption. And this is the will of God spoken of in this prayer, that we séeke not after any other knowledge: but onely [Page 149]bent and giuen vnto his word, we meditate to serue him day and night: whereof this is the end: that God woulde direct vs in his pathes, and lead vs a right to follow his lawes: That we may delight and be prac­tised therein all our life.

Nowe to know this will of God the better, Three things considered in the vvill of God. this is the swéetnesse and perfect comfort that we get, to vn­derstand and learne. 3. thinges giuen vnto vs by his wil. First it is y^e wil of God, that we should be saued by his sonne Iesus Christe, for in him we are chosen from all beginning, to be heires of eternall life. Of this our sauiour speaketh in Iohn. This is the will of him that sent me, that all which séeth the sonne and knoweth him, and beléeueth in him should haue eter­nall life. Then this is our peticion that aboue all, it woulde please the Lorde to illuminate and lighten e­uery man with the trueth, All good things, com­meth from aboue the fa­ther of light: then papistes haue no place manthinke [...]h gift of God. that his will by our incre­dulitie and others their continancie bee not hinde­red.

Here appeareth that, whereof I made mention be­fore, namely, that faith is the gift of God, giuen vn­to vs in his mercie, by his grace, not gotten of our selues of our might by our strength. To fulfill that of Christ so often spoken in Iohn. No man knoweth the sonne but the father, and he to whome the father will shewe him. And verefied yet againe, The earthly manthinketh vpon those things that are earthly: he that is heauenly, layeth his cogitations vpō those things that are a [...] no man commeth vnto me vnlesse that my father drawe him to me. For all this hidden Secrete of the death of Christ, of his bloude that was shed and giuen for man it is foolishnes vnto y^e fleshly man if he be not drawen and brought therevnto by God. Then from aboue it is, we are lightened, that his will may bee done in vs, that are wilfull.

Secondly it is the will of God, that those whiche are redéemed in I.sus Christe, and doe atteine him willingly by faith, shewe them selues obedient [Page 150]and deutifull vnto the Lorde and walke in his com­maundements he hath taught them. Our redemp­tiō vvrought, and bought in Christ Ie­sus freely. Nature teacheth those be his to owe obeyzance and homage vnto them that hazarde and aduenture their liues for their sake. And the sauedge and vntamed Colte turneth backe with his salutation & gréeteth them w^e her neighing, that suckereth her. Then it is good reason and agreat point in vs to be considered of, to know what honour, what reuerence, what deutie, what obeyzance we owe vnto him, that hath giuen his life for vs, and purcha­s [...]d a raunsome, (when we were captiues and chea­ned vnder Sathan) and that by so greate a price, the price of bloude. The Church of God is knovven, in that they Ioue one another. And it is first required that as their is one God, so we agrée and loue as one. That wee loue him withall our heart: with our soule, with our might: it is his will, that those purified, washed, and clensed in his bloude: doe not defile their bodies that be temples of the holy ghost: but kéepe them as vn­defiled members of his Church. Therefore Saint Paule saith, All bee not alike: but as is the mea­sure of grace, so do vve liue in this vvorld this is the will of God, your sanctificati­on, your holinesse, that euery one kéepe his vessell in puritie, and in honour: not in lust and filthinesse, as the nations did that knew not God. And to the Ephes. God hath elected vs from all beginning, y^e according to the measure giuen vs in this life, wee might bee blamelesse and without spot. Whereunto I may re­fer that of Christ done of him at his last supper, that very humbly he washed his desciples féete. To keepe vs from fin, it is the token of the man of God. In token of the corruption and putrifaction that must be seared & cut away in those that be his. Therefore it is Gods will that we folowe not y^e lusts of the flesh, but, mor­tifie our earthly members, dying vnto sinne that we may rise againe to newnesse of life.

Then in these thrée, the loue of God, the holinesse of life, the mutuall societie & brotherly loue one with another, is the will of God reposed. This it is that [Page 151]we must vnderstande herein the will of the Lorde, Loue bindeth vp all sores & healeth all vvoundes. E­uen that we be vnspotted and blamelesse in our con­uersation. That the feare of God and dread of his ma­iestie may touche vs: that we be freendly & louing one vnto another through loue.

Thirdly it is the will of the Lorde, that we be con­formed and made like in the image of his son Christe: And as by his crosse and death he entered the glorious heauens, Mortefiynge of our fleshly members: is rising vp vn­to God. and sitteth in maiestie and power with his father, so we may also be tamed and crucified as tou­ching the flesh, y^e we may rest & dwel with him aboue. For as the father sometime doth lashe his sonne, and by a fewe scorges draweth him home vnto him. So our Father in troubles and a little trying as it were by stripes, bringeth vs backe that were lost, and cau­seth vs retyre that went astray, & prepareth a salue to heale vs againe. Euen meditation and prayer in his Christ.

This is the cause he exhorteth man vnto the bea­ring of his crosse, Persecution cōmon trials, of the fayth­full. and chargeth his disciples to arme themselues against persecution, and hath made his saincts to taste of the whippe, and of the rodde, to re­clame them when they waltered in their sinne. For it is true that through many tribulations wee must enter into the kingdome of heauen. So that it is the doctrine we learne here: that when we suffer perse­cution, and all the day long are scorned for his sake, As sheepe are vve slayne for the Lord sake. we remember it is the will of God, that hath promi­sed saluation and victorie to his saincts, & ouerthrowe and destruction to such as hate him. Therefore wee say it is his will to permit the vngodly and lose lyuer, to florish for a season and in the ende as the Sunne doth the berbe, and as winter doth the trées, All creatures obedient to the vvill of God. he consu­meth them.

Furthermore we say, Let thy wil be done in earth as it is in heauen, and not without good cause, for the [Page 152]sunne very gloriously runneth forth and doth knowe his cabbon to abide in, Euery houre are vvee put in minde of our seruice to the Lorde: by his crea­tures. and when so euer it pleaseth the Lorde to commaunde them any seruice that be a boue, they are spedie in their message. The Angels obey him, the furniture of the heauens and artillery that is there, serueth him. The fire at his becke con­sumeth. The ayre at his commaundement infecteth: the water riseth aboue the banckes and deuoureth: The earth is opened at his pleasure and swaloweth. But if he speake vnto man and chargeth him to stand and to obey, he rebelleth. Then that which by na­ture wee haue not: By grace and fauour we atteine vnto.

And we pray that hys wil may be done in earth as it is in heauen. That heauen and earth may obey him together. For as the Angels minister before him, and as the spirites and soules of righteous men re­ioyce and sing vnto him: So take it here, that there might be a consent & agréement of vs all, This blessed­nes shalbee seene in the nevve Ierusa­lem: vvhen the Sainctes, and the Aun­gels, and the heauens, and earth: vvill make one consente and one voyce in seruing God: no, not the Diuelles, shall rebel any more against him: but stande to his [...]udgemente: in the bonde of peace, in the vnitie of the gospell, that heauen and earth might reioyce at it. Wherin we consent & con­fesse that he is Lorde aswell of the heauen as of the earth. And we condempne those that thinke in their heartes there is no God. For the earth is the Lordes and the fulnesse thereof.

Also we are put in minde of the miserable conditi­on and state of man himselfe, that dayly transgresseth and continually forgetteth the goodnesse of his GOD. Therfore our custom is, as was y^e of Lot reckned by Peter. 2.2. That liuing with the filthy and swinish So­domittes lamented dayly and bewayled the filthinesse that he sawe there. And as is of the good subiecte that is dayly conuersant with such as be rebellious: So is the state of Godly men, that sigh and grone in spirite, at the peruersitie of those that resist the worde. And wish (if so the Lord will) that his will may be fulfilled [Page 153]in them.

Thus much for this thirde parte of this prayer, wherein wee acknowledge, the will and word of God howe it is hee that ruleth vs: As God by his vvill, did that he could so by that ought vve be vvilling to that hee vvil­leth vs: least vvee striue a­gainst the vvill of God. that of our selues wée haue nothing to helpe vs, that fleshe and bloud can­not obey him, if wée want his grace to bring vs to him: that hée whiche elected vs is God, and not of our selues but in his Christe. And brought vs out of bondage by his death: and made a propitiation for vs in his bloud: and left vs an earnest of his inheri­ritaunce, and a token of his fauour, whiche is the Spirite that guydeth and ruleth vs, and incoura­geth and comforteth vs, illuminatinge our myndes in his might. To whome with the father and his sonne Christe, be all dominion and glorie nowe and euer. Amen.

Geeue vs this daye our dayly bread.

THE happie and blessed state wherein man li­ued, before hee fell from God: The vnhappy and pittifull fall of man is seene in that all things stand & serue and obay God: vve on­ly left that first state, and fell from that happines vvherin vvee vvere. is apparant and opened vnto vs: in that the Image of the Lorde ap­peared in him, more plentifully then nowe it doth. When as neyther tyllinge, neyther sowing, ney­ther reaping, neyther gathering, was founde vppon the earth. But hee sucked from her breastes, and gleaned vp the ritches of the fielde, without labour and sweate of the Browes.

But after that Sathan had subtelly preuented vs: Our glorye was our ignominie: and our fall was our shame: and the Figge leaues were a token to our nakednesse. [Page 154]Our aboundance was turned into scarcetic, and wee cast out as Plowmen to harrowe and till the ground. The earth be cōmeth Iron, and the bea­uens be as brasse, & the trees denie their seruice vnto man, if God be an­grie vvith him, We tasted no more of the liberalitie of our firste Nurse: but for our offence shée became harde and flintie vnto vs: and euery one eateth of the la­bour of his handes: and in care and sorrowe doth hée liue all his dayes: so that the necessitie wherein wée bee, the anguishe of the spirite, and trouble of minde that wée liue in, is of sufficient force to compell vs to crye vnto our God, and to howle in our miserie: that he woulde helpe, that he woulde reléeue vs: that hée woulde prosper vs: that he woulde géeue vnto vs our dayly bread. The prayers that wée powred forth before the Lorde: that kepte the firste entraunce and stepped vp in the former array, to conduct vs vnto Christe. Perteined vnto the person of God, and gaue vs an admonition, Firste seeke the kingdom of God, & then all things shalbe ministred vn to thee. to seeke the glorie of the Lorde, and the enlarging of his kingdome, before wée presume to seeke our owne commodities. And nowe that obeysaunce is giuen vnto him: he géeueth vs lycence in our owne behalfe, to aske of him suche thinges, as be necessarie.

And therefore that saying of Maister Caluin, the verie Sainct of God and elect of Christe, is in manye places of his booke repeated: whose sweete speeche and fyled style, hath opened suche a dore to Christia­nitie: as that the Spirite of the Lorde for exquisite iudgement, and true exposition of the woorde, hath not to this day blessed one of his Sainctes more plen­tifully then he hath done him. In his harmonie page the 90. He maketh as it were a couple of Tables, and cutteth this prayer by section into two parts: where­of the one respecteth the true worship of God: The o­ther appertaineth to the woorkes of Charitie. And trueth it is Prius nos instituit ad querendam Deiglo­riam in altera parte ostendit, quid pro nobis petere [Page 155]conueniat. The good gifts of the Lorde are common to all? for the Sun shineth and the raine droppeth vp­pon the vn­righteous, as on the righ­teous man. He hath added (for so it pleaseth mée at this time) a verie good reason. Non enim propriae v [...] tilitatis studio, sic nos occuparifas est, quin primatum semper teneat dei gloria. Then this is the ende that I serche out, that all things, that are necessarie for the vse of man. All our good giftes giuen vnto vs from the Lorde, be the woorkemanship of his handes, and the blessing wherewith hee prospereth vs. That out of this may spring this interpretation, by breade, to vnderstande, as Maister Gualter thinketh. Vniuer­sum hominis victum, & quaecumque ad eius conserua­tionem requiruntur. All that is expedient for life, and that which doeth nourishe and kéepe vs.

This breade is called heauenly Lightening, or comming from aboue vnto vs, that our duetie maye appeare, and our reddinesse may be séene. He that nee­deth, prayeth to haue it, he that hath it, prayeth to keepe it: but happie is that man, vvhich doth his dui­tie, and pray­eth, as com­maunded of God, that hee falleth not. That sée­ing all things commeth from aboue, our Lorde God, woulde not be slacke in giuing vnto vs that we néede. Maister Caluine moueth out of this place an obiection That when as Christe hath giuen this vnto all men that are of the faithfull, and praye truely: Giue vs this day our dayly breade. And of this number, there bee a greate number that bee verie ritche, and haue plentie, and their Garners stored also, and heaped with aboundance of victuall. To what ende (saith he) is this: they shoulde aske of God, when they haue yerely comming in, to enritch them? Maister Cal­uin aunswereth: It is an admonition to vs, that if God dayly prosper vs not: thy heapes of Corne: thy vessels of Oyle, of Wine, perisheth. And so it is, The singular operation, vvorking, & gouernemēt of the Lorde, against na­ture. and so I finde it. For hee is the onely staffe of breade, and stay of meate: and he can féede Daniell, and make him as well liking with the Pulse hee eateth: as the children bee, that fed dayly from the kinges table. And his power is séene aswell in him that dwelleth vnder the Oke, and in the depth of the earth: and in [Page 156]the poore cottage, as it is in the Pallaces of the ritche, and with those that haue their houses of Cedar.

The great, The singuler operation, vvorking, and gouernment of the Lorde, against na­ture. mightie, and wounderfull woorkes of God are many: yet in no one is his power seene more, then it is in this: That euery creature hath his sundrye kindes of meate. And euery countrie his sundrie kinde of breade: And euery degree, his contrarie manner in fare. Yet euery one in his sta­ture, and eche person in comlinesse, hath his coun­tenannce, and his beautie from the Lorde.

I sometimes talked with one not so well instruc­ted, as I wished in this. And many an houre I spent in talke, and a fewe dayes I consumed to open vnto him the woorkes of God. I reasoned from the excellencie that hée gaue, vnto the workemanship of his handes.

For the Birdes, Our English Athists, neuer haue enough, till their mouthes bee stopped vvith clay: & their bodies coue­red vvith the earth. they haue their glittering attyre, and are cloathed as with golde and purple. Verye pleasantly they spreade abroade their winges, and they vaunt it soorth in the ayre, as in their houses, and bid battell to their enimies: yet are they fedde with verie homely dishes.

The Beastes of the earth, haue their seuerall pa­sture, and make their boast of the flowers, and of the gréene grasse, and féede verie delicately on the Sa­lowes: All things are giuē for mā, man onely is created to glorifie the Lorde. and are valiant Champions in their kinde, and afoorde vs their coates for apparell, and their liues for our foode: So kinde they bee, that when they haue laboured all the daye, and toyled in the myre, and be verie wearie euen vnto death: yet will hee bragge as muche of his haye, and of his stubble that hee eateth, as the prowdest Paramour of them all, of her nyce iouncating.

I reckoned vp the whole hoast of heauen, the [Page 157]creeping woorme: The floting fishe, the serpent that groueleth on earth: The mansions of the depth with the cabones thereof: No one thing I pretermit­ted that I remembred, to set out the workes of God, & his regiment.

I called to minde that GOD giueth to man all thinges on earth to foster man: Yet vnnaturally against nature, we abuse the naturall giftes of God. Anthropo­phag [...]. And men verie vnkindly against their kindly course, eateth man.

Yet is he puissant and coragious in his kinde: & fée­deth as hungerly, and fareth as deintily: and loketh as merely: & runneth as spéedely: & liueth as prond­ly: & goeth as stately: as we in England with all our concepts inuented for vs. Yet could I not perswade this man, nature and ignorance had wrought so in him. And a Stoycke I found him, an Epicure I left him, counting him and his belly to be but beastly, till God shall turne him.

