A christall glasse of christian reformation wherein the godly maye beholde the coloured abuses vsed in this our present tyme. Collected by Stephen Bateman Minister.

A christall glasse of christian reformation wherein the godly maye beholde the coloured abuses vsed in this our present tyme. Collected by Stephen Bateman Minister.

Table of contents

Title page

❧The Epistle to the Reader.

Faultes escaped.

§

¶The description of Couetousnes.

wrath

lechery

gluttony

sloth

envy

pride

§

love

¶Our loue toward God.

¶How we ought to loue our neighboures.

¶Our loue towardes our enemies.

faith

¶Of fayth and the wonderfull working of the same: and stedfast beliefe of the fathers in olde tyme.

hope

¶Of Hope.

charity

❧The description of Charitie.

justice

Of humayne iustice and iudgement.

truth

❧ The description of Veritie.

wisdom

The description of wisdome.

peace

The description of Peace.

§

purgatory

❧The fetching of soules out of purgatory.

Problemes.

❧Of the day of doome, And comming of the Lord, wherein is contayned the rewarde of the faithful, the reprobate go into euerlasting fier.

§

§

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¶ A christall glasse of christian reformation, wherein the godly maye beholde the coloured abuses vsed in this our present tyme.

¶ Collected by Stephen Bateman Minister.

¶ IMPRINTED at London by Iohn Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate.

¶ CVM GRATIA ET PRIuilegio Regia Maiestatis per decennium. 1569.

❧The Epistle to the Reader.

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GEuing thee to vnderstand (Christian Reader) the manifest power of God in considering the inestimable mercy and long sufferance of vs most miserable creatures, who from tyme to tyme proueth whether we will flye from our wickednes and frowarde vsage of lyfe or no, and seyng no amendmēt ceaseth not, but forthwith plageth vs: yea, and at the length geueth vs ouer vnto our owne wretched will, and beyng so deuoyd and frustrate from all hope ioy and triumphant glory, we are assured as then of nothing but euerlasting death and endelesse sorrow. Therefore I wishe all faithfull christians to foresée and so to prouide in tyme, that neither popishe Antichrist, nor any rable of false vsurped powers shall once be able to spurne or kicke against the veritie and true professours of the same. The holy apostle S. Iames speaketh very louingly vnto all suche as geueth their mindes to godly exercise and study, saying these wordes. My brethren counte it exceeding ioy when ye fall into diuers temptations, forasmuch as you know how that the trying of your faith bringeth pacience, and let patience haue her perfect worke, that ye may be perfect and sounde lacking nothing. Herein the apostle sheweth vnto all men, that by patience we must moderate our selues, as if the enemy shew rigorousnes ortiranny, winne him by patience, but vse no superbitie or reuengemēt, but yeld the cause vnto god, yt which iudgeth rightly, and he will in tyme be a defence vnto all such oppressed. Vir duplex animo inconstans est in omnibus vijs suis, a waueryng mynded mā is vnstable in all his wayes. But most happy is that man that endureth in temptation, for when he is tried, he shall receiue the crowne of life which the lord hath promised to those which loue him, and erre not my dere brethren. Euery good gift [Page] and euery perfect gift is from aboue, and commeth downe from the father of light, with whome is no variablenes, neither is he chaunged into darkenes. Of his owne will begate he vs wyth the worde of lyfe, that we should be the first fruites of his creatures, so that as long as we obey his preceptes and be zealous furtherers of his gospell, and alwayes continuing, then shall all such doers be assured of most happy saluation. Herein is plainly shewed vnto all, the estate of euery degrée by order of picture and signification, to the intent, that therby euery christian Reader may the better sée the disordred abuses which daily raueth amongest vs, and also the state of obedience by euery picture in like sorte signified, that thereby euery Christian may the better beware the deceiuable suggestions of Sathan, that neither pardon nor mumming, massinges or any other popish ceremonies, can any thing auayle as touchyng saluation: for if it were so, then Christes death was in vayne, and of none effect. Take hede therfore & cleaue betyme to Christ & his doctrine, & leaue of frō such superstitiō & faynings of men, & vse the counsail of the holy apostle S. Iude, which sayth: Similiter & hi carnē quidē maculant dominatorem aut spernūt maiestates aut blasphemant. Likewise these dreamers defile the flesh, despise rulers, & speake euill of them that are in autoritie. But these speake euill of those they know not, & what thynges they know naturally, as beasts which are without reason, in those thinges they corrupt themselues. Woe be vnto them, for they haue followed the way of Balaam for lukers sake, and perishe in the treason of Chore. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their owne lustes, whose mouthes speake proude thinges. They haue men in great reuerence because of aduauntage. But ye beloued, remember the wordes which were spoken before, of the apostles of our Lorde Iesus Christ, how that they tolde you that there should be beguilers in the last tyme, which should walke in their vngodly lustes, these are makers of sectes fleshly, hauing no spirite, pray therfore dearely beloued, that God so roote out al such enemies which kicke against the truth of his gospell, & so arme [Page] your selues with the armour of God, considering that Sathan is moste busiest and full of rage in this oure tyme, as Saincte Iohn in hys reuelation dothe manifestly expresse: That we all being armed with godlines may bee able to resist in the day of our triall, and to be found vigilant watchemen aspectyng the great and second commyng of our Lorde Iesus Christ. In the meane season applying our mindes to the study of vertue, may be rich and plentifull in righteousnes and hope of saluation. And for that your myndes among many and earnest pensiue and sorowful studies might be reuiued also in vertue. I haue put forth vnto your gentle considerations this my simple trauayls, which in perusing you shal well espy to be in effect as I haue named it.