This I say, Of so homly a mould as vvee came of how bevvti­full a Taber­nacle did God erect. that expedient yea verie méete is it we should knowe the operation and inwarde wor­king of the creatour: that raiseth out of the dust, so singuler an Image and paterne of his deitie: and hath made the sonne of that man which goeth to the Plough, and to the cart: and that followeth the cattel & kepeth the swine in the fielde: That tombleth at home in the strawe, and hideth his heade in the couche, y^e is parched with y^e heat of the sunne, & smo­thered vp with his beames, & runneth to the heapes of snowe, and abideth in chillie frost, and is benom­med with the blastes of the winde, and houereth ouer a fewe chippes at the end of his labour: And féedeth chearely on browne breade. Yet euen this fame poore creature dandeleth his little one in his armes: and hauing so grosse a father and so homely a [Page 158]Nurse, this fame little babe it looketh as pertely, & in face as comely, Al cret [...]rs do knovv their bringing vp, and the verye [...]outch is more vvelcō [...]chim that is acquainted thervvith, thē sumptuous furniture. and sheweth it selfe I waraunt you in gesture so neatly, as if it had neuer knowen so base a parentage. Yet that which is more: strippe it of the poore ragges he weareth, and apparell him with pur­ple and fine silke: set him at thy table, and pamper him vp with thine own delicacies: he wil leaue al thy meate, thy table & thy bed, he wil bluther til the death and pine away in sorowe: he will acknowledge his fa­ther, he will call and run to the poore herdwoman, he will not exchaunge that same thatcht house, for the gorgiousnesse & brauerie of the court. This is a bles­sing of God y^e prospereth-him that tilleth in the fielde, and increaseth the labour of his handes, aswell as that man that is of the city, or in the pauilion, or in the houses of great men. Giue vs our daily bread this day.

And it is euen the same thing that I vnderstande here, when as we pray giue vs this day our dayly bread. Euen that God would blesse vs, and protect vs, and giue vs of his benifites, and inlarge our stoore, and permit vs to enioy the welth he lendeth vs: And sanc­tifie himselfe in our actions, and féede vs in his mer­cie, helpe vs in extréemitie, nourishe vs by his crea­tures, guide vs in our labouring: in our going in, in our going out, in the field, in the house, in our sitting downe, In the Scrip­tures bread is taken for the foode of the soule often times: & ther fore Christ is called the true breade came dovvne s [...]om Heauen to feede vs. in our rising vp, at meate, at table, at borde, at bed euen at all times his grace woulde be with vs to defende vs.

It is well knowen, that man consisteth of soule & bodie: we shoulde doe iniurie to our selues, and detract from the power of God: If in our prayer wee vnder­stoode those things onely that bee transitorie, and ap­perteine to this life: and left the care and foresight of thinges to come, that may last and remaine with vs foreuer in heauen. Then let the same be in vs y^e is in the skilfull Mariner, and let vs repose no lesse trust [Page 159]in our selues then the Chirurga doth, that in daunger, or in perill, or in rest, or in quietnesse, omitteth no one thing that is appertinent.

It is my wishe also in those that are the Lordes, Carelesnes i [...] impiety, but greedmes with couet­ousnes, is ir­religiousnes. to regard this life as though they liued not, and to enioy these terrestical benifits as though they had thē not: & for their dealings in this life, to deale as though they knewe them not. For the life to come, to be laun­chers and fearers of such corrupt and putrified mem­bers, as shall hinder them. And to bee phisitions in there dyet, and sparing in their life, that the cares of this worlde chooke them not. But aswell to seeke for the breade that came down from heauen, and the spi­ritual Manna. As they be readie to enquire and serch out for there pelfe in this life. For as the bodie is fed to encrease it, so hath also the spirite of man his pre­seruatiues to kéepe it. And the nourishement hereof is the worde of God, euen Iesus Christe, Wee fell by man, vvee are all redeemed againe in the man Christ. the expresse image and liuelines of his father: that came downe from heauen and dyed for vs, that suffered on the crosse, and by his merits and bloude sheading redemed vs, our soules & bodies, and hath made vs inheritors with him in the kingdome of his father. Whereunto Paul alludeth. 1. Cor. 10. Where hee calleth him the spirituall foode, that oure fathers fedde on and that selfe same rocke that they stande on, One God in the lavve: and the same Christ in the lavve: vvith one oblation saned vs both before & after the lavve [...] for he vvas slaine from al beginning and maketh them to bee baptised with the same baptisme that wee are. All which I could liuely set forth to haue bene accom­plished vnder the ceremonyes in the lawe. But that the houre warneth me to make hast. And to this in­terpretation maister Gualter hath alluded in Luke. Whose saying I cannot but reuerence, that wrote so learnedly. Cum homo duabus partibus conslet, ani­ma & corpore, duplici cibo opus est quo totus ali atque conseruari possit.

Therefore it is our petion, that we may haue the [Page 160]knowledge of his sonne Christ reuealed, the only sal­nation of our soules, y^e we may enioy the merites of his death, & be led & confirmed by the working of his spirite, very well and truely vnderstoode in this. Giue vs this day our dayly breade.

And here for the acknowledging and full vnder­standing of this verse, A temporall comparison vvith heauen ly thinges. I haue at this present alluded vnto our temporall benifits, and that the force and e­ [...]casie may appeare: collected a certeine simile or con­gruence, which I finde mistically to bee comprised in that it is said our dayly bread.

• He that feedeth vs, is Christ.
• Our breade, is his bodie.
• Our drinke, is his bloud.
• Our vessell from whence we drawe it, is the Lorde.
• Our feeding, is in spirite.
• The corne or graine, it is glad tidings of the Gospel.
• The mill or he that grindeth and fashioneth it is god the father and the spirite.
• The bag or vessell it is put into, is our bodies.
• The workemen it is deliuered vnto, bee his mi­nisters.
• They that eate and feede hereof, be his faithfull and olect in Christ.
• This bread is deliuered, by preaching.
• It is receiued by hearing.
• We enioy it, or feede thereon by following.

The manner or condition of this breade is sutch:

• It is pure and perfect wheate, the sauour whereof is to life.
• It is vnleuened, for it is wrought like sweete cakes, with holinesse and puritie.
• It is not rawe like dough, but seasoned in the fire, the furnace of the spirite.
• [Page 161] It is not Mislin.
• It is without blemishe, vnspotted, kned with sin­ceritie.
• It is pleasaunt in taste, and operation, for it sa­ueth vs.
• It is of many graines, made one bodie, to knit vs to­gether in one Christe.
• It is not for a season to our bodies, it is for euer to our soules in heauen.
• Last of all, wee chawe it, and consume it by faith.

This breade, hée that tasteth of, Better is hee that knevv not the vvord and heard not of it: thē hee that hath it, & folovv­eth it not: the first is of ignorance to reprobation: this is of foly to greater cōdemp [...]ati­on: that, by Diuelishnes this, of pee­ [...]ishnes: haue one revvarde, eternall death. and vomiteth it vp no more, is sure to receiue the right vse thereof. And hee may speake boldly with Paul: That hée hath a crowne of glorie layde vp for him. Hée néede not repent him of his labour, or bee forrowfull for his payne taken on the earth. For his commendation shalbe with the Prophets that are gone before: and with the good men of God, that are translated from this earthly mantion, and sit aboue with GOD in glorie.

The Spirituall foode I haue touched, and made serche for our heauenly meate: Let vs nowe pro­céede to ransacke out that whiche is the bread of our bodye. For in this woorde Bread, taken alone for corporall and bodyly sustenaunce: I comprehende all kynde of foode: of the greate and sumptuous Ta­ble: aswell as the base and homely banquet. Thy clothe, thy garment, thy vesture, thy house, thy couering, thy health, thy Woll and fléece abroade, all thy harbour, and tillage at home. What is vn­derstoode by bread. For if the Spar­rowe haue meate proui [...]ed him, and not one of them lighteth on the ground without our Father? In vayne is the thoughtes of man: and the immaginati­ons of his harte be preuented, if the Lorde blesse him not.

[Page 162] In this is comprehended the troublesome mishaps in this life, in bodie, in minde, or any other misaduen­ture, so named of vs: and no other way preuented then by this: Geeue vs this day our dayly breade. For in greatest distresse, God often times tryeth his Sainctes: and vvhen all hope is past, as appeareth to man: then commeth his sauing health soudenly. and moste ieoperdy, the Rauens can be his Messengers to nourish vs. And if we haue but one cruse of Oyle, though it be in greate famine, so that we remaine helplesse. Hee is as neare vs as that poore widdowe vnto Elyas: and can commaunde that neyther our oyle shalbe spent, or our Meale wa­sted, till saluation appeare vnto Israel.

And as one Colaquintida, was not alike to all, though it saued some of the Prophets. No more is he tyed eyther to tymes or seasons. And in the same hée giueth vs, in the same he helpeth vs, if wee aske ear­nestly.

I am compelled here, as otherwise I confesse in o­ther places, to vse oftentimes interpretation & notes of the Scholemen: neyther am I ashamed to professe that openly, the vse whereof I finde to be so great by priuate conference. For euen vnto the worst of them all wee owe muche. And God hath looked vppon vs in these dayes that hath lefte vnto his churche as many volumes of suche as be pure and perfect stile: that speake their verie mother foung in Latine, and iudge discréetely of the Gréeke, as euer they had. Or that Oratour sawe, that bragged so muche of his Bi­bliotheca in Rome. From them I acknowledge I haue sucked out, The doctors and the fa­thers are as good instru­ments, vvhet and prepared for the vse of Gods church. (if that any thing it bee that I haue) and their comely graue and singuler maiestie in the booke of God. O Lorde whereunto had it come, if the modestie and reuerence they bare to the worde, had not cut of that naturall and luxurious heat, that bub­bled out so fiercely in their talke? Whome I can ne­uer be ashamed of, for the pleasure I tooke, and the profite I receiued when at firste I red them. And [Page 163]therefore paying that I owe them, and restoring that I stole away: Our bread is asked: for that it is not common vn­to one but to vs all: and be­cause God vvould haue vs remember our brethren as vvel as our ovvne selues, & the vvhole church as our priuate fami­lie. I haue here and there paynted out this treatise with such flowers, as not altogether robbing them, I coulde or might conueniently gather in my writings. Whereof this is one: He saieth Ours: not as hauing right or title of our selues to claim him as our owne, or ought else. But for that of his grace he géeueth it vs and that fréely. It is saide to bee ours. For so is Christe called our Lorde, and our redéemer, not as brought in by vs. But ours, in that wée haue néede of him, and in our life call on him. For that God the father elected and predestinated from all be­ginning, that he should be our wisedome, our righte­ousnesse, our sanctification. Therefore Cyprian, pa­ter noster quia intelligentium & credentium pater est. Et panem nostrum vocamus. Quia Christus noster, qui corpuseius contigimus, Panis est. Hee is our father, for that he is father of such of vs as vnderstande and beléeue aright. And hee is our breade saith Cyprian: For that Christe, of whose bodie we be, is our meate.

In that hee saith our breade, wee are admonished euery one of his priuate calling. That wee eate the labour of our handes, and gather together that which we possesse by the sweate of our owne browes. Not buylding by the houses of our forefathers in bloud? nor garnishing our Iuery beddes with other mennes labours: but euery one quietly to enioy his owne. In Israel god permited none to beg: but vvith vs the number of them is so great, & their miserie such, and our harts so stonie, and our dealings so harde, that scarce a peece of bread can be aforded them. I leaue not so much to Ahab as to enter on the grounde of Naboth. Neyther shall Abymeleche presse vpon the goods and treasuries of Abraham. The Landmarke shall not be remoued: and accursed shalbee that man that ingrosseth the substaunce and commodities of o­thers, and eateth vp the fat of the Lande: For God hath géeuen a place to all, and the poore man hath hee giuen to trye thee with all agaynste the daye of wrathe.

[Page 164] Our dayly bread: or as the Gréeke: this day our breade: Such is the condition of man, that the same thing vvhich hee hath this day the verie same hee misseth on the morrovv Signifieth our pouertie, or the necessitie & penurie wherein wée bee: that hauing nothing of our selues, are faine to craue all thinges of another. For if wée haue all thinges that be néedefull for the minde and for the bodie, yet auayleth it not: for the minde is diuersly, diuers wayes troubled with temptati­ons. The bodie disgesteth that it receiued before: So that it hungreth and panteth for more. And therefore wée saye: This day, or from day to day. Or as in Mathew This daye.

The meaning whereof I take this: that God gi­uing his benefits & the vse of his creatures to all: not nowe, but continually at all seasons: It is our prayer hée would vouchsafe to remember vs at this presente, as hée hath of his goodnes bestowed vpō vs heretofore. It is very prety, as you may easely iudge (an eloquent man) cunningly and wisely noted of M. Gualter in Luke. Videre est quam egregios facerit Satan. &c. You may easely know sayth hée, what maner of Gods wée were, If vve had no thing, but of our ovvn: vve might vvell enough bee stript naked, and seeke corners a­gaine, to hide our shame from the Lorde. after Sathan had diluded the Woman: That made report vnto Eue, in what day shée should eate of the Tree of Life, shée should bée like vnto God, knowing good and euill. For as soone as shée with hir Husbande fasted of the forbidden fruite, sée what Goddes wée bée? They with their posteritie sell into misery? They did hunger: they thirsted: they were troubled in the Frostes: they suffered the heate in Sommer: and lost the glorye they had before: and as Beggars from gate to gate: so were they compelled to aske at Gods hand.

This meditation of so discrete a Father as he was: I would it were imprinted more déepely then it is in themyndes of men. That hawtines and stately [Page 165]gesture woulde more easely bee delayed amonge vs then it is.

And the beggerly attyre that wee haue put on by our owne folly, would cause vs to aske more for gods sake then we doe.

Here be condempned two sortes of men. The first of those y^e are not content with such as god hath bles­sed them, dally and play in their riot, hurding vp all manner of vnséemelie and vnchristian dealings: ser­uers of the time: and swallowed vp in ambition, giue wages and large stipende to some one or others vn­thriftes to hunt out nouelties and to inuent outlan­dishe feates. The abuse of Englande in feastings and banquetting, is a byvvorde to all the na­tions on the earth. The milde and comely fare that this realme aboue all other nations is blessed with, can­not delight our Dionitius schollers: that Romaine E­picure is risen againe from death. We must haue Cranes neckes, that y^e long swallowing of our meate may title vs more pleasantly. And nowe a dayes, hée is no gentleman, that hath not his set féeldes to sport and trauerse in: his newe outlandish feate to delight him in: and his shamelesse banqueting house open to all minstrelsie, to spende his young dayes in: Whese lippes could neuer vtter this. Giue vs this day our day­ly bread.

And as the Manna whiche they gethered (if they tooke aboue a Gomer, euery man for his eating according to his housholde, scralled ful of wormes and stanke the day after. So let them be assured, that this their tempting of the Lord, though it sauour in their throte and be pleasant for a season: will in the end be rottennesse, and putrefaction vnto them when he cal­leth to accompt.

The seconde hinde of men that I note here, I would I might but looke vppon them, Come neare them I dare not, they bee so glorious: Their Marble [Page 166]and Iuorie bedds, their Iewels and out ragious bra­uerie, astonish me when I see them. That so muche the more maketh me to wonder, as I sée their ende to approch and their glorie to be transitorie. For when he hath sailed in many a perilous storme, and put his life into the handes of Pyrates, and is nowe become gray headed and withered vp by long labour. Yet the value of his substance is not verie many thousandes. All that the dayes of man is labour and tediousnes: & in the ende, his substance is not great, & he carrieth nothing vvith him to the graue. And then committeth be his goods paraduenture to the fire. It may be he leaueth them in the depth of the Sea: but if he liue and inioy them for a time, in the thirde generation, hee is forgotten: and so many thousands as he had, so many thousande men enioy­eth them. This is a straunge thing and yet it is com­mon among you of the Citie. For either the sea and the waues thereof consumeth them, or the easdrop­pers, and the lurkers in corners scatter them: or se­cretely the Lord himselfe by one or other meanes be­stoweth them. For as lightning passeth & vanisheth out of sight: so withereth away the riches of the wic­ked man. And as the snowe melteth at the fire, or as the frost at the heate of the sun: so doth the substance of the vngodly, at the becke of the Lorde. The wages of the euill are crooked, and they are lewde in their pathes. Glorie remaineth with him in his youth, and beggerie dwelleth with him in his age. For the soule of the poore man panteth for sorowe, and he ruffeleth in the streetes, and passeth by the miserable: he stop­peth his eare, and regardeth not the crie. The portion of the sinner is death, his vvayes is per­dition, his glorie is shame, his children bee beggers, and his name is buryed in dishonour. Wherfore the wicked shalbe cut off from the earth, and the tran­gressours shalbe rooted out of it. For the way to his house is death, & the path of the sinner carieth to the graue, and hell fyre consumeth him quicke: because he trusteth in his riches & maketh the world his God, and saith to his substance we shall dwell for euer, hee neuer remembreth to pray vnto the Lord: Giue vs this [Page 167]day our dayly bread.

And for that I am entred into the true discription of such a Citizen as feareth God. I will drawe out the picture and proportion of so comely a man, as for sta­ture & height, for trewe and perfect workemanship, can not be matched in any one citie here in England, that by chaunce not nowe so long since, I had a vewe and sight of, and described by the prophet Dauid in one of his Psalmes.

• Of the Head: That as the heuēs guideth the earth, so is thought to turne and weaue about the bodie of man.
• Of the Heart: that as a Costerne conteineth the li­tle Chanels.
• Of the Breath: Otherwise as blockes & stones wée stand emptie.
• Of the Liuer: so which as their captaine, the Lungs & the Lightes do their obeysance, the drawer of bloud and iudge of life.
• Of the Eyes: as windowes to péepe out at, the Mistresses of the bodies, and Ladyes of pleasure.
• Of the Sinnewes and Ioyntes: To couple the bodie and chaine him in, that he be dissolute and wretchlesse in bodie.
• Of the Armes: Of the Handes a couple of instruments huen out of nature, to tune the residue of the par­tes of man that be out of square:
• Of the Legges: Of the Feete. That we séeme not mangled ormai­med in ioynts like idel and sluggish scarrecrowes, good for nothing but to stand in the ayre to feare Bussards.

The philosopher as I remember thought him an vnable person and vnméete for any thing that consis­ted not wholy of theses partes. And Moses debarred [Page 168]him the tabernacle of the Lord: neither could he serue in the house of God, if he missed any one of these. And I thinke as in the life of man to liue heare. So in the heauens the eternal life to dwell there, be these seueral partes of man to be required. Euen the head, the Heart, the Breath, the Liuer, the Eyes, the Sy­newes, the Armes, the Hands: the Legs, the Féete, without the which, no man can come to heauen and vnto God, and painted forth by the Prophet Dauid. In the. 15. Psalme. Rara auis in teris, nigro­siue similli­ma signo.

• An vpright life, the head of man.
• Righteousnesse, the Heart of man.
• Truth, the Breath of man.
• Goodnesse, the Liuer of man.
• Modestie and comelinesse, the Synewes and ioyntes of man.
• Humilitie and lowlinesse, the Armes of man.
• Swearing & not disapointing thy neighbour, the Handes of man.
• No reward and bribe to slay the innocent, the Legs of man.
• No giuing of money vpon vsurie, nor purloyning from the poore, the Feete of man.

As for him whome the Poet hath deciphered out Qui mihi possit quod honestum ac iustum videatur. The descrip­tion of a vvorldely man.

Whome wantonnesse and vnbrideled lust, hath puffed vp to all sinne: whose amendement of late I wished: whose end I feared: whose life is laid with his welth: whose ioy remaineth on the earth: whose plea­sure perisheth, whose riches faileth: that neuer thin­keth on God: remembreth not the Lorde: prayeth not to him that sitteth aboue: thinketh hee hath all things from himselfe. Looke I pray you vpon him, vewe and marke him wel: and sée whether he be dect, as a prophet, or apparilled as Aaron, or in fashion as Leuite, or in maners as an Israelite, or like such a man [Page 169]as shoulde dwell with God. That hereafter if you chaunce to sée him, you maye by my markes fully knowe him.

• Whose head is sinne: whose brainpan is wretched­nesse: whose ende miserie.
• Whose Liuer is vnrighteousnes.
• Whose heart is darted with vntrueth. That dissembleth in his tounge, lyeth to the simple, beguileth all.
• Whose breath is blasphemie. That belcheth, London is vvitnes hereof the proporti [...] on & stature height of vvhome, vvas dravven out this last yere, 1577. giuen of God an ex­ample for e­uer, to shevv hovve men should be­stovve their riches: and a hosiar, dvvel­ling in Burch yarde lane.and ratteleth out othes against the highest, regardeth not the Lorde that sitteth aboue.
• Whose eyes be compact of loftinesse and of pride.
• Whose ioyntes and sinnewes, are encombrance and hurte, disappointing and disceit.
• Whose armes are swearing, and be­guiling his neigh­bour. By trecherie gaining: by dissem­bling enritching, by vndooing, murthering, armes, Iwisse, able, and of force to wrestle, with the mightiest.
• Whose hands are redines & speedi­nes to gayne by false sleightes. Two hands, able to ingros whole common wealthes, into priuate commodities.
• Whose legges bee vsury and extorti­on. Able in time by this villany, to outronne him that is swiftiest in his race, and ouertake him that dwelleth in most stately Pallaces.
• [Page 170] Whose feete are briberie & rewarde, to spoyle the in­nocent. Able by the blood of righteous men, and by inglutting him selfe in their innocencie, to stande on feete, and praunce it, to looke alofte, and countenaunce it, to goe stately, to stande stoutly, as though hee were moste pure in harte.

This kinde of man I would hée were not with vs, If the riche man haue no thing he cur­seth: if hee haue a littell hee desireth: if hee haue much hee svvelleth: but if hee haue honour, then he forgetteth God: thus the vngodly haue neither beginning or ending of their vvicked nesse. or if hée bée gone let him bée a warning to vs: for it is not with our humanitie, when God hath giuen vs Bread plenty, and blessed vs with aboundance, to aske still with Mydas, till wée bée choked with Golde. So Naball like, that wée can not spare Dauid so mutch as thrée Loues of Breade to féede his Seruantes. That riche gluttō in Luke as I am perswaded, when hée lay in Hell in tormentes, and saw Abraham, hee woulde willingly haue drawen out his Golde, vntill the bot­tome of his Coffars, and haue morgaged all his land and substaunce too, for one droppe of water to coole his tongue.

But goe too thou riche man, laugh, sporte, playe, and bée merry: Thou knowest thy Heauen, and that is Hell. The nexte thing I haue noted is this: Fyrst he giueth: then to vs: Thirdly to day: Fourth­ly, Bread. Wherin wee are admonished of the due­ty of all Christians: not to gaze so mutch on the com­modity of priuate gayne: as to pray and to remember the state of the Church. For in that wee pray for vs, wée pray for all, euen such as bee of the Household of GOD.

It accordeth to the doctrine of Paull. 1. Corinth. 12. That maketh our body vnder one head Christe. And that mutuall [...], that compassion and remorse wee haue one of an other, is properly set forth to the Ephes. 2.

[Page 171] And as the Children in Luke are sayd to daunce, when their fellowes daunced: As the smoake from the fier, so should our prayers ascēd vp altogether to the Lord. and are sayde to wéepe when as they wepte: and to bée merry when their companions were glad: So in like manner are the Seruauntes of our God, that remember the afflic­tions of our fellowe Brethren, and thinke on the ca­lamities of such as suffer with vs. For as in heauen there shalbe not diuers, but one Song: one Alleluiah to prayse the Lorde: And as there is not many Ierusa­lems but one Ierusalem. And as there is but one Gol­den Read to measure the Temple. So there can not bée, neither should there bée, any more then one voice in one Church to pray to God.

• Hee that giueth, is God:
• To whom it is giuen, is all flesh:
• It is to day, for wee alwayes neede it:
• And Breade it is, euen all manner sustenance to nou­rishe vs.

The vse hereof is this: that wée shewe our selues duetiful and obedient, rendering due homage and re­uerence to the Lord, from whom wée haue all things. For if the Oxe knoweth his kéeper, and the Asse his Maisters Cribbe. Shall Israell and they of the house of God, forget the Lorde? Fighteth not the Dog for his Maister? The vvilling minde, & the ready hart, & hee that is thankful vnto God, is hee that is accep­ted of the Lorde. striueth not the Beare for the safety of hir younge? doth not the Husbandman lay his corne to vsury? And hydeth hee not his grayne in earth? And is not the ground thankefull agayne for his ten­dinge and care hee had of it? Then let man cast his eyes to Heauen, and thinke on the Lord that giueth all, that hée bée not forgotten of his Father aboue, when Christ shall come and deliuer vp the Kingdome to his Father, and giue rewarde to them that serue him. [Page 172]Thus I haue though very wearysome paraduenture to your hearinge, bréefelye passed euer, this firste lesson of our first Table concerninge man.

Two more there is left behinde: which if God permit and my leysure doo afforde it, shalbe more nar­rowly and straitly handled hereafter.

Forgiue vs our Tresspasses, as wee forgiue them that Tresspas against vs.

I Haue very often made mentiō in this my Treatise of the necessity of prayer, We ought not to sease at any time frō prayer, but the remem­brance there­of ought to be as the devv of the mor­ning, or as the frosts in Win ter, that faleth not. & now the force therof ap­peareth so liuely, and the greatnes therof is set down so fully, that in so good a thing, in so perfecte a rule ap­pointed by the Lord: I once more am enforced to call you altogeather, to assemble your selues as they in Es­dras did, to vnderstande and heare the Booke of God.

For as in the Tables of Stone wherin the com­maundements were engrauen: The first commaun­dement auayled not, if they made a seclusion of the se­cond: No more can that which went before (profitt vs) of the Lorde and of God, and of our bare protesta­tion vnto Christe: As bare vvor­des edifie not so a rehersall of Gods commaundemēts profite not vvithout be­leefe steadily fixed in him. vnlesse in his mercy hee forgiue vs. Wherfore wée are to bée called togeather euery one, and to all persons I giue notice of thefame, that euery one may iudge his dealinge: Then shall wee bée forwarde and attentiue to heare the Lorde: when wée are found to agrée and méete as one. Or when such A. Zacheus is caught among vs, as wil not iudge but forgiue and pay his debts: and that can as expedi­ent, speake trueth in all. As for mée I may doo that which Statius doth in Synephebis: and with good cause desire and craue the helpe of all which are as I, all [Page 173]wrapt in sinnes. And iustly I thinke I can crye cut.

Pro deum, popularium omnium adolescentum. Clamo, postulo, Oro, ploro, atque imploro fidem. Not for a light and trifling thing, offence is commit­ted: he must die the death.

Ab amico amante argentum accipere meretrix non vult.

The money that was offered of the louer, If Poets haue put religion in vamties: & vvoundred at follies: vvee may be ama­zed in hande­ling matter [...] of faith. is refu­sed of his Peragon. But euen to ioyne & helpe, & come in one, and marke my speech, that haue to doe and to medle with that, will accuse you all: euen of faith, of hope, of religion, of trueth of allegiaunce: Non dijs immortalibus. As the Orator reported. But to God, to the Lord, vnto Christ that can consume vs.

For iniquitie is the way of all fleshe, and the trea­dings of those in earth is ignoraunce. Wherefore lot vs consider the vanitie of man and by déepe considera­tion open the rawnesse of our nature: let vs perseuaer in discerning our owne corruption, and offer vp our soules and bodies to the Lorde, for he it is wee haue offended.

Therefore in this next percell, The humble spirited man is better then Sacrifice: and lovvlinesse of heart, and contrition is the burnt of fering. though it be but a small bundel, is trussed vp the saluation & ful drift of vs all, that can neuer glorifie the Lorde better, nor shew our selues more obedient vnto him, then at such time as we debase and humble vs before the Lorde, when that arrogancie and the man of pride is laide down, & our bodis mortified before our god. For if we do confesse the Lord to be our father, if not on earth, but in heauen: if we séeke to sanctifie him and to mag­nifie his name. If to reigne in vs by his spirite. If that his kingdome should be enlarged, his name glo­rified, his praise exalted among the sonnes of men. If that his will may bee fulfilled and what please him may come to passe. If that he giueth to vs continually and feedeth vs dayly and nourisheth vs howrely, and [Page 174]giueth vs bread and meate in due season: yet is it no­thing, it is but a bare knowledge, and an hypocriti­call confession, if thou aske it not in humblenesse, and méekenesse of spirite, As poyson to the bodie, so is vngodlines to the soule, & as corrup­tion to the fore and the vvounde: so is sinne and, iniquirie to the mind of man. but art swelled and puffed vp with Pride, as though thy owne righteousnesse, and the strength of thine owne armes bad brought it to passe. For which cause we pray that our debts may bee forgiuen vs, and our transgressions par­doned vs, and we acknowledg that we owe much vn­to the Lord God. For séeing that our sinnes are as the stayned clothe of a woman: for y^e we hatch Cocatrice eggs, and weaue the spiders webbe. Is not his hande vpon vs, and his consuming wrath, hath it not alrea­die snared vs, and are wee not intangled vnto death? And is it not time to begin, & to pray w^c humilitie, & confesse our sinnes? for here glittereth forth the first hope we haue in Christ, in that he was a propitiacion for vs to his father, If God par­doned not, no flesh coulde be sauid: the pardones of the pope va­nish avvay here: for vvee haue remissi­on and our debtes is paid in one Christ that cannot any otherwise be sa­tisfied, then in acknowledging our sinnes.

Chiefly here and before all els, we haue to vnder­stande, what is ment by this, for giue vs our debtes.

For as touching our duetie, wee owe much vnto the Lorde, feare, obedience, loue, reuerence, with sutche like. Beeing so mutche bounde the more vn­to our God: as his mercie is greate, and his loue surpassing our loue, or his kindenesse without ende, whiche is set forth to be seene of man, in these two thinges.

The first is in the eternal couenant which he hath made with man whereby his frée mercy is séene, After the fall of man, vvee had an eter­nall couenant giuen vs, o­tnervvise, vve had been past hope of re­couerie. by not imputing vnto vs our sinne.

The other is, the weakenesse and imbecillitie of all flesh: so that being debters we are alienated from the Lord, hauing no hope of peace left vnto vs, but by his onely grace, to fulfil that. Rom. 3. That all haue sinned and are destitute of the glorie of God, and that [Page 175]euery mouthe might be stopped, and the whole world culpable in his sight. For though there appéere a cer­teine notice and glimmering [...]f perfectiō (as it were) in the saincts of God. Yet till they bee moued by the spirite, they runne at randals, and then whē they are best, they fall often.