This christall glasse wherein we may learne godly reformation, whose brightnes shineth not to the beholders therof in this world, a light to euery christian man, but in the world to come a most precious and euerlasting brightnes in endles felicitie.

As I sayd, a manifest shew of all couloured abuses that raigne in euery state, and set in the frame of most plentiful & Christian examples. The substaunce wherof is the perfect glasse of godly reformation, beautified with ye christall sight of all celestiall vertues, right fruitfull for euery man to cary, and most nedefull for this our present tyme. Thus gentle reader I bid thée most hartely farewell in him that liueth for euer.

By me Stephen Bateman Minister.

Faultes escaped.

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In the description of Pride, the second page, the 16. lyne, read for Dedalus Icarus, and for Icarus Dedalus.

In the epistle of the 2. part of this boke, & xx. line, for so, read for

In the 30. line of the description of fayth, and is God, read and maker is God.

In the description of Ueritie, is left out the sword that is signified in the figure.

§

§

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¶The description of Couetousnes.

Aristotle. Seneca.

To delight in treasure, is a daungerous pleasure,

In a lyer doubtles, there neuer was goodnes.

¶ The signification of the picture.

THe deuil is Enuy, the swords in his hand betokeneth mischief, the purse couetousnes, the globe the world, the man in fooles weede signifieth carelesse couetousnes, a man being ouercome with Enuy and couetousnes, may be likened to a foole that is not able to rule himselfe, and so the ende is death.

[Page] WHo so is enuious may be likened vnto Sathan: who are more foolisher thē those persons the whiche are neuer satisfied wyth money. Money causeth mischiefe, mischief destroyeth ye soule. For as it is good to ye godly by vsing it by measure: so is it euel to the wicked, and bringeth displeasure. Money in ye hands of the enuious doth cause much bloudshed. Couetous enuy is to no man commodious, and without returne by spedy repentaunce bringeth to hel most odious. The enuious man that coueteth doth euer grudge at his neighbors prosperitie or welfare: he is frend to no m [...], he loueth no mā, neyther is hys miserable appetite at any time satisfied.

Eccl. 14 He that is wicked vnto himselfe, how should he be good vnto other men? How can such a one haue any pleasure of his goodes. Say not thou I will hide my selfe from God, Eccl. 16 for who will thinke vpon me from aboue, I shall not be known in so great an heape of people, for what is my soule among so many creatures. Behold, the heauen, yea, the heauen of heauens, the deepe, the earth, and all that therin is, shall be moued at his presence: The mountaynes, the hilles, and the foundations of the earth shall shake for feare, when God visiteth them, &c. Take this for ensample beware in tyme, from Sathans driftes do thou declyne.

§

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Antisthenes.

It is far better to chaunce among crowes then flatterers:

For crowes eat the dead, the flatterers cōsume thē which are aliue.

¶The signification of the picture.

HE which sitteth with iiij. armes, two to deliuer & two to receaue: The iiij. hands signifieth, without reward there is little gotten, that is to say, those ij. handes that doth deliuer the writings, doth declare prefermēt for smal gaine, the other as deceit, and they receiue priuily.