Wherefore here is condempned those vpstart and newfangled vanities, Praescitians. nowe of late fleeringe to and fro in the mindes of men: that by counterfait and glo­sing speech, insinuate I knowe not, what kinde of ho­linesse in themselues. And there is a byworde of late crept into our Church, taken as I suppose from the contrarietie of their manners. And we must be puri­tans in the name of God, and seuer our selues from other congregations: Nisenesse io [...] ­ned to open vvickednes: causeth blind nesse. and truely paraduenture more aptely then they are a ware of. For Puri tanquam spu­ri, agréeth right: God he mercifull vnto vs: I knowe some that goe a tippe Tooes, and mince it as neately in talke, as any courtier of them all can doe at meate. and yet by your leaues (be not angry w^e them neither) they be as vily spleafooted, and treade their shooes as much a wry, as y^e homelest carter of them all that kee­peth the Plough, thorough out the yeare. And when I haue consithered all, they bee but men. But bles­sed be our Lorde the man Iesus Christe, that hath gi­nen vs an other meane, and opened vnto vs a better way, If God helpe not, vaine is the hope of man: and in our fall, if he raise vs not, vve lye still. and permitteth vs to haue falts and some ble­mish, and suffereth vs to fall oftentimes: and then giueth vs leaue to lay the burthen of our sinnes vpon his shoulders. For euen thus it is prepared, y^e vnlesse Moses haue one to holde vp his arme, y^e victorie wilbe lost: and yet if it be so that he hath helpe for a season, such is our nature, our fragilitie such, y^e he is wearied fo: & if ye haue not a stone to vnderprop him, to stay his elbow on. It is in hazard y^e he falleth not they & al. And if Dauid coulde not promise him any assuraunce [Page 176]in his life but that he fell so sodeinly, at the sight of a silye woman that washed her: bragge they asmuche as they will, and liue they as well as they can, yet at length by trusting so much to this tower, they may paraduēture some one or other time be ouertakē: but this two headed serpēt I let it alone, God wil one day as be hath of late mangled the one of them: so I doubt not, but he wil sharpē an other sword, shal cut off both.

This péece of this prayer calleth vs to the tribunall seate of God: By our debts vve are put in mind of gods iudgements, vvhich in our selues vve can neuer paye, or aunsvvere for them suf­ficiently. and our names written in his booke, our plea can be no other then for mercie: so that what we haue not of our selues, that haue we from the lord and condempned by sinne in the flesh, wee are raised by him in the spirite: For all fleshe sinneth: the iust man liueth by fayth. Dauid I doubt not did see this: When be acknowleged his imbicilitie, and gaue way vnto weakenesse, and sawe his conception how it was in sinne: and knewe his thoughts howe they were euil from his youth. I labour more in this, for that I haue had of late to deal with some, that prestime to se­uer them from those be wicked, This puritie in this your securitie: is plainly she­vven to be in fidelitie. and accompt althings as righteousnesse that procedeth from them. These I desire in the Lorde, to reade ouer the Prophets: And if from Adam till the floude, all had their infirmities. If Adam fell? if our first mother gaue vs so vnluckie a drinke that we al haue béen blistered therwith from our cradelles. Weakenes is ours, as for strength it is the Lordes, If Abell offered vp y^e first fruites of his shéepe, as a sacrifice to the Lorde, yet commended to bee a iust man. If Noah him selfe commended of the Lorde, fel so grossely in incest and ouercome in drinke: we be no better then our fathers, we may fal. I speake not here to vphold sin: no the lord God is my witnesse whom I serue in his Christ, that since y^e first fast y^e I supped of the Cupe of y^e Lord, & from y^e time I set my foot vpō y^e doore of his threshold, to sée what was don ther, I haue abhorred to y^e death, y^e ways of death. [Page 177]And let this bée my witnes at the day of the Lorde, and let mee looke at that day for the Crowne of glo­rye, as I haue sought with all endeuor to builde vp his Churche, and detested iniquitye.

Let no man suspecte mee here, for I know I haue to deale with curious heads, that take euery light oc­rasion for their purpose. The protestation of his fayth, that vvilbe saued. I shiner them in péeces (for this cause onely if I can) and I cut them of. For this is my Faith, and this I know: That by the first man came in death: & by y^e second man Christ came in life.

The first is of the fleshe to condempnation.

The second of the Spirite to Saluation. And that which commeth of it selfe, ryseth vp in man, to cast downe man: being only sinue scrawling in our mor­tall bodies, and is made righteousnes in the man Christ: in whome we haue an earnest by the spirite. Our spirite witnessing with the spirite of God: that we be inheritours of life: so that I leaue to vs no good thing as of our selues: but I referre my selfe to the handes of God, in his sonne Christe: in whome one­ly, I rise a perfect man to life eternal. As for others, if they thinke to get any thing by their labour, let them bragge thereof when they haue gotten it. For as the Carpinters of Noe, when hee made the Arke: so are these: that made a house to saue some, yet saued not them selues. And they may glorifie the Lord in one or other their dooings: Glorie in the beauens, till they be changed, shall they neuer haue.

Lactantius as I thinke of his milde and pleasaunt wordes, he spake in his booke de Ira, Lactantius: a lactaeo fiu [...] ­mine. hath wiped away all the sleights of man, as touching this question. For Subiecta est peccato fragilitas carnis, qua induti sumus. The fragilitie of our flesh saith he, is subiect & prone to sin, wherwithal we are clad. In his booke Contra Gen­tes, in his. 13. Cap he hath confessed y^e very like: that no man can be without sin, during his above in the flesh. [Page 178] Gregorius Nazianzen, in his Oration so termed, wher with all bee comforteth. Gregorius Nazianzen. De patre tacente: giueth it proper only to the Lorde God, to bee without sinne. In his Oration Infamatrice. Agaynst Iulian the se­conde, (as els where in many places) setteth downe that God hath so ordeyned, y^e no man on earth should bee without sinne.

And Ambrose bet down the same in his time, Ambrose. Bound vvee are, and thrall euery one of vs, and chay­ned to the infirmities and feeblenes of the fleshe, in this terre­striall taber­nacle. that I stand on now. And in his first Booke Chap 2 Quis est, sayth bee, qui mundum Cor a peccato habeat, Aut non delinquat in Lingua sua? Is there any man sayth Ambros that hath a cleane hart, that is vnspotted and frée from sin? Or that hath not offended in his toung? Herunto it is alluded in the Scriptures, where it is so often attributed vnto our satisfaction, our clensing, our washing, our purginge or makingecleane, our fréedome in Christe.

This suppressinge and beatinge downe of the inso­lency flaming a fresh in our age, might in one Psalme 32. bée sufficiently raked out. Wherin Dauid speaketh no one woord of iustification in vs. But hee counteth that man happye whose iniquities bée forgiuen, and whose sinnes bée couered: hee accompteth him blessed to whom the Lorde imputeth no sinne. Esay. 4 4. In Esay the Lord him selfe speaketh, where hee comforteth as it were his people Israell, shewing it was only hee that did blot out their transgressions, and of him selfe hee did it, and hée would no more remember their ini­quities. Red ye neuer as yet that Parable in Math. Where the kingdome of Heauen is compared to one that is ritch and wealthy, Math. 18. hauinge many debters: a­monge the rest hee had one that ought him ten thou­sand Talents, when hee had not wherwith all to pay: hée, his wife and all that hée had should haue bin solde: But thinke you if Christe had not taken compassion of him, and for giuen him all his debt: If hee had [...]yeu [Page 179]by the héeles and fettered all the dayes of his life, yet that hee coulde euer haue payde the vttermoste Farthing?

Verely, as the womā with the bloody Flixe spent hir substance, and mended not, so if wee touch not the hem of his garment and debase our selues: litle it is wée can looke for at the hands of God.

But now this is our comfort in all extremity: The paymēt of man for that he ovv­eth, is a liue­ly confession of his sinnes: that are vvy­ped avvay in the bloud of Christ. that God hath commaunded vs to pray in the name of his Sonne Christe. And this is the Irrefragable testi­mony of his goodwill, that hée maketh vs sure of the remission of our sinnes: For hée hath promised, and hee fayleth vs not, but so far as the Easte is from the West, so far hath hee set our sinnes from vs.

Thus mutch for the first note, wée are all debters, that is sinners & offenders against the Lorde. Not to discourage any man (for God forbid) but as willinge to lifte them vp, as they bée to mount into the Hea­uens, if they could: so that it be discretly doone.

I haue adioyned a shorte Lesson borowed of M. Gualter in his Treatise on Luke, Page. 284. M. Gualter.Hicer­go obseruemus, quoad nos peccata exmera & gratuita mi fericordia remitti, nullo nostrorum operum aut merito­rum respectu, quae in nobis prorsus nulla sunt: In mea­ninge this. It is only one Lorde that hath remitted vnto vs & pardoned our sinnes without our desarte, yet is hée rightuous, neither is there any thing demi­nished in his iustice: For that which was ours sin is wiped away and clensed in his blood. And in due time according to his first purpose, came he & tooke our flesh vpon him, and wiped away the curse and malediction was due to vs, by his cure vpon the Crosse: so that wée attayne our rightuousnes onely in the Lorde. And (as otherwayes you may know him. Very swéet and comfortable is Lactantius in his 77. Booke cap. 1. [Page 180]The Aucthor of life, and our rightuousnes which wée haue of God, is only God him selfe.

Arnobius in lib. Arnobius.2. Contra gentes, saith, that it was all alone, one Bishoppe Iesus Christe that gaue Saluation to our soules, and that could giue the spirit of Eternitye.

And Epiphanius in lib. Epiphanius.3. Tomo. 20. hath thus: Christ without his passion, wrought not our redemption: but in that bee dyed for vs, and gaue him self vnto his fa­ther a full Sacrifice for our soules, in his blood hee hath perfectly washed away our sinnes, and hath ra­sed out the handwrighting agaynst vs, and nayled it to the Crosse.

Hilarye In his Trinitate second Booke, Hylary. sayth, pro­perly for this. The Virgin (that is) Mary, his birth and his bodye, after that, the crosse, death, and hell, were a meanes to worke our saluation: which ten­deth to this: That albeit our sinnes be manifolde and many in number, yet are they al forgotten in Christ: And to encourage vs the more, he hath left vs a mean to attaine the same, which is faith.

Of the death of Christ, The Ladder to reache to heauen vvith all, and to attaine to God: is faith. how did Esay Euangelize long before, of that which appeared notwithstanding long after. Surely he hath borne our infirmities & car ryed our forrowes: yet wé did iudge him as plagued, and smitten of GOD, and humbled: But hee was wounded for our transgressions. Hee was broken for our iniquities. Esay. 53. The chasticement of our peace was vppon him: And with his stripes wee are healed.

All wée like sheepe haue gone astraye, wee haue turned euery one to his owne way: & the Lorde hath layde vpon him the iniquitie of vs all. [...]. Pet. 1. And Peter, hee him selfe hath set out, as one that sawe and knew the Lorde: The excellent and great mercie of God, that are not redéemed with corruptible things, as siluer & [Page 181]Goolde by a vaine conuersation from our fathers, but with the pretious bloude of Christ, as of a Lainbe vn­defiled and without spot. Therfore in Titus, Tytus. 2. he is said to haue giuen himselfe for vs, that he might redeeme vs from all iniquitie, & purge vs to bee a peculier peo­ple vnto himselfe, zealous of good workes. And in one verse doubtlesse, euen in Tymoth. 1. Timo. 3. Is the full saluati­on of man set downe, where according to the hope that Paul had receiued by faith in one Christ. Or teacheth his younge scholer to be setled & grounded in the lor [...], For without controuersie, it is the mistery of God­lynesse, which is: God is manifested in the flesh, iusti­fied in spirite, séene of Angels, preached vnto the gen­tiles, Beleeued on in the world, & receiued vp in glo­rie. Al which, of the remission of our sinnes, of our re­demption wrought of our iustification finished: of our glorie to be reuealed: what assurance can we haue in this life: where withall can wee be made certeine: bowe can we comprehende, the height, the depth and breadth here of, but only by faith in the same Christ?

For as Chrisostom in his sermon, Of Faith, Crisostome.Hope & Charitie: So determeine I in this place of the same.

Faith is the beginning of reighteousnes, the head of our sanctification: the entraunce or path way to our deuotion: the foundation also of our religion. Haec excludit dubia, tenet certa, promissa consignat: hanc qui tenet, foelix est, Augustine de vera innocentia, Augustine.Cap. 352. Hath laide a perfecte platforme of our faith in my iudgment. It is faith in Christ (for so he saith) to beléeue in him that iustifieth the wicked, to beléeue in y^e Mediator, without whom no man is reconciled to God.

To beeleeue in the Sauiour which came to seke & to saue that was lost. To beleeue in him which sayd without mée yée can doo nothing.

[Page 182] Theodoret, Theodoret. nameth this faith in his first booke De fide an assured agréement, a consent, or certenty, or affi­aunce, that we haue of inuisible thinges, which are yet to come. Thalassius. The meaning whereof is expressed by Thalassius, that calleth Christ, our sauiour, nameth him God, Isychius. Christ vvas oftered vppe once for all: neither nee­deth man dayly sacri­fice: but in this vvorde, the fathers shevve hovv much vve are bounde to the Lord: in that Christ vvas layd on thealter, to be slayne fovs. Paul [...]nus. in whome we are iustified, that hee might quicken vs, & make vs aliue in him: therfore also he hath giuen vnto vs faith to attaine life. In his Heca­tondate. 4. Isychius though paraduenture it sauour a little of the law & the Prophets, calleth Christ a sacri­fice: For no man saith he can atteyn y^e sacrifice of our Lorde (that is his death) but by the spirite of God. * In the. 5. vpon Liuiticus. And I take this to be more necessarie to be knowen, as I doe finde it most expe­dient for man. For as without water there is no plā ­ting, or as without y^e son there is no prospering, or as without wisedome, there is no cunning: No more is there life without doctrin, or saluation without tea­ching, or hope without trust, or Christe without the worde, or the worde without God, or they al with out faith.

Paulinus vppon the death of Celsus, hath a proper verse. Nam veluti rupto patuere sacraria velo: sic reserat nobis legis operta fides.

But ouerlonge I suppose in this and some what te­dious: and truely I confesse it, for the libertie that I haue in Christ, and the fréedome I haue gotten by his death, hath swallowed me vp. That euen nowe had I not bene admonished, y^e you be already weary, I shoulde haue forgotten my selfe in this my tarying. It may be the late speach hereof soundeth in your eares: that tossing it to and fro in my former reading, requi­reth at this time I would not handle it so roughly. And I am content to stay this course: onely take of me this watchword: he y^e beléeueth not, he is a sinner and he that hath not remission in the death of Christe, [Page 183]shat man cannot be saued.

The next is, This for giue nes of oure sinnes, as vves for giue o­thers: is an as­sured pledge and certeine token that vvee bee the Lordes. as we forgiue them that offende a­gainst vs: Guen all those that trespasse, or commit of­fence or endamage, or hurt vs, or seeke our life or goods, or such like: the reason whereof I take to bee this. God hath promised to be kindly & good to Israel, to be a father and a Lorde vnto them, to comfort them and helpe them as it is euery where: then, euen for our owne sake to liue thereafter & to feare him: We haue example in Christ to for giue others, as he for­giueth vs: for be you mercifull, That vvhicht is of duety can not haue any revvard, that vvee are bounde vnto can not be of our selues: that vvhich is not freely vvithout compulsion, can not purchase redemption: then our life vvherin vve are led, your vvorks vvhich are bettred by the spirit take & vvipe avvay al hope and saluation that cōmeth of them: for vve haue all by the spirit of God. Ciptian. because I am merci­full. And if that the Lorde hath pardoned vs that de­serued eternall death and condempnation: is it much for vs to forgiue our poore Brother, that hath but of­fended in transitorie things hereon earth?

The example of Christ may mooue vs, that when he was smitten, did not smite againe, and when hee was reuiled, reuiled not: And when he hanged on the Crosse, and they rayled on him, desired his father that hee woulde not lay their sinne vnto their charge.

Our praying here, that hee would forgiue vs as we forgiue others, is not therefore put in, that wee by forgéuing shall receiue rewarde, and that because we remit other their offences, Therefore wee also shall haue pardone at the handes of God: that were beastly in vs to thinke so. For then it were by desert, then were it of merite, that we shoulde haue eternall life. But euen here is our protestation & the badge seen of our Christianitie, in that we conforme, and make our selues like vnto Christ that forgaue all.

Therefore Cyprian, adiunxit legem certa nos lege & sponsione cōstringēs, & sic nobis dimitti debita postu­lamus, secundum quod & ipsi. Debitoribus nostris di­mittimus.