[Page] THere can be no greater mischief in a cōmō wealth then vnsatiable or dissembling iustice. For where coueteousnes is in ye harte once planted: there true lawes are eftsoones euel-fauouredlye racked. The couetous dissembler, will not be openly seene to receaue anye rewarde: but with ypocriticall gloses, he will be sure, eyther by countenaunce, or by some fayned frendship to bring his deceauable purpose to passe, vnto such and of such there is no trauaile for him which meaneth truth, or for the poore, No peny, no Pater noster. The poore for lacke of substaunce oft loseth that, the which might do him good, ye rich speedeth, or him that hath ought yea and sometime the flatterer, also vnder coulour of such like frendship as may pleasure the like: and in the end their owne deceiuable couetousnes deceiueth them. In thend there followeth ruine of their riches for open oppressiō, and without amendment in time, hell is their portion.

Eccle. 10. Despise not thou the iust poore man, and magnifie not the rich and vngodly, great is the iudge and mighty in honour, yet is there none greater then he that feareth God. Oseas, 5. O ye priestes, heare this, take hede O thou house of Israell. &c.

In time to beware I thinke it best,

For that shall bring thy soule to rest.

§

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Diogenes.

The seruaunt serueth his master.

The wicked serue couetousnes.

The signification.

THe two on horsback signifieth both estates striuing for spirituall promotions, with sufficiency not contented, the bag in their handes is vnsatiable desire, the deuill flying out is temptacion, and the ground opening vnder thē is destruction. For when couetousnes is most desired, then is death soonest stirred.

[Page] THere is nothing more pestiferous then pride. For by pride, manne is brought to most miserable state. To bee both proude and couetous, is two mischiefes vncurable, in what estate soeuer they be, and thend therof is, wtout spedy returne, hell, death, and vtter dedestruction. And thus the auaricious man is moste miserable.

Iohn. 18.By auarice Iudas betraryed our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ: and finally, dispayred and so hanged hym self. Luke. 23. By auarice Dalila betrayed Sampson, as it appeareth in the. 16. of the Iudges. By the which historyes, it also appeareth, yt auarice bringeth men oft to perdition. The like auarice betwixt the popish spiritualty and temporaltye, yea and in some professours of the verity, which hath brought the common wealth into great miserye. God graunt the like be not also found among the greater parte of such as professe, or at the lest taketh on them ye names of Christians. Wherfore was Semei condemned to death, but for his couetousnes. Because he departed from Ierusalem, against the commaundement of his Lord. Looke more of this in the. 3. boke of kinges the 2. chapter.

§

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Themistocles.

It is better to haue men, hauing lacke of money,

Then money hauing lacke of men.

The signification.

THe Eliphant signifieth, force or strength: the mā on hys backe vsury: the Flag or banner in hys hand, signifieth illusion, or vaine hoped time: the Wolfe deuouring the lambe, signifieth all such gredy oppressours as do oppresse the poore and indigent: the cofer vnder hys arme Mammon: the purse destruction: and he which leadeth the Eliphant, is Nigardship: and the rope the which he is drawen withall, is deceate. Whē gredy death doth force assaile, and Nigardship begin to flie: thē pitie shall hys place possesse, & laud the name of God most hie.

[Page] A Nigarde, is among the couetous, and is most to be abhorred. For neither enuy deceit nor pride in coueting is or may be compared vnto the churle. The Usurer with the churle may well be compared. The vsurer with out interest will lend to no man. The churle or nigard, is no longer quiet, then he may be loking or telling his money, yea he wil starue himselfe rather thē once diminish any part or portion therof, euer coueting and neuer satisfied: vsury wyth nigardship are alwayes together, and the one is neuer without the other. For they are both of one propertye. Firste, it is breeder of mischiefe, nurse to all errours, and stepdame to wicked enuy, and alwayes bondslaue to mamon, whē he seeth it, he thinketh neuer to haue inough of the sight thereof, and when he doth lende it, he is then neuer quiet till he seeth it agayne, it is too innumerable to heare, the wickednes which followeth the vnsatiable desire of money.

He that hath not geuen his money vpon vsury, nor taken reward against the innocentes. Psal. 15. The fathers haue eaten sower grapes, and their childrens teeth are set on edge.