For true it is that is in Math. With what measure [Page 184]we meat, I marueile hovve they can excuse them selues, that put so great religiō in a surples, and a cap, or in orders. motes in re­spect of that vvickednesse lieth vvithin them: but can goe to lavve for euery trifle, and take many poundes for a vvorde spe­king: and be at continuall strife and de­bate vvith their neigh­bour: that death may sooner parte them, then Christianitie rule them. Magistracie, is the ordi­nance & gifte of God. They be also called Gods on earth: sit­ting as Iud­ges in the person of god to iudge righteously. with the same shall wee be measured a­gaine. And if we play as that same vnfaithfull ser­uaunt did, that when all was forgiuen him, yet went and tooke the lawe of his fellowe seruaunt: It is in a hazarde, that he binde vs and cast vs not in the gayle and fetter vs, till we haue paide our whole debt. If thou be at the altar and then remember thou hast any thing against thy brother, lay downe thy gift (saith one of the Euaungelists by Christ) and after recenci­lation made, come and offer at the aultar.

It is an assured and most certein signe of our faith, if we be such as our maister was. It beateth and treadeth downe the pride and hautinesse of man, that as he is most stately, is often times bent to crueltie: and as he is puffed vp, reuengeth most: & as he is most guilty and greatest offender, so he spareth none. For as wee be rauished till we sée the bloode of him we loue not: so here we are clipped of from this liberty. That na­tural heate most commonly bubling within vs by our first birth, is extinguished, by the méekenes and hum­blenesse of spirite, that we haue from the Lorde. As I am not here of the opinion of that Stoycke, to set fire on y^e house of him I hate: & to weare my drawen swoorde to wounde him I meete nexte, that I hate most: so permit I also a libertie to y^e christian, & a re­uenge to the godly man, that he appeale from priuate iniuries, to open maiestracie: And this daggar is a­ble to wound the proudest Anabaptist of them all, y^e I knowe this day: whose priuate affection, could neuer abide y^e any should sit in Moses seat. But these hissing serpens, that créepe so slyly, and serch so narrowely the hearts of poore brethren, wil one day I trust take more holde of the trewe light of the Lord: whose pri­uate conscience, if it were aswell knowen abroade, as it is practised in corners, they would haue bene cut off long ere this. And it is no meruail they busze so much [Page 185]in the cares of men: The manner of our priuate magi­stracie, by priuate ex­communica­ting▪ vvith­out the con­sent of them in authoritie the vsual cu­stome in dis­cerning the state of offenders, and ta­king priuate matters to their handes, is here cut of, it is not to be allovved. for the liberty y^e God hath giuen Dauid, can snaffle such an accursed Semei, if he dissē ­ble not. As for the Anabaptist reason, if hée giue thée a blow on the right eare, turne vnto him the other. It a­bideth not the heat, the Sun doth wyther it: for if it may bée to winne thy brother, & to get a soule to God: Take two on each eare, rather then reuenge it. If god bee not dishonored therby, giue him thy Cloake to, if hée will, and leaue all. But if the word be defamed and the Gospel sclaundered, I say agayne, turne vnto him, smite agayne, & spare him not. I giue no priuate man to iudge the case, let the seniors in Israel heare the matter & iudge therof. But if thou bée set vpon & be betrayed all alone, or with others, turne thy face a­gain, take vp stones to hurte at him, reuēge thy cause, it is y^e Lords. I aske but a questiō here, why did Chri­stes disciples wear swords? This is of a truth: if it had not béen lawful, hée would neuer haue permitted them, & as Moses when hée saw one fighting with his Brother, slew the Aegiptian: Such is our case, no o­ther. Their what may be said vnto y^e prayer of Samp­son: for it is his request vnto God, Iud. 16. y^e he may be reuē ­ged vpō his enimies the Philistines, for y^e they put out both his eyes. Peter Martir, is of this opinion, Peter Martir. y^e if hée did it, with an euill & malitious stomacke & in anger that then it cannot be vpholden and borne withall, Augustine. for sayth hée. Non potuisset magis deo probari, quam si ex­presse dixisset, quaeso Domine, bene fortunes vel fur­cum vel adulteriū meum. Augustine is of this opinion, with diuers other writes to. That hée did it by the sin­guler instinction or mouing of the holie ghost, and the pricking forward of the spirite. And so it is not a misse to take it: For that whiche to man, as it is in man, from man is nought. So by y^e styring vp of the spirit, if we haue an assured & certeine token thereof) many things may be permitted which is not lawful for vs, otherwise to do.

[Page 186] Commeth now into my minde in what a desperate state they bée, Inanslayers condemned hear [...]. that for euery trifle, and vpon so slight occasion as nowe is common in our English rufflers, spill Innocent blood.

Oh that it pleased the Lorde to lighten the hartes of men. To sée with what price wée are bought in Christe? The hande of Caine would not bée so readye at the throte of Abell, as it is. But now Romulus is drawinge the Sworde, and it bée with Remus for the Kingdome. Esau and Iacob agrée not. Ismaell and Isaak, will not dwell togeather. Ioseph is ready to bee solde for mony. Saull séeketh after Dauid. The Samaritan lyeth wounded, no man helpeth him: What shall I say more: The great man curseth the poore man: Priuate excu­ses for pri­uate reuenge can not ex­cuse vs. the poore man complayneth of the riche. The godly man, hée sayth hee hateth him, for hee is euell: The euill hee flyeth him that is pure in harte, hée is not for his purpose. Thus euery one hath his seue­rall maner, eche person hath his reasons, no man lo­ueth one another.

I aske once agayne another question, how canste thou pray. Forgiue vs our debts, when of a certeinty thou thy selfe forgiuest none?

The makebate, he pleadeth for himself, his gentle­manlike qualities, his stocke and parentage from whence hee came. Our English [...]uflars in steade of Courtiars vaunt it a­broade. His Hercules hart hee hath, can not bee plucked downe: for it is not Courtier like. Surely more curteous, and lesse Courtiars were good for England.

Shall I speake my minde? I would of truth, but I feare you of the Court. Yet must I correcte my selfe, I goe awrye: for a noble harte is alwayes séene by a valiant courage. And Theseus neuer presed to brawle But the field and the Forte to goe to the Baryars, not priuate corners to séeke to wrestle in, is Gentleman­like. And such as séeke this, to them I speake. [Page 187]To this vnhappy worlde, now all thwackt and peste­red with graceles men, to you all I say the truth. I will leaue of my Gowne, and set apart my profession for a time, and I will reason with you: and prepare aswell as you can, take your Armor vnto you, for of truth, if you be not wel fenced I will not spare you. This onely I craue, that your weapons & mine may bee alike. For you bée merciles men I know it well enough, you would ouerreache mee.

And my quarrell that I striue for, The gentle­nes of the fa­ther marteth the good na­ture of the sonne, & cru­eltie is good often times, in steade of lenitee. is to you that be Fathers. That suffer your Children to spend so long a time in Idlenes and ryot: that permit them to bee Courtyars for a yéere or two, and when their sub­stance is spent, suffer them to be beggers al there life: In Rome learning was so muche esteemed, and in Aegipt so much reuerenced, that Kings were called priests. And Senators were Philosophers, and Con­sules were Prophetides, & their honorable men were lerned men. But now adayes the Innes of the Court and London, hath consumed so many, that fewe are lefte, to write or to read, or to know almost what God meaneth.

Is there not a gray headed man to beare mée wit­nes, that whereas they had neuer a Beggar amonge them of Israell, wee haue now many thousandes with vs in England? But wil no man speake for mée? Hovv is Eng­land altered of late, the russet coate is turned in to silkes and faithfulnes, in covvardlines: the stout mā, is the mur­thering man▪ Shall I fight all alone with these Maisterlesse men? or dare no man vtter that which hée hath séene? That within 60 yeres, sithence these Gentlemanlike qua­lities budded vp, two Runnagates for one true man: two quarelers for such as accustomeably were woont to bée at quiet are now of late spronge vp with vs of England? If no man dare aduenture with mee the brunte hereof, such blowes as my youth can afforde, sutch doo I offer you: and warde it as well as yee can, and speake the truth. [Page 188]Is not euery Plowman become a Gentleman? doth not many a Marriner sende his sonne forth to bée a Courtiar? All thinges are turned & altered into pride. do not men of occupations trayne vp their Children to know fashions? Is not the kytchin Boye waxed prowde? is hee not nowe beecome a waytinge Boye? is not all thinges so chaunged with your disor­der, that if a Ruffian peecpe out of the thresholde, he must haue a Page with him? Then truely looke vnto it, for there is vtterly a fault amonge you. And it is that for which I striue nowe, and it is common with you in the Citie. Where men do swimme so deepe in blood as they doo. No forgiuing, no forgetting: All reuenging, no reuealing: their debts come row­ling home in their bosome, Quietnes is the great blessing of God, but the quarreller is accursed of the Lord. that owe any. The daye hath béene, that quietnes was so much set by in Israel there was scarce any weapons to fight withal: Nowe our Swordes can not helpe vs, our manlynes kéepe vs, wee are affrayde of our shaddowes as wee goe in the streetes. Your huffinge & carrowfing is turned to bloodsheading: our freendlynes and familiaritye is turned to enimity. Our loue and our neighboring is turned to brawling.

Nay, our Cuppes, and our banqueting, is turned to murthering.

I am perswaded before the Lorde, that a nomber of Swashbucklers: nay euen of vs Gospellers, bee fitter to sporte it out with Dalila, Roffeanlike Ministers. and daunce it out with Herodias, then to come to the Temple to heare Moses.

God mende the state hereof, and giue vs more of his peace, and blesse vs with his rest (if it bée his wil) And send a strong Easterne winde, to rid away these Catterpillers, that wee dye not all.

But let them alone, the common wealth will bee so weary, that what with men for their Sonnes, and [Page 189]Mothers for their Children, Bloud is paid againe by bloud. and men Women and Children for their heapes of Carcases that lye scraw­ling in the streetes: they wilbe glad eare it bee long to spewe them out.

There is yet another kind of felowe that I marke and ment in these words of Christ, for giue our debts: The priuate enimie, and the dissembler, is much vvorste then he that professeth enimitie. and as the Adder is more sharpe, and her force daun­gerous when she commeth vnlooked for, then when wee may a voide her, so be these I talke of: that lye hidden in the thicket, till they spie their opertunitie, and then wreake their malice on their brother.

This enuious man little remembreth what our Sauiour Christe did, that when he could haue slaine him, yet saued him. When death and distruction was limitted for his portion with hipocrites, wrought a good worke and brought to passe a full satisfaction for his sinnes.

And for a certeintie, if the wicked man knew from whence he fetcheth this same, The diuell, the author of difcention & hatred. & if once he sawe that vgly shape and monstrous visage, of that deformed creature that brought this to the worlde, I sup­pose that for the hatred they owe vnto the Deuill and Sathanas, hee woulde from hence foorth neuer vse it.

And of these there is two sortes. One is for his neighbours losse, for the euill successe that happeneth to his brother, this [...] ioy & pleasure that is takē in other mens mishaps, vnfoldeth the inwards cogitations of y^e heart. Sheweth that we be not per­fect and vpright before him, and it is that the Lorde will require at our handes.

This [...] is next followe brother with him that is [...]. Desire of euil successe to his brother.

The seconde kinde of malyee secreatly wrapped within man.

[Page 190] For he that is sorie for the good successe of any one though he be a wicked man, hath little consideration, that the sunne shineth aswel on the good as the hadde: And how gorgeous a shew and what couering soeuer they haue to shadowe it with, be they well assured, the Lord will not suffer it.

Here it commeth, that a fonde affection leadeth a number, & he hath this man, & he hateth that man: his reason is not to seeke: he is an enimie to the gos­pell. Euery man hath a cloke and a corner for his ma­lice. This is but the shift of one that halteth, and such idle excuces shall not excuse thée, at the day of wrath. I can giue testimonie of this, and my conscience bea­me witnesse that I finde it true. Whether I may ac­cuse the dayes or no wherein I am, I cannot tell. Refuse the dealinge of some I may for good occasion: whose consiences are sore troubled, and they dismaied for a péece of breade, and a cake, and for an holy day. That is happiest and counted wisest, that maketh re­ligion his warrant, and his profession his Canape to dissemble gloriously. Praecisenes of life and vn­godlines in vvorkes bee common things in the vvorld: That heapeth vp riches gree­dely, robbeth his brother vncharitably, that gloseth shamefully, and walketh vnbrotherly, yet will he bee a gospeller, and deale precisely.

I say no more, it goeth verie harde with vs, when men of conscience in greate and weightie matters shall strayne their conscience as they doe: and life and death, God can not be dishono­red more thē in the sham­lesse man that profes­seth him: yet in harte ha­teth him, for he neuer fo­lovveth him. shalbe too little for others, if they shall giue place but to trifles. That swallowe vp Cammelles, and be strangled, with a small and tender knatte. That lay great & heauie burthens vppon other mens shoulders, and beare not so much as the weight there of them selues. Surely they shall not escape the ven­geance that is to come: nor eschew the firce wrath of the highest. They shall pearishe in the vanitie of their thoughts, and consume away at the looke of the Lorde of hostes. For they haue not knowen the Lord [Page 191]their maker, nor beléeued him in faith, nor professed his power, nor looked for iudgment, neither make they an accompt of his comming in the Clowdes, neither take they any héed to forgiue other men their debtes.

There is other kinde of men that I note héere, Bretheren of onchoushold verie conscionable, and of great presise nesse that knovv no [...] this. & I put them in the same Catalogue? for as I vnder­stand they be fellowe brethren: and pitie it is to de­uide them, they be so friendly. And these bee sutch as forgiue all, but for aduantage will bee lye their neighbours, and for their profit dissemble with many, and for that they will not shame the gospell, take an oth now and then to ridde their brethren out of thral­dome, and accuse them they fauour not. And slaunder them, they fansie not, and raise vp reproches, though they haue suffered, the heat of many summers: Outragious dealing in dissemblers. & ra­tle forth their gun shot against the godly. Yet forgiue they their debts, as they woulde be forgiuen of God. But I wishe them to remember not that in Virgilius.

Spem vultu simulat premit altum corde dolorem: Nor that which Plautus hath in Trinummo, Sapiens quidem polipse fingit fortunam sibi: A politike man, the worlde nowe doth smile vppon him: as to knowe from whence he came: that hee is the Temple and glorious building, of suche a one as will not suffer straunge merchaundise to be set at sale within his li­bertie.

For if the midwiues in that they saued the lyues of young children, whose bloude Pharao gaped for, were knowne by their infirmities to be but women, in that they lyed in so good a cause: out of doubte a li­tle corner is left to these men, y^e are nothing so good as the midwiues were. Neither saue they any ones life, muche lesse in their beastly and malicious quarels, al­lowed of God.

[Page 192] If Abraham founde his reward, No lying permitted for any cause. and Sara his wife agast at Abimelech, returned and had the shame, for that she said, she was his sister: knowe first that nei­ther Sara, neither Abraham bee here, neither is your case a like. Thirdly that his weakenes, shall not saue your rashenesse.

Though Rahab the harlot did saue the three men that came as spyes to Hierocuntia, and had her reward Notwithstanding you haue erred and that grossely. For both the commoditie of them in Israel, and the whole lande, is to be preferred beefore your priuate gaine, and when you approue it by the word of God and alowe hir wordes, Periurie, and forsvvearing, though it be for such as do professe the Gospell: it is detestable: thou arte accursed that vsest it. I will commende it. But where find we in the word of God to sweare for any, and that falsely? and that as you think for his glorie? I will giue you no weapons to fight withall: And those wherwith you séeme to strike, are blount already: And it may be that he whiche fyled them and deliue­red them vnto you as good mettall, wanted cunning. When ye haue considered better, and cast your peny­worthes, paraduenture also you wil repent you, for so shrewde a bargain as you haue had in giuing so largely for such counterfeites, & it may be a warning vnto you to serch more narrowely. As for my selfe I can be but briefe herein, the son calleth me back, y^e ronning so hastely putteth mee in mind what to do, Gregor us. & this iudge­mēt shal not be my own: take it frō Gregorius that al­loweth in some case to be lye thy selfe to saue others: Augustine. But I oppose Augustine against him, y^e in the sermō de verbis Apostili. Cap. 29. Determineth more soundly and discréefely a great deale of this matter.