Ezech. 12.Let these few ensamples conuert the gréedy appetite of vnsatiable desire to haue mony, for goods and mony were ordayned to serue man, and not to rule man,

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Aristippus.

Get such riches that when the net is broken.

They may escape with thee.

The signification.

THese three on horsebacke signifieth the states of mē worldly minded: as Makeshift, Flattery, and Desire to haue. The foremost sheweth those persons of gentilitie that are not contented with sufficiencie, and those are Makeshiftes: the second sheweth the Popish spiritualtie, those are Flattery: the third the yeomandry or francklin, who seeketh by the recouery of spirituall promotion from the dunghill to a gentleman, those are Desire to haue: the deuill is destruction: the net vnsatiable desire: and all these ride to the deuil their soueraigne for spirituall promotion.

[Page] LIke as coueteousnes is enemy to the body, by meanes of cares, in desiring stil aboundaunce, and thereby neuer satisfied: So is it most deadly to the soule & hatefull before God. For in what nation or countrey so euer it be eyther suffered or maintayned, nedes must grow out of the same such encombrāces amongs the common wealth, that without foresight in time it cā not otherwise chuse but grow not only to the bodies of those instruments vexation of mind: but also to the soul endles destruction. Flattery, Makeshifte, & Desire to haue, these as seruants, first, to parciality, and then by obtaining that which by such is required, vnsatiable desire so much inflameth their harts, that no respect of person is fauoured, but those whose pursse bottomes are neuer vncouered. God graunt to those whiche in these dayes remayne, that they maye see the state of ech degree so amended, that vnto whome preferment appertaineth, to prefer, without ye voluptuous desire of vile auarice. And that those pastors which are dayly labourers in Gods vineyarde may be so prouided for and loked vnto, that no greedy viper by money or Fee, may be suffered to displace the true shephearde of his righte. The common practise (among many) is, no soner any spiritual liuing to fal, [Page] (so diligently they watche) that eyther by hooke or crooke, by giftes and large proffers, they neuer cease sute or suing for, till it be by such obtayned, and that being obtained: they are not ashamed to say without spirituall prefermente it were not possible for them to keepe house. Saynte Paule in the fifth of the Thessalonians sayth.1. Thess. 5 I beseech ye brethren know them which labour among you & haue the ouersight of you, that ye haue them in reuerence for their worke sake and be at peace with them. Surely those which for lukers sake wil rather prefer the temporall mā before the spirituall, hath no small accompt to render whē he shal come before the iudge of quicke and dead,The property of the viper is, the femall biteth of the males head and the yong gnaweth themselues out of their dammes belly. when for his wicked doyng he shall reape not onely death of body, but in body and soul (without speedy repentaunce) endles destruction. God for his mercies sake so open the harts of all magistrates that such greedy vipers may be subuerted. Deride not that which is for thy health, least haply in thend thou decrease thy welth. Where welth doth decrease there sorrowes doth grow, therefore do in time the truth learne to know.

wrath

§

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Salomon.

A wrathfull person prouoketh contention:

But he that is patient appeaseth debate.

¶The signification.

THe Bore signifieth Wrath, and the mā on his backe mischiefe: the Pope in the Flag destruction, & the Flag vncertaine religion, turning and chaunging with euery blast of winde: the man killing him selfe desperation: the woman madnes.

[Page] AS Seneca sayth: Ire troubleth the vnderstanding of the creatures, and therfore it is needefull to bee taken heede of. Ire accustomed maketh a man to come out of his witte. Also ire doth most hurt vnto himself,Chitofell. and gēdreth discord & all enuie,Aiax. & causeth reason to perishe. Ire hath so much done, yt it hath brought men to desperation, and in the end haue hāged themselues. Also among the godly there hath bene anger or irefulnes found, as when occasion hath bene geuen. As for example: Moyses was angry agaynst the children of Israell because they kept Manna against the commaundement of God, as it appeareth in the .xvj. of Exodus: and also for that they did worship the calfe: in somuch that he brake the tables of the commaundements, as it is written in the .xxij. of Exodus. Also Neemias was wroth againste them that committed vsury. Looke in the .xiij. of Neemie.2. Esd. 13.

This kind of anger or irefulnes, farre differeth frō wrathfull ire, because that the one may rule him self, and the other not. In wise men the countenance irefull maketh the offenders afrayd: but willfull wrath cannot once rule himself. A wyse mā in his anger remembreth counsell: but the wrathfull person telleth out all, and eftsones to his owne destruction.

§

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Antisthenes.

Enuy eateth a man,

As rust consumeth yron.

The signification.

THe Asse signifieth wrathfull iustice. The mā that is drawē away Truth-Those that draweth Truth by the armes Flatterers. The Frier, lies, & the associate with the Frier, Periury.

[Page] BEtter is the poore that liueth godly then the blasphemer that is but a Foole. A foole hath no delight in vnderstandinge, but onelye in those thinges, wherein hys hart reioyseth. Riches maketh many frendes, but the pore is forsakē of his neighbour. A false witnesse shall not escape. One witnesse shall not rise againste a man for any manner sinne or for any manner faulte that he offendeth in. Prou. 19 Deut. 19. Prou. 17. A wicked iudge geueth audience to false lippes, and a frowarde person geueth eare to a disceitfull tounge. There can be no greater plague then to haue an Asse to beare autority.By the Asse is mēt the cruell Antechristians. For by such commeth much dissention. Among all Asses, the religious Asse of late being in autority hath done moste harme.

While ye haue light, beleue in the light, that ye may be the children of light. Whosoeuer shall endure to the end shalbe safe. Iohn. 12 Mark. 13 Luk. 12 Rom. 8 Be ye ready, for the sonne of man will come at an houre, when ye thinke not. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of gods chosen, it is God that iustifieth, who is he that can condemne.

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Pythagoras.

They which to slaunder or to kill,

The dead haue their delight:

¶ The signification.

THe man which standeth lyke a Prophet signifieth godlines: the Fryer treason: the cup with the Serpent poyson: the other which striketh with the sworde murder: and he which is wounded is peace.

[Page] NOthyng may be more greuous then wrathfull treason: because the imaginations therof be endlesse, it may therefore bee likened vnto the venim of ye Serpent Aspis whose poyson is vncureable. Yet notwithstanding as wrath is deadly, so is it trayterous: and vnto hym that vseth it double death, not onely to the body but also to the soule. Example of Ioab, who trayterously slue Amason, as it appeareth in the xx. chapt. of the second booke of the Kinges, who shewing a countenance of frendlines, sodainly strake him into ye body yt he died. Faythfull are the woundes of a louer: Prou. 27. but the kisses of an enemie are cruell. He that prouideth for an others destruction, let hym bee sure that a lyke pestilence is prouided for him. Tullius. Therefore in time beware and consider, and remember ech estate, that Sathan the author of all euill do not entise thee: but in all temptations call to God and he will helpe thee.

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Are lyke such dogges in fury,

That at stones doe barke and bite.

¶The signification.

THe Pope is oppression: the mā which killeth is crueltie: those which are a killing constant religion: the three kneeling loue furtherance and truth to the Gospell. &c.

[Page] AMongest men of authoritie there can bee no greater terrour, then to the subiecte to shewe crueltie. The vaine glory of thys worlde is a deceatfull sweetenes, and may bee likened to the Popes suberbius crueltie, an vnfruitfull labour, a cō tinuall feare,Augustinus. a daungerous aduancement, a beginning without prouidence, an end without repentance.Ambrosius. Therfore there is not so much ioye in climing vpward, as there is sorrow in falling hard downward: nor so much roume after victory, as after ruine reproch of follie. Therefore bee sure with what measure is mette to others, the same to be measured againe. If these sentences had bene, and were, of the enemies of Gods Gospell well cōsidered, truly they would not haue shewed so much crueltie in shedding so much innocent bloud as they haue done, and continually seeke to do. What should hee that is strong auaunt of his strength, whō bodily sicknes bringeth to feblenes. Ambrosius. Therefore in tyme foresee and amend: if not, the fall will bee the greater. Concerning a further setting forth of the Romish Church and crueltie, I referre it to other authors which speake therof sufficiently.

lechery

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Great griefe assailes the Lecherous minde: of such as doth the youth alure:

More worse then beastes I do thē finde: such youth to lechery to procure.

¶The signification.

THe Goate signifieth Lechery: the woman Whoredome [...] she which leadeth the Goate by the beard is meretrix, the baude: and the deuill Nicticorax, a blinde guide or deceauer.