Fingendo si prius non eras peccator, factus eris pecca­tor, Nempe dicendo te commisisse quod non admiseris. To lye saith Augustine for any thing though beefore thou offendest not, It maketh thée as he that finned: namely thou saidste, thou didest that was neuer done: [Page 193]And I am vtterly agaynst all whatsoeuer, This pure­nes is blind­nes: your precisenes filthines be­fore God: Thou & thy brethren, you haue your revvard: for no vvic­kednes is to be concealed. that giue larger scope to these double harted fellowes, then can bée alowed by the worde of God: Or that any man should conceale & kéepe close his wickednes, & the fil­thines of life in others, for feare that the Gospell shoulde be discredited, and God dishonoured.

But I say if it bee in Absalon: if in thy Sonne: if in thy onely sonne, conceale it not. Heare, for I will aunswer that doubt, to cut you shorter. It is not law­full to tell an vntrueth, no not to saue the life of thy neighbour.

Augustine in his booke De mendatio to Consentius, questioneth thus: If a man be sicke extremely, euen to death, Augustine; and the same man also knewe his sonne to be in great ieopardie and perill of his life. The fa­ther hath such loue vnto his childe, that the death of his sonne will bee the death of him his father, if hee knowe it. One standeth by, that knoweth his sonne is dead. Examples, that it is not lavvfull to lye in any case. The father asketh the same person as touching his sonne: What shalbe done in this case? If he saith that he is not dead, he lyeth: if that he saye he know­eth not, he dissembleth: if he saith he is dead, he doth against nature, he burieth the father with the sonne, Homo vt sum permoueor res dura est: As I am a man saith Augustine, I am sore affrighted and it is a harde case. But hee concludeth: Non esse mentiendum: Lye not at all.

Take yet an other Question: if you méete with a strumpet, with an vnchaste woman, that as Putiphars wife to Ioseph would haue thée to defile thy soule in hir dischastitie by Foruication: and thou denyest, it is come so farre that shee will stea hir selfe, vnles shee satisfie hir lust with thée. What shalbe done now? shalt thou agrée & condescend vnto hir? I say no. And sayth Augustine: The reason is alike in both, y^u shalt not lye and cōmit euill for thy neighbours cōmodity.

[Page 194] Otherwise, there is a Latice & an open pathway [...] to all mischiefe: For one lyeth for his substaunce: an other for his neighbours wealth: another for his fa­thers commoditie. One for his brother, and for his honour, and for his dignitie: and so in al states, there is is no ende of lying. But yet againe I saye with Augustine. Non est committendum vt proalterius cor­porali vita, quicquis suam occidat animam. For thy corporall gayne, let no man cast away his soule. And I say agayne lye not at all.

But yet to exclude all shifts, and lcaue no one cre­uise to péepe into, what shall bée sayde to this Lawy­are shift [...] murtherers and Théeues set vpon a man: one hydeth him: These men woulde knowe where hée is hidden. Reuelabit an non? I say, commit the matter vnto God: if thou canst conueigh him, sende him away, if not but they demaund where hée is, to haue his life: Thou néedest not to tell it, they be but priuate men: If thou art not inforsed conceale it. But if they compell thée by thy life: Thy soule is in the handes of God, thy life is in theirs. Obaye thou God before men. If the Magistrate do aske thée of a wicked man that hath cōmitted treason againste his person? The expery­ence in all this, hath bin [...]ene of late: and it is to be taken that it spread not farther. If of an Extorcioner? if of an vniust dealer? if of a wicked person? I say, though hee bée thy Brother though thy fréend, though thy Maister, though thy fa­ther, though shée out of whose bowels thou commeste: Hir blood is on hir owne head, disclose it, lye not: o­therwise soule for soue, life for life, man for man, blood for blood, you dye both. To conclude: in thy Marchan­dize truth, in thy dealings truth, in barganing truth, in selling truthe, in inritching truthe: Truthe in all thinges. For men that deale vntruely, ofte times do liue vnruely. And these be they that commonly do end their liues most desperatly.

I am now at length arriued to a very daungerous [Page 195]and troublesome porte. Wheras: (but that now God bée thanked, the winde and weather is delayed:) There might séeme some danger of sanding: for thrée already I escaped, very perellous kinde of men: And I haue now to incounter with the fourth: That bée suche as fright mée the more, A perilous kinde of Hereticke. as I sée there preten­sed zeale more cunningly cloaked then the rest. And yet, these forgiue their debtes and pardon their ene­myes.

Yet mooued by the Spirit and for zeale of the Gos­pell, or by reuelation from Heauen, or by certayne peruersnes that they bée the enemies of Christ: Wil vse the Swoord and aucthority: and put their hands to the knife, to wound and launche their Brothers throte. Some haue dyed in England not long since for the same: And the Martirdome of one Burchet a Gentleman, with one or two more his companyons. (Par semper paria petit) though vnknowē as yet, han­ged at the Strand in London a few yeeres now past, did much mischeefe heare in England. What hap­pened to the vvriter here­of. 1576. Octob. 13.

I was in the Country, & nowe past but two yéeres where in a long Voiage that I tooke, I did by chaunce stumble vpon some of them, and about Sowthhamp­ton, with the Coast there adioyning, and Westward towards Portchmowth, I had som talke with poore Laymen as I rode, that enclined much hereunto: Whome after I had admonished, with a litle bitter spéech as a terror to them for procéedinge any farther▪ They reclaimed for a time: how since that they haue béene mooued by the Spirite of God I know not. In this Cuntry where now I am, I can accuse none, but how neare in diuers poynctes they come vnto them, I refer mée to the discretion, of sutch as knowe them: without affection, béeinge pertiall vnto none, I set downe the truth. That wise men may know them, and the simple flye them. That only God may bee [Page 196]glorified in the ordinary meanes hée hath appoynted.

The beginninge wherof I can fetch it from none other, Enthusiastists. then from that villanous secte of Enthusiastistes that was the beginning and Orriginall of beastly and filthy deuinacions, and liued by inspiration, as I finde in▪ Theodoret of Cyrus, whose beginner therof and Kingleader was sometimes Salbas, ruler among ve­ry wicked and graceles men. And Adelphius, and Daodes, The begin­ning of this heresy. and Simeones and Hermes with others. And as Iudas for betraying Christe, so were these for abusinge the Church, very infamous, and noted a­monge the Fathers. These fellow seruaunts and Copemates as it were with Nouatus: that infected them of Phrigia, Nouatus of Phrigia. and Paphlagonia with his precisenes & exactnes of life, & permitted none that had sacrifised to Idols to come neare the church: refused y^e maner of Baptisme y^e was vsed, permitted none to come to the holy misteries: Practise of prescitians. Neyther yet referred him to y^e mercy of God. Which how much it differeth frō them in our English Church (wherof the Lorde bée merciful vnto vs, there is a great nomber) euery where sprong vp of late: denying our order & manner in baptisme, thru­sting such frō the Supper of y^e Lord as they like not: take them selues onely for the pure & perfect church, refusing others, with such like opinions a number, as y^e like hath béen seldome séen in any age, in any church since Christes comming in so short a space, as is now.

I can compare them to no one state of any cōmon wealth, so neare and so narrowly, as I can vnto that, wherof there is some mention made in Sleidons Com­mentaries, in his tenth booke. For vnto y^e same great and famous Cittie of Mounster, the Metropolis of Westphalia: there resorted certaine Anabaptistes, whose beginning and Orriginal was taken from one Tho. Muncer, that raised a tumult of the cōmunalty.

And these pretended certeine holynesse and puri­tie [Page 197]of life: in so much that counted as Godly and zea­lous christians, they were neuer espied, A cōparison of our time: vvith them that ar found in Sleydon. they delt so closely and holilye in life, vntill they began to spreade thorowe out Germanie, and Luther & almost al other learned men, inueighed against them.

But after when this their childhoode began to reatch vnto it fresher bloude, and gathered strength to creepe withall, not farre from Mounster at a Church of S. Morris, the yeare of our Lorde. 1332. One Barnearde Rotman a preacher of the Gospell, gathered together a great audience in that Citie, and suppressed at the first by the Catholikes, being sent away emptie with­out hope of that he came for, Barnard Kot­man, a secreat Anabaptist. he went aside to another countrey for a space. Yet after that retourned backe, & being very popular, he rauished the minds of the peo­ple, he preached very sincerely, hee liued vprightly and faught zealously: Iohn L [...]iden a Coblar: and heretike: for commonly heresie follo­vveth the ignorant. But knowe all and iudge with me: dissembling a long time what he was. Commeth at length a certein Cobler to Mounster out of Holland to name Ihon Leidan, A ranke Anabaptist, & hauing got acquaintance with the preachers, assotiated & kept company with them: after familiaritie among thē be­ing well knowne to the cōmons: Herman Stapred. he inueighed openly against the state. At which time one Herman Stapred, as preuie to the drift of his fellowe Rotman, linked him self at length with the rest (& it was that Stapred, y^e was scholler to Henrick Rolly, which a little before was executed at Vtreight, for the opinion of Anabap­tisme) but it grew to so great inconueniēce here with them of y^e city, that y^e senate banished al y^e pack of thē: yet the subtiltie of these men preuented y^e intent of y^e wise Senate, neither departed they but kept secretly in holes & corners, & went priuely to the followers of their sect: lurked there for a space, taught in y^e night, preached in priuat places, vsed conuēticles, & gathered cōpanies, y^e y^e nūber of thē in y^e end increased aboūdāt­ly.

[Page 198] And then hauing gotten the vpper hande, came in y^e diuilish deuice of running vp & downe in y^e stréetes, as though they had been inspired with a kinde of pro­phesie.

Then began one Kniperdoling, with other lay mē to vse expoundings, interpretations, and diuinations. Woemen were prophets and spake openly in congre­gations. Knipperdo­ling alaye man, and preacher. Good preachers were exiled, and in their steede came vp the ofscowring of the Citie, and then began ciuil warre, and murther, & discention, and con­fusion of the state.

For my owne part I iudge Christianly, and the Lord God looke vpon me in the same: yet this I think, that the Lorde being angry, hath somewhat care long to say vnto vs. And for the thing it selfe, he that hath but one eye may séewhat marke it is they shoote at: for y^e state, y^e lawes, the common wealth: if their request bee graunted cannot stande.

And as in the reigne of Emperour Charles the firste began moste bloodie broyles by auarice and he­risie that sprange vp: So in espetiall it was seene in that vnlucky Westphalia, when heapes of deade men lay scattered in the stréetes, The misera­ble state that commeth by confusion. and the bodies of their Emperours were vnburied: when the Senate was expelled & euery one that ought priuat grudge ware a dagger in his sleeue to cut his neighbours throte: And all things were in common: & when this heresie was spreade in many places thorow out Germanie: that if was lawful for euery one to kill his enimie. That is flatte against that I haue in hand: Forgiue vs our trespaces as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs.

For that same Iellowzie in Elyas. That called to heauen and was heard of the Lorde, and fire came downe and consumed those he cursed: Is no sufficient argument to confirme that errour. For when thou art a Prophet and canst tell what is to come: when [Page 199]thou hast suche commaundement from the Lord: Priua [...]e ex­amples are not to be ga­thered vnto a general do­ctrine. and art assuredly mooued by the Spirite: when thy life is sought, and God wilbee reuenged on them that mocke thée: when the prophets be despised and any seeke there death: and thou also hast an assured war­raunt from the LORD I will agrée with thée:

But if Christ when he was dispised of them in Sa­maria, and could haue cast of y^e dust of his feete against thē, reuenged not againe. If he checked Iames & Iohn that asked if fyre should come downe from heauen to distroy them, when he went from Galilee to Ierusa­lem? you may know e well it was an extraordinarie thing God would haue done, he vsed not the naturall wayes on earth to fulfill his minde.

What if Peter destroyed Ananias and Saphira his wife, and cursed them to death? Their argu­ments are ansvvered. Are you Apostles as they were? Did you euer sée Christe? haue you com­maundement to do signes and wounders, and to heale and foretell? or if you drinke poyson will it not hurt you? if this commaundement was neuer giuen you your reason quayleth. But if God will haue his indignation and furie to be shewen vppon the vesselles of wrath. If he will not spare the hipocrite, but vnlace his nakednesse to the worlde? If the reprobate shall haue iudgement in this life, and in the world to come to astonish thée? if that Ananias and Saphira were guil­tie of theft and Sacraledge? then when thy commis­sion is good, and thy warraunt sufficient, and thou hast to deale also with such men, I will allowe it. The successe of that vvhich happened to the vvriter hereof, about: Southamptō.

Notwithstandinge, amonge other reasons that I now remēber, laid vnto mée by poore lay men (though I perceiue they had good instructers that taught them so counningly) yet one among them all, in a redde Cappe and a black coate did vere me perlously. For my owne part I was amazed, and it was straunge to sée a poore fellowe, brought vp at plough and cart [Page 200]withered and weather beaten, and be shacked in his aray, yet to reason so profoundely: dost not knowe (saith y^e same poore man) that Thelias thwackt y^e prists of Ball and sklewe them, at a Ponde: and they were the foes of God, and why shall not wee kill those that be hiks enimies. Mary masse I trowe y^e one Skamuel sklewe Ahag (hee would haue saide Agag) and with that was verie angrye: and Spineas (he ment Pineas, or plainly Phinees) did skil a whore & as knaue, and he iks praysed by God. I was afrayd then, and rid away as well as I coulde. I thought it time, yet by his leaue, Aunsvvering to the rea­sons of the lay men. for I am out of his pawes, and I haue leasure enough, I will aunswere it nowe. For it tendeth hea­ther: that Elias did kill the pristes of Baal, at the brooke of Kison, at such time as they had cryed out Baal, Ba­al héere vs &c. The ignoraunce of men may appeare therin: and true it is: an euil scholemaster, may easely mar a fine scholer: for though these men spake rough­ly, and had grimme talke, yet by their trauelling it appeared to me, they had a willing minde to atteine sumething. And as I haue hearde, for that in those quarters there be many Papists, I did in verie déede suspect much: But I let them alone, and God almigh­tie turne them, and if these my few lynes may euer happen to come to their fingers, I knowe I shall smarte for it.

Howe euer it be, and wheresoeuer nowe they bée, I will speake this to them briefly. God was then dis­honoured the space of many yeares by Ahab his par­mission in suffering these Chemerimes, those bloudie sacrificers in his common welth. And Iesabel that in­famous strompette, had nourished the Priests of Baal in her house. Nowe God beeing sore displeased, would haue the Idolaters punished according to his lawe.

If there be founde in any Cities man or woman Déut. 17.2.3 [Page 201]whiche the Lorde thy God giueth thée, God giueth in charge in the lavve: and often inspi­reth men se­cretely to ex­ecute his iud­gementes: in the Gospell he hath not as of late yeres vsed it: for all things are referred to the vvorde and to Ma­gistrates. Num 25.1 [...] Psal. 106. Eccle. 45. that hath wrought wickednesse in his sight, and hath gone and serued other Gods & worshipped them. The Sunne the Moone, &c. Carrye him to the gates of the Citie, and stone him with stones till hee dye. Then that which Elyas did, he was commaunded by the Lorde.

As touching Phineas the sonne of Eleazar, the sonne of Aaron the Priest, that slewe Zambry & Cosby: it is sayd: that hée turned away the anger of God from the children of Israel, in y^e hee was zealous for the Lord of Hoastes sake, y^e is, he did it not but by y^e singuler spirit of God that stirred him. And for his obeisance rewar­ded him. For his commendation remayneth in Dauid.