[Page] LEchery in all estates is vtter enemie to vertue, and an offence to the body. It causeth all mischiefe & discorde, not only betwixt mā and wife, but also it engendreth dreadfull hate & endlesse destructiō, both to the body liuing, and also to the soule euerlasting.

Ualerius in his 4. boke, declareth of one Sophonides, who in hys old age, sayd to one which demaū ded of hym, if he were any thyng lecherous: His answere was, willing hym to haue other matters to speake or talke of: for (sayth he) I haue had great victory, for that from my tyme to thys present, I haue vanquished that, which otherwyse would haue vanquished me. Looke in the 34. chapter of Genesis,Gen. 34. and there is manifestly shewed the punishment for adulterers. When Dina the daughter of Lea, which she bare vnto Iacob, went out to see the daughters of the land: whom when Sichem the sonne of Hemor the Heuite Lord of that countrey sawe, he toke her, and lay with her, and forced her. And when Iacob heard that hys daughter Dina was defiled, hee with his sonnes ceased not to auenge the crime committed: so that Simeon & Leui her brethren toke either of them hys sworde, and went into the citie, and slue all that was male, and also Hemor, and Sichem hys sonne. &c.

[Page]Looke also in the second booke of the Kinges the 13. chapter: of Ammon, who for defiling of hys sister Thamar, was destroyed by hys brother Absolon. Consider also the horrible plage that fell vnto those which had cōmitted horrible adultery with the Leuites wife: looke in the 20. chapter of the Iudges. Moreouer, what was the cause of the Lordes threatning agaynst the Niniuites? It was for the wicked sinne of whoredome. Who caused Ioseph to be imprisoned? Euen the lecherous desire of his mistresse: as it appeareth in the 39. chapter of Genesis. Therefore lechery doth not onely cause offence by actuall deede, but also in inward thought to such as doe desire the same. Looke in Math. 5: Who so looketh on a woman and lusteth after her, hath committed adultery already in his hart. Flie from sinne as thou wouldest flie from a Serpent: if not, bee thou sure, what soeuer thou bee, not to haue fellowship with the faythfull.

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Worse then a Pharesite I may them call: which lawfull mariage doth disdaine:

And seekes the truth to bring in thrall: all such doth Sathā quit their paine.

¶The signification.

THe Fryer is Fallax: the Nunne Dedecus: the deuill in the tree superstition: and the other deuill Dicax, a reprocher of wickednes, and a rayler agaynst the veritie.

[Page] FOrnication ought to bee eschewed. Looke in the 1. Corinth. 10. chapter. The people satte downe to eate & drinke, 1. Cor. 10. and rose vp to play. Neither let vs be defiled with fornication, as some of thē were defiled with fornication, and fell in one day xxiij. thousand. Therefore to auoyde whoredome, 1. Cor. 7. let euery man haue his owne wife: and let euery woman haue her husband. Euery sinne that a mā doth, 1. Cor. 6. is without the body: But he that is a fornicator, sinneth agaynst hys own body. Heb. 13. Wedlocke is to be had in honour amōg all mē, & the bed vndefiled. As for whorekepers & adulterers God will iudge. There goeth a common saying, that there is fornication among you, and such fornication, 1. Cor. 5. as is not named among the Gentiles: that one should haue hys fathers wife. And ye swell, and haue not rather sorrowed, that hee which had done thys deede, might bee put from among you. Therefore flie thys horrible sinne: and as for such as will cōdemne the lawfull estate of Matrimonie, and honest mariage of godly Ministers: such chaste and maidenly prelates of their doinges, shall bee shewed as followeth in the fourth part of this treatise of Lecherie. Fornication is enemie to God, and enuieth vertues. It consumeth all substance, and deliteth in the appetite present:Augusti [...]us. it letteth that a man can not thinke on pouertie, which is not long absent.

If we will consider the excellencie of mans nature, and the dignitie therof, Tullius. we shall well perceaue how foule and dishonest a thyng it is to bee resolued in fornication, and to liue wantonly. Contrarywyse, how honest and fayre a thyng it is to liue temperately, continently, sadly, and soberly.

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When Dauid the King, by sight had desired: the wife of Vrias to fulfill hys lust:

He was by the Prophet therfore reproued: Vrias in the forward being slaine first.

¶The signification.

THese two armyes signifieth the striuing of the fleshe agaynst the spirite: all worldlynes is confounded: and happy is he that fighteth by fayth diuine vnto the end.

[Page] AS in the two chapters of Lechery and fornicatiō, is described the wretchednes of ye horrible sinne: so in adultery and rape, shall be rehearsed ye wonderfull calamities and losse of countreyes, with the ouerthrowing of kingdomes, to the cleane secludyng or cutting of, of all such as haue bene maintainers of the same. Adulterie is the violation of the fayth promised in mariage, the which thing is forbidden vs:Exod. 20. Deut. 5. Luk. 18. Dan. 13. Thou shalt not breake wedlocke. Adulterers are stoned to death. Susanna had leauer die then to committe adultery with the two false Iudges. Adultery is cause of procuring of other mens death, as it appeareth in the xj. chapt. of the second boke of Kinges. Dauid the King cōmitted adultery with Bethsabe the wife of Urias the Hethite, and also caused Urias to be put to death, being slaine in ye forefrunt of Ioabs hoste. The Prophet Nathan being sent of the Lord, reproued the king because of his wickednes. Also S. Iohn the Baptist reproued Herode for lying with his brother Phillips wife, saying: It is not lawfull for thee to haue her. Math. 14 Prouer. 6. Eccle. 23. An harlot will make a man to begge his bread, and a woman will hunt for the precious life. All bread is sweete to a whoremonger: hee will not leaue of till hee haue his purpose. So lykewyse the wylie craftes of Sathan doth so stirre the mindes of the disobedient sort, that they are careles, minding neither to amend their folly, nor suffer others to auoyde the same, but headlong goeth forth in the demonaicall lawes as brute beastes, and at no tyme satisfied.

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Prouerbes. 23.

A whore is a deepe graue: and an harlot is a narrow pi [...].

She lurketh like a theefe: and bringeth vnto her such mē as be full of vice.

¶ The signification.

THese foure sitting banqueting, signifieth fleshly delight: and the fift which is apparelled lyke a woman with a cup in her hand, and whose legges are like vnto a Serpent, is called Philogines, a louer of Lechery: the cup horrour: the legs destruction: the men fighting murder: and hell the place for such offendors, whose continuannce is endles.

[Page] WHen man is geuen to the Sodomicall lust, then cō meth misery to the body, sorrowe to the life, & death to the soule. S. Paule in his Epistle to ye Romaines sayth:Rom. 1. that to delight in other mens sinnes, is greater offēce then to sinne thy selfe. Therfore as ye sinne is horrible to hym that offendeth: so is it more greuous to those that are maintainers of the same. That which thou art ashamed to speake, Hieronimus. bee also ashamed to thinke. Euill thoughtes bringeth euill factes, whereof ensueth greuous offence. What was the cause that the Prodigall sonne came to such misery?Luke. 15. Because he delighted to company with harlottes and inordinate liuers. Sodome and Gomorra were destroyed because of adultery, lechery, fornication, rape, and inuiolate rauishing, which is most horrible. What mischiefe fell among the Romaines after that Tarquinus Sextus had violated Lucrecia by hys Sodomicall will? Hee was vtterly exiled, and neuer after was there any kyng: and she after for sorrowe slewe her selfe. What monstrous slaughter fell among the Troyans & Grecians? Fyrst the Grecians rauished Hesiona, the daughter of Laomedon king of Ilion. And Priamus stale away Helane the wife of Menelaus king of Lacedemonia,Abessa of Bethelē was iudge in Israell about thys tyme. whereof came the vtter ruine and destruction of Troy. Let these few examples guide thee from all such mischiefes.

gluttony

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Where murther is suffered not seene to in time,

There mischiefe encreaseth and bringeth to woe:

All such as to Backus doth honour diuine,

Shall soone bee bereft their goods to forgoe.

¶The signification.

THese which are fightyng, signifieth incontinence: he which is slaine hazarde: and death: and the one which goeth out with hys sword in hys hand audax, one past grace, or a murtherer.

[Page] IN the xxvj. yeare of Asa King of Iuda, Regū. 16. beganne Ela the sonne of Baasa to raigne ouer Israell in Thirza ij. yere. And hys seruant Zimri (which was captaine of halfe his Chariots) conspired agaynst him, as hee was in Thirza drinking: and was dronken in the house of Arza steward of his house in Thirza. And Zimri came and smote hym, and killed hym in the xxvij. yeare of Asa King of Iuda, and raigned in hys stead.