Then if hée would not bée pettish, I would say some thing to this poore Cuntry man y^e would learn: when Idolatry is come to the ful brimme, and Magistracie, and authority is contempted, as Moses was: and when thou art commaunded to hang their heades vp in the Sunne, that offend the Lorde. when God saith vnto thée do this, & he raiseth thée vp: The purpose of God and of the vvic­ked is con­trarie. once again I say it is an offence if thou obay not. But al these extraordinary examples, the wicked men doo peruerte to their con­dempnation: For they take it as done of themselues in the flesh, that was commaunded them in spirit frō the Lord. And wher they accomplished the commaun­dement of their God to abolish and roote out sin, They doo it in reuengement to their owne condempnation.

As for Samuell that slew Hagag, that Heathnish and Idolatrous Prince, that Amalechite, 1. Sam. 15. whom God ha­ted and abhorred, and now commaunded to bée slaine. For that hée layd wait for them, as in the way vp frō Aegypt: It was lawfully done. For Samuell was a Magistrate and ruler in Israell, and hée iudged Israell, fortye yeares. And ruled them in vprightnes & inte­gritée all his life, against whom at his death, Israel was not able to say ought or to charge him with any thing. [Page 202]Then being the Magistrate hée had Aucthority to vse the sword and execute iudgment. Which if I thought you wold deny, as the Anabaptistes doo, I then would take it an other way in hand.

But wearied my selfe, and hauing euen now tryed you, I let them alone for this time: when occasion serueth, and leasure permitteth, and God graunteth vnto mée fitte oportunity, I will more largely handle it. For this time I cease.

And this it is my doctrine that I teach: if thou or any man else, shall take vppon thee the seat of the Lorde: enter into iudgement: All iudge­ment giuen to God, no reuengement vnto man. condemne thy brother: laye in waite for him: take vp the swoorde: presume to smyte, or else any other way indammage him: Thou arte guiltie of his blood, and the Lorde will require it at thy handes.

The laste thing which I note herein: Forgiue vs our debtes, as wee forgiue our debters: Is the agree­ment and vnitie that the Lorde requireth in vs all: that offereth vs, as it were our saluation in his Christe, and inrolleth vs againe to bee duetifull and obedient to others. Godlesse is louelesse, and the ende of them bothe is death. This I woulde it were (if so it séemed good vnto his Maiestie) more common then it is, lesse debate & more loue woulde growe among vs. For this cause, as beinge one that meaneth wel vnto the famili [...] of the Lorde, and woulde right glad­ly hazarde that little whiche I haue, to ioyne you all in one Christe. Take this from mee, as a poore testimonie of the loue I beare you. Euen a golden chaine & precious Emerode that I willingly do giue, to linke you and couple you togeether in one Lorde. And I giue it in the name of Christe, & of his church, that euen nowe in Englande suffereth shipwracke, & goeth to decaye, and more and more yet like to perish if we stay not on this Anchor, and take not holde in his Christe.

• [Page 203]The Perle or Emerolde, it is Loue.
• The Chayne or Iewell, is Trueth.

For, if you do remember, The badge of a true Christiā that is sovved to the coate hee vveareth vvhich is, his profession. I protractured out a man not so long since, that to my thinking, though he was comely ynough in height, stature and proportion, and able to serue in the house of God: yet I lefte him ve­rie naked: and to couer his shame I haue giuen him apparell in this place. And vppon his rayment hee may hang y^e two former Iewels, Loue & Trueth only:

• Let his Robes, and his ornaments, be Discretion.
• His Pompe and his brauerie, Hospitalitie.
• His glorying and beautifying, let it be Teaching.
• His vesture and cloth, Sagacitie & prudente.
• His gowne, Long suffering.
• His coate, Faithfulnesse.
  Hovve the man of God must and ought to bee apparelled.
• His doublet, Assurance.
• His shyrte, Bountifulnesse.
• His hose, Pacience.
• His féete, shod with Peace.
• His hose garters, Temperance.
• On his head for his Helmet, Fortitude.
• In his hands for his armour, Hope.

And he that is apparelled thus, The readines that ought to be in vs, at the calling of our God. I dare set him a­gainst all the temptations of Sathan, and the world, the fleshe, and the diuell shall neuer moue him. It is my humble sute vnto you all, in the name of Christ: that wee seeke to agree in one, and euery man as much as in him lyeth, endeuour him selfe to finde out this clothing. Beléeue mee it is a garment with­out seame and wrinckle. And it wil do you great ho­nestie at the day of the Lorde. It wil bee your com­mendation, when he commeth in the Clowdes, & cal­leth you to his heauenly banquet, that then you shall be founde so well appointed to enter with him into the Bridegromes chamber, and sit at his table. Do ye not knowe, that hée which hath not on his wedding [Page 204]Coate shalbe cast out with Hippocrits from that hea­uenlie Supper, and haue his portion in the Lake that burneth with fier? Verely it is his reward.

But the Children of the kingdom, shall abide for e­uer with the Lorde. And to this hée bring vs, that hath in his moste precious bloud redéemed vs, Iesus Christe the righteous: To whome with the father and the holy Ghoste, bee all honour and glorie, bothe nowe and euer. Amen.

And lead vs not into temptation, But deliuer vs from euill.

I Haue shewed you before, Seeingin this life vvee are stil in darke­nesse, vveake­nesse, blind­nesse and ig­norance, vval king in the shadowe of death: as these be greate stayes & hin­derances of our glorie: so of trueth, if God deli­uer vs not from these & the like as­saultes of Sa­than: vve pe­gish all. that this prayer had in it sixe peticions, whereof there is nowe fiue gone. There remaineth onely this last. For God gaue vs in charge, to giue our firste duetie vnto him: and for that it was verie harde to accomplishe it with­out prayer: Hée hath giuen as it were his consent to heare vs. And nowe hée hath geeuen vnto vs a kynde of Brestplate to put on. Namely: To call vppon his name: To require and praye of his sonne Christe, that séeing wée be weake of our selues, and frayle by nature: hée woulde lay no more vppon vs, then wée be able to beare. For the diuell is readie at our elbowe to assault vs: and hée fendeth foorthe his Harbingers right duely to entangle vs (if so they may) the better to seduce vs from the Lord: And this the Lord God hath giuen: to put vs in minde in what continuall dannger wée stande, that if hée ayde vs not, and protecte vs not, and stretch not foorthe his arme to staye vs, wee fall downe headlong into sinne.

This manner of spéeche vttered here by our Saui­our [Page 205]Christ, semed to be vnto some a very heauy thing, and not vnto the iustice of the Lord: and apperteining to his maiestie. To suffer any one to be led into temp­tatiō. Traheron, his iudgemē [...] Which kind of exposition Traheron a Germaine seemeth to mislike, in a litle treatise he writeth there­on. And the like is in a number of Curious and vaine men, that dare not and will not say. Leade vs not into temptation. But doe a forde vs thus much. Permitte vs not to be led into temptation. Both which inter­pretations I mislike vtterly: and I say as the Greti­ans, carie vs not, or conduct vs not, or trie vs not, or lead vs not into temptations.

For the better exposition & plaine vnderstanding of the weak. I wil shew y^e significatiō of y^e word tempta­tion. Tempting is often times taken for trying, or approuing, or experiensing by one way or other, Temptation, and vvhat the meaning thereof is. for y^e bringing to passe of any thing: to put in practice & to knowe of what nature, qualitie, and substaunce the thing is of: And this worde is vsed diuersly: for God is said to be tempted of man: and he also is stirred vp or prouoked, or moued of the Lord: and that is, when his worde is not beléeued, or the gospell hath not his successe, which onely sheweth the Lorde to be holy, God is temp­ted vvhen he is prouoked. to be good, to be iust, to be perfect, to be omnipotent &c. but desire some other way, by outwarde & erteriour showe, as by workes or myracles, to tempt the Lorde God. And so did Israel when they had tasted of Manna frō heauen. Can he giue vs also flesh to eate? after this sort is Christ saide to haue béene tempted of Sathan. He sate him vpon the toppe of the pinnacle, and saide throwe thy selfe downe for it is written. And againe, make these stones bread, for it is written. But God tempteth and tryeth many & sundrie wayes. To be­gin with his owne, whom he hath chosen in Christ frō all beeginning, and prepared them as fit Temples of the holy ghoste, from the foundation of the worlde: [Page 206] Them hee tempteth, The godly are tempted, vvhen they are tryed. and tryeth sundry wayes: Namely to make his vertues, which he hath wrought and ordeined them vnto, to shewe them selues, that were hidden before: or to open their noughtie & cor­rupte nature, that after they may be more careful in their steppes, and warie in their dooinge, and more easely atteine, to the déepe consideration and know­ledge of his secrete purpose, whiche worketh allway, and seeketh diuers meanes to drawe them from their wicked life.

And the example of the first Adam: This triall, is a token of election: if it vvalk there after: else of reprobation. was a liuely image of the Godly. And he was a zelous man: in whome God was much glorified among the Gentils: The like in Iacob, whome hee blessed aboue ma­ny kinreds, and made him a Lorde ouer his chosen. Also Daniel, that magnified the Lorde, in the kinges court, and founde so great fauour in the sight of Dari­us, among the Caldees, and was tryed by the Lyons, by the Image of Bel & so glorified the Lord. In Susan­na, in Babilon, as in Ageographa.

The seconde maner of temptation wherewith the Lord, The seconde kinde of temptation. tryeth those y^e be his. Was séene in Peter, that at the call of the cocke, was put in mind of the offence he had committed: and there vpon wept bitterly. And Paul, though he was guiltie of the bloude of Stephen, and layde his rayment at his féete, yet at the voyce from heauen, Saul, Sual, why persecutest thou me? hee was againe called home. He felt the benifite of his redemption in Christ, and after that was diuersly tried in many temptations by the Lord: by Sea: by land: in daunger of Perots: in daunger of death: hee was whipped: he was stoned: he suffered buffering: the Vyper had aucthorite ouer him for a space: and that Oratour Tertullus had some thing to say vnto him at the barre beefore Festus: I thinke Barnabas found [...] good tryal in this, in y^e werisome viage which be had, [Page 207]through, Selentia and Cyprus, and from Salamis, and from Perga of Pamphilia, and Antiochia and the rest.

Sithen there is diuers kinds of temptations: one is, that which is commonly called aduersitie: against this we must not pray. For it is true that is in Paul. The order for vs that p [...]ay against temptation. Those which will liue Godly in Christ: must suffer persecution. Yet if we begin to faint, wee may stirre vp our slouthfulnes & imbicility by prayer to Christ. And so Paul prayed that the Tēpter which was giuen him, that he shoulde not waxe proude, after such time be was wrapte vp into the thirde heauens) might be taken from him.

And Christ gaue vs an example hereof in Math. Father take away this Cuppe from me, if it be thy will. In another place. Therefore came I into the world, that by my death, I might saue some. God trieth those that be his by adu [...] ­sitie. Or that I might drinke of this Cuppe. And this he did for our example for of him selfe he was stroung enough: and he knew what should happen: but being man he tooke vpon him our in firmities, and bare our greife: and as for our aduersitie, y^e first kind of temptation, it can not be but profitable, séeing that God will not suffer those that bee his, to bee tempted aboue that they bee able to beare.

And Iames. 11. Thinke it a greate ioy my brethren so often as you fall into temptation: seeing you know that the tryall of your faith bringeth patience: and pa­cience maketh a full end or consummation of all.

And Dauid. Happie is he that suffereth temptati­on, for because, when hee is tryed, Psal. 26. hee shall receiue a crowne of life which God hath promised to them that loue him.

There is also a temptation whiche is of Sathan. Maister Gualter in Luke. Pag. 286. Calleth the deuill a tempter, & he fetcheth it from out of the scriptures, which in déede you shall finde in many places. His [Page 208]reason is good. The diuell tempteth to seduce vs, the Lord to vvin vs: and the one is vnto life, the other is vnto death. Assidue varieque molitur, vt nos a Deo abducat, & per incredulitatem, aut peccandi licentiam male perdat (1) Continually doth the deuill goe about to seduce vs from the Lorde, that by incredulitie and by licentious life, he may destroy vs. Therefore in this place it is well noted, where hee is saide [...] a tempter. And here it is that wee call him Sathan, which is the Hebrew, and signifieth an enimie. And so he is called in Zacharie 3. He shewed mee Iehosua the high preist standing before the Angell of the Lord, to resist me. And the Lord said to Sathan, the Lord reproo­ued thée thou Sathan, that is, thou enemy to man. And in Iob, the children of God came, & stoode before God: and Sathan was among them: that is their enimie. And so when the sonns of Seruia came vnto Dauid and would haue had execution done: Dauid aunswered, what haue I to doe with you, Great ioye is there among the vvicked spirits, if they get the righ­teous from the Lord: and the Angels they reioyce at the con­uersion of a finner. M. Caluin [...]. you children of Seruia? you are this day vnto me as Sathan an enimie. For they thought to slea Semei, & to make it a bloudy day to Dauid.

And so is he called Diavolous, a deuil, that is an ac­cusar and so it is in the Reuela. 12. The old Serpent which is called the Deuil and Sathanas (that is your accuser and enimie) is cast forth. Then wee pray here against temptations. That is, he woulde not let vs be snared, or swallowed vp by the subtiltie, and wilinesse of the deuil This is the end hereof. That as Caluin. Propiae infirmitatis, nobis conscii, dei presidio de­fendi nos sciamus.

That being guiltie of our owne weakenesse, wee might be fostered or stayed, by the helpe of the Lorde, that we may stande assured, against all engynes of of Sathan. For therfore it is spoken, that we may knowe all things happen by the prouidence of God, & that we were in extréeme miserie and ouercame by the wilinesse and subtiltie of this enimie of ours, if [Page 209]hée reared vs not, and lifted vs not vp in his Christe. Aug. in his booke De Natura & gratia. Ca. 58. thinketh thus: Vt resistamus diabolo, Augustine. precamur vt aufugiat Dia­bolus, cum dicimus, Ne nos inducas in temptacionem.

The Aucthor agaynst the two Epistles of Pelagius. Lib. 4. Cap. 9. doth bring out of Cyprian, this Expo­sition when it is sayde, Lead vs not into temptation: If God tou­ched not his chosen by the prickes and tediousnes of euill life: they vvould be [...] vntamed Coalts in their dealing Cyprian. Wée are admonished of our imbecility & weakenesse. For it is sayd, watch and pray that you enter not into temptation. A reason is adioyned: the Spirit is wil­ling, the flesh is weake, and this is, least wée shoulde be puffed vp insolently. Cyprian vppon the Lordes Prayer, gathereth a verygood lesson. The author of vntrueth and our aduersarie the diuell, can doo no­thinge without Gods permission. And therfore all our feare, and our trembling is to be layde vpon the Lorde: for that in all temptations the wicked man can do nought vnlesse hee haue powre from God. Where I desire you to cōsither with mée two things.

First the disposition of the wicked: for their reason is, hée leadeth vs into Temptation, hée is therfore the Aucthor of sinne.

The godly man hée sayth, hée leadeth vs into temp­tation. Sée first what a louing Father wée haue, how good a God, hée trieth vs and prooueth vs, hee suffereth vs not to bée tempted aboue our strength. For in his goodnes, by his Scourges, hée reclaymeth vs: That which I giue to vnderstand is this.

The godly take all things to the best, A difference betvvixt the godly and vngodly man for their Sal­uation: The wicked wrest and wreath all manner of Gods works, all his dealings to their reprobation. For this Heresye grounded out of this place, God tempteth vs, hee is therfore the Aucthor of sinne. I will confute it bréefely.

Thrée kindes of men I finde here, that peruerte and turne the meaninge of the Spirite of God.

[Page 210] The first, is detestable and derogating from the Maiesty of the Lord. Liberties cō ­demned. And it is of the Libertines, tou­ched also before. That hurle and thrust vpō the Lord all their offences, al their wicked & malitious deedes, and make him, the Author of sinne.

The second opinion is of learned and wise Fathers whom I reuerence for their skill, and honor for their guiftes. Yet holde I not with them in that they are faulty, & they thinke that God hardneth and stifneth the hartes of men? All thinges are not to be vttered at all reasons. And that hée is the cause of sinne: yet so, that the same which is malice in man, raysed vp by God is perfectnes in him. That hée punisheth sinne by sinne, yet are they affrayd to graunt that hee worketh in all,

The third kinde is of them, that interprete thorow the whole Volume and Booke of God thus: Hée suffe­reth him to fall: he permitteth him to offēd: Hée letteth them goe astray: and going so nicely to worke thinke they shall escape all hinderaunces thereby, to de­tracte any thinge from the Maiesty of the Lorde. Of these some one of them must, they cannot all bée true: It is an excellente Argumente that I finde in Augu­stine in his questions. Augustine his reason. Deus non est aucthor vllius rei qua homo fit deterior. &c. God is not y^e Aucthor of any one thing in man for which hée is worse. But by sin, men are the worse, then God is not the aucthor of sin.

Hée that is the punisher of offenders, and a distroyer of those he malefactors, and consumer of sutch as run in sinne: hée cannot bée sinfull, or the Aucthor of sin.

God punisheth offenders and destroyeth malefactors and is a flame of fier to the wicked: The seconde reason. then God is not the Aucthor of sinne.

Hée that sendeth his Prophettes to reclayme them: The thirde reason. And his Preachers to winne them: And his word to bring them: And his Christ to serue them: is not the Aucthor of sinne.

[Page 211] God it is, that sent his Prophets to feede them: And his Minysters to instructe them: And his Gospell to renewe them: And the life of his Sonne for the ly [...] of vs all: to bring vs to eternall life: Then God is not the Aucthor of sinne. A confider [...] ­tion of the vvorking & povver of God.

The Sun might turne him selfe and take his seate in Cancer. And the Moone coulde pause and stay hir swifte Voiage which shée kéepeth beefore I shoulde faile in this. I will not then beate so mutch on this Iron. The Scripture teacheth vs: reason leadeth vs: Experience guideth vs: Nature it selfe directeth man to this: That hée whiche sitteth vpon the Che­rubins and taketh the Heauens in his arme, and stretcheth forth his legges towardes all the corners of the earth: and looketh so fiersly vp on the Sonnes of men: and iudgeth accordinge vnto equity: and hath his Loynes girte with a Siluer Gyrdle, and his legges of Brasse. That commaundeth the Sunne, the Moone, and the Starres, and theydare not resist him: That sayth dooe this, and they dooe it: And so gloriouslye reygneth on the earth: and sendeth his Ministers of flaminge fier to consume the wicked: and hath his Habergions and instrumentes of Iron, for the vngodly against the day of wrath. It séemeth to mée very vnreasonable, that any one man béeing neuer so mutch blinded, should not sée his Maiesty, his brightnes, his perfection, his guidance, his gouernment, his Aucthoritie, his rule, to bee perfecte, to bée pure, to bée vnspotted, to bée glo­rious, and excéeding comely, euen in the créeping wormes.

Then let this suffise to stay vpon, for the libertine and outlaw, and denyer of the godhead of our Lorde. That hee erreth, hee is deceaued, hee findeth it a­misse. That God either is, or can bee the Aucthour of sinne.

[Page 212] The Maniches, with the Martianistes, that are de­pendant hereon: Maniches, & Marcionistes, haue vvouu­derfully er­red. haue small inheritaunce with the Lorde, that haue deuided his kinge [...]ome, and giuen a Regimente to a good God: and an other to an euill God: and cut him in péeces as it were, and depriue him of his right that is due vnto him. Agaynst whom it were a long disputation, for his prouidence and his rule are depending hereon, & it is more requesite for him to handle, that hath y^e Oares & the Sea at liber­ty, then for mée that runne in so narrowe a streame.

This I say, as all things were made & created by onely one true and eternall God, Gen. 1. to fulfill that in Ge­nesis. In the beginninge God created Heauen and earth. And in Iohn: In the beginning was the word, the worde was with God, [...]ohn. 1. and God was the worde: all things were made by him, and without him was nothing made that was made. And by him were all things bothe in heauen and in earth, Collos. 1. visible, or in­uisible: Whether they be Maiesties, or Lordships: eyther rules, A confutati­of the second heresi, vvhich toucheth god to be the au­thor of vn­god linesse. or powers: All thinges were created by him, and for him: he was before all thinges, and in him all thinges consisteth. It is therefore Sacri­ledge, and breach of the powre of the Lord, to giue a­ny thinge vnto any other, or make his powre equall with the works of his hands, that framed and fashio­ned all at the beginning. But now to the seconde opi­nion? As for these, wée leaue them to the Lord, y^e at his comming in the Heauens will looke vppon them, whom they shall wel know to bée maker and Creator of all, when the Element shall melte with fier, and the Heauens fold like a Scroll. And all that is in hea­uen and in earth obay him.

For the bréefe instruction hereof, I will aunswere two Argumentes, in this second cause. One is this

• Adams sinne was iniquitie.1
• God willeth none iniquitie.
• [Page 213] Therefore God willed not Adam should sinne.

If he willed not sinne then: he doth not wil it nowe, for he is now as he was then. And to this tendeth the next.

• He that doth the wil of God, pleaseth God.
  Pigghius, ta [...] quam fict [...] us. A false sorites, a causa ad non cau­sam.
• Adam in breaking the commaundement pleased not God.
• Therefore God willed not he should sinne.

And Pigghius a bastarde diuine.

• The Iewes in crucefying Christ did that God would:
• That God would deserueth not death.
• That which deserueth not death is not sinne.3
• That is not sinne, is not to be punished
• Then the Iewes in dooing that God woulde, be not to be punished.

And nowe I require yee to giue me leaue a little, and marke my spéech, I doubt not, but you wil sée and confesse with me the power of the Lords, that out of that is euill can bring that is good, to fulfill his will. Wherein I can not meruaile that Ierome stucke so stifely in the deniall of his prouidence, Ierom vvent avvry in that his iudgemē [...] of God. and did not thinke that he was busied in small trifles, or had to do with matters of little valewe. And I note the blinde­nesse of our Papistes, with whome Phillip Melancton bare, & was very frée and ernest in this, and a man fearefull by nature gaue place vnto y^e papists in more things then this.

But for my owne part I teach thus, & this doctrin, not in my owne name, but in y^e Lords: as hauing gle­ned it by corne and corne, from y^e most excellent & best learned men vnder the Sunne: & of late days (for God hath giuen vs more light then to them in former age) in flourishing state among men. Zvvinglius. Oecolam [...] ­dius. Out of whose life I confesse my self to haue borowed much (if ought y^e it be I possesse.) And Zwinglius, and Oecolampadius, the two lights & very starres of their time are witnesse here. [Page 214] Martinus Luther, Martine Luther. Martine Bucet. M. Caluin.Martinus Bucer, men of singuler learning and wisedome shall testifie the same: and I call to witnesse in this behalfe. Petrus Martyr, and Io­hannes Clauine, of which two, for sundry sciences, for readines and liuelinesse in witte, for eloquence and handsome handling of the scriptures, no one can bee compared of late daies to them, the LORD God did manifest him self so plainly to them: I offer you there fore, taken from these men my iudgement & opinion to the thrée former argumentes.

To the first. 1 The will of any one is saide to bee of these sortes. We are said to will a thing, when we appoint and ordeine any thing to be done, though we bee not partaker of the deede, and delight not in the same.

The seconde. 2 Wee also are saide to will when we with or desire, or delight, or take pleasure, or ordeine, or constitute, or ioy, or thinke it good, or estaeme it as comely, or mainteine the same.

The third. 3 Wee are said to will a thing vppon the contraritie thereof. For not forbidding it, it commeth to passe we are often times said to be willing vnto it. But as for the Lorde, The euill racking of the purpose and drifte of God, is the cause of our blindnesse & ignorance: for fleshe and bloud is not able to attain the depth of his vvisedom the God of hoastes, he worketh by an other way, and his iudgement is aboue the ca­pacitie of man: For God wrought not naughtines in Adames heart first: But ordeined that sathan moued by his owne cankered and corrupt nature, shoulde worke in him, and corrupt Adam by his owne falte. For in that the sinne and infirmitie whiche lurketh in an other, is bewrayed and brought to light, marke the prouidence and gouernement of the Lorde: which bringeth that to passe whereby his owne wisedome, righteousnesse and mercy may appeare. If he did worke and cause an adulterous minde in a man, whose minde was pure and innocent before, and then moued him to vtter the same in act and déede: some­what [Page 215]what it were that we had to say vnto the Lord: But if he worke not that adulterous minde: but findeth it corrupt and defiled by Sathan, and by the person him selfe and then ordeineth that shalbe fall: causeth the same wickednesse in that same man, to tende to his glorie. Let vs try out the vnsearchable riches and wisedome of the Lorde, that causeth the same thing which of it selfe is euill: to turne & be chaunged vnto that which shalbe good.

Then if these men vnderstande by his will that God delighted not in Adames sinne: there is no strife: Accursed is he that vvre­steth the do­ings of the Lorde, to his ovvne muen­tions. I say so, and so we fight with the ayre. But if there by is ment: It was not Gods decrée and ordinaunce that Adam shoulde finne, but all onely for his fall and in respect of sinne: they my bee Anathamatized and that iustely. For they plucke God out of his throne, they haue no consideration, but measure the Lorde as man. To this tendeth both the rest: for nowe I must be short, and I doubt not but GOD will per­mitte, that I may one day make longer discourse hereof.

Christ is saide to die, and for our redemption, for his resurrection is our iustification. To the secōd and thirde arguments. Nowe it was Gods will this should be, why then shall not the Iewes be excused? O wretched man that I am, that shoulde thus reason against the goodnesse of God, and abuse his long sufferaunce that bringeth vs to eternall life?

I answere that same filthy Papist, Consider the secrete decte [...] and eternal purpose of God. that scholler of so vile a maister (and that sought his death and mine, and séeth it not) Pyggyus. Often times God & wicked men (I speake according to our weakenesse and in reuerence) are said to thinke one thing. For Adam woulde sinne, and Gods will was he should sinne, but Adam would be like and equall to God: he woulde bée perfect knowing good and euill. Gods will was that [Page 216] Adam through his owne faulte shoulde sinne, I might rea­son of Ioseph and his bre­thren: of Da­uid and of Saule that persecuted him: the whiche both came not vvithout his appoint­mēt: but the malice in the brethren, and hatred in Saule that sought Da­uids blood, proceded of the diuell. This argu­ment quay­leth: for ther is recourse had vnto man there is no consideration of the Lorde. to turns Adames sinne to good, and to bring good out of euill: so that out of his perdition he brought saluation, out of his fall strength and life. Out of his thoughts and co­gitation, blessednesse and perfection vnto man.

The Iewes will was to put Christe to death. And Gods will was his sonne should die. But to the Iews it was in malice and crueltie. But of God in good­nesse and clemēcie. For hee raunsomed vs that were prisoners & captiues, in the slauerie of the deuill. Hes gaue vs life, that were before in death, and offered vs saluation that were before in condempnation: wher­fore this argument is nought.

God willeth it, and we will it, Ergo our willes is one. It is a causa non sufficiente. He y^e taught this may go to schoole againe, & set him downe for ought that I can sée: for if he turne not ouer a newe leafe it is not this, can euer honest him. Take the reason. God hath a Consideration in his will and purpose more then man hath: for an vnthriftie childe willeth the death of his father. God also will haue him die. But it is in another maner. The vnthriftie sonne doth it, to enioy his fathers goodes: God doth it to make an exchaunge to conueigh him out of miserie to life, if he bee his: for hee ordeined it before all beginninge. Or to translate him from vs vnto death, if hee hath not chosen him in Christe, for it is his lot, and hee decréede it before the worlde. And heere I staye. For if Paul can not Satisfte thée in his discourse to the Romanes: neither do I looke to perswade thée herein. That if thou like not me and my wordes, as the Ora­tor did of Plato, and Isocrates when he spake of Theu­sidides: so say I, of Caluin & of Zwinglius: let me go a­stray with the m. Nowe to conclude all. Leade vs not into temptation. The verie meaning and true expo­sition is this. Let O Lorde thy spirite bée with vs, [Page 217]directe vs in our dooinges: The trevv in­terpretation of this last peticion: lead vs not into temptation. gouerne vs in that wée goe about: suffer vs not to bée tempted beyonde that wée are able to beare: For the Diuell and Sathanas se­keth to molest & inueigle away the Children of God. And it is our duety to pray vnto the Lorde that wee be not ouercome in our temptation. For they of God, they study not to do well, and to win Heauen by their merrits, but they praye to stand stedfastly, that they may bée saued, and haue redemption in his death. They study not by good workes to obtaine Saluation, but because they are already saued (for they be assured therof) they will bee thankefull and obediente to the Lord, because in his free election he hath saued them.

The like may bée sayd of the last words. Deliuer vs from Euill. For to this ende is our life, our dealings, our conuersation, our vprightnes beefore the Lorde: That wée haue an assured testimony of his good will, that hée will kepe vs from death.

The rest of this Prayer: For thine is the kingdome, This I haue handled in an other treatise which vvhen God sendeth oportunitie, shalbe fini­shed.thy powre and thy glory, for euer and euer. Because our Luke hath pretermitted it, therfore will not I, at this time touch it.

In this my short Treatise, if I haue done any good, I am glad therof: The poore substance that I haue, and that litle God hath giuen mée: that I haue offered to you all: when God shall enritch mée with greater store, and my Barnes better filled then now they bée. So good corne as our Barren soyle bringeth forth, of that I willingly will giue you choyse: Onely at this time, take my presente farewell, as a grayne or two left behinde, to fill vp your measure: for I would haue no man to suspecte mee for my waight. And let not my doctrine bee an offence to any: this was only the the true meaninge that I had, to teach one Lorde and Iesus Christe whom bee sente, the redéemer of the world, that I worship in the Spirite.

[Page 218] And this I commit vnto the whole Churche of God, whose building and workemanship, The vvorke­manship of the true Churche of god, buylt & reared vp in Christ. if it bée any other then this let it bée accursed.

• 1. The foundation or corner Stone, Christ.
• 2. The builders, his Ministers.
• 3. The Morter to temper it, is Veritie.
• 4. The Lyme to season it, is Skilfulnesse.
• 5. The Sande to strengthen it, is Wisdome: and scat­tered thorough euery parte & parcell of this buil­dinge.
• 6. The Instruments to worke withall: be the guiftes of the holy Ghoste.
• 7. The Pillers, Confidence and Trust.
• 8. The Walles, the two Sacramentes.
• 9. The ground or Pauement, our Profession.
• 10. The Roofe or couering: Perseuerance.
• 11. The Windowes and light, the working and light­ning wee haue from the Spirit.
• 12. The Dores to enter at, the worde and the Gospel.
• 13. The Barres to stay this, hee that gaue this, God the Father.
• 14. The knitting of all this togeather, is Loue.
• 15. The keeping it frō shaking: brotherly agreement.
• 16. The force and strength therof: one minde and one Iudgement.
• 17. The glory and beauty therof, Immortality.
• 18. The ende of this building, the glory of God.
• 19. The price and rewarde, Life,

Not that which is terrestriall, & endureth a small time: but an other, euen that which is aboue when wée shall dwell with God. The onely price of sutch as loue and feare his name vnfeignedly: To whom, that bée of his true Church, the Lorde God sende his blessing and peace for euer, that quietnes may bée to them of Israel, and life for euermore. Amen.