[...]. Reg. 13.Amon being dronken was slaine of his brother Absalon. Also Holofernes was slaine by Iudith in hys dronkennes,Iudit. 13. as it appeareth in ye xiij. of Iudith. Noe being dronken was mocked of hys sonne Cham.Gen. 9. Also Polyphemus a monstrous Gyant,Ouid. lib. 14. was in hys dronkennes destroyed by Ulissis. Therfore dronkennes doth not only surfet the body for a time, but also breedeth extreme malady, & maketh a man to forget reason, and causeth bloudshed & wilfull murder: so yt it is not onely a griefe to the body in thys world, but also an endles sorrow in the world to come. When ye Philistines had gotten Sampson,Iudges. 17 & also had determined to haue bene mery, & to see Sampson to play before thē he being blind: they reioyced in their God Dagon, beleuing yt he had deliuered Sampson into their handes: they being in their iollitie, were by Sāpson sodainly destroyed, in shaking their house all to peces vpon thē.Cor. 6. Drunkardes shall not possesse the kingdome of heauē. &c

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When gredy glotony seketh his ease, forsaking true labour which is most fitte:

Then followeth Podagra with her disease, to vtter ruine she doth them knitte.

¶The signification.

THe woman is Podagra: the naked man with the barrell on his legge is Prodigus: the other with the grapes in his hand is rauin: the cordes are force to destruction: and are led by Podagra, the gowte.

[Page] WHat thing in a mā is best? Reason: For by that he goeth before beastes, and followeth the Gods: wherefore a perfecte reason is that good which properly belongeth to man, all other thinges is to hym common with beastes: if he bee strong, so is the Lyon: if he be fayre, so is the Pecocke: if he be swift, so is the horse. I do not say yt in euery of these things the other surmounteth hym,Tullius. for I seke not that thing which is most excellent in hym, but that which is his owne, and belongeth properly to hym: for as he hath substance, so hath the trees: and as he hath voluntary mouing, in lyke wyse hath not onely the beastes, but also the wormes: if he haue a voice, so hath dogs and much louder: the Egles more sharpe and perching: the Bull much greater: the Nightingale sweter. Thē what thing properly is a mans owne? surely reason: for that being in the right course & perfect, maketh a man full of felicitie. A drunken workeman shall neuer bee rich:Ecclesia. and he that setteth nought by a little, shall by a little and a little come vnto nothyng. Wine inordinately taken, troubleth mans reason, maketh dull vnderstanding, and corrupteth the body, and engendreth noysome diseases, as the goute, empostum, plurisies, caterns, palsies, & dropsies, with such lyke:Boctius. and also infebleth remembraunce, sendeth in forgetfulnes, poureth in errours, & bryngeth forth sluggishnes.

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When prelates to wyne doth geue their delight,

To vanquishe truth which shines so cleare:

Then followeth death with all thys might,

Them to prouent, and payes their hyre.

¶The signification.

THe Priest signifieth Newter, neyther hoate nor colde: the man in the barrell vnsatiable desire: the bookes torne vnwrittē verities: the Nunne light credence in beleuing the same.

[Page] Eccle. 31. HOw sufficient vnto a learned man is a small quantitie of wine? so that in sleepe he shall not bee sicke therof, nor feele any paine, Lecherie, wine,Osea. and sacietie, consumeth all wysedome. Take heede to your selues,Luk. 21. least your hartes bee ouercome with surfetting and drunckennes, and cares of this life, and so the day come vpon you vnwares. Be not greedie in euery eating, and bee not to hastie vppon all meates.Eccle. 37. For excesse of meates bryngeth sicknes, and gluttonie commeth at the last to an vnmeasurable heate. Take heede therefore that ye walke circumspectly:Ephe. 5. not as vnwise, but as wise men, redeeming the tyme, because the dayes are euill. Wherfore, bee ye not vnwise, but vnderstand what the will of the Lorde is, and bee not drunken with wine, wherein is excesse. It is not (I say) for kinges to drinke wine excessiuely,Prou. 31. nor princes stronge drinke (for there is no secrete where drunkennes raigneth) least they being drunken, forget the lawe, and peruerte the iudgement of all poore mens children. Who hath woe?Prou. 23. who hath sorrowe? who hath strife? who hath brawling? and who hath woundes without cause? or who hath red eyes? euen they that bee euer at the wine and seeke excesse. Bee not thou a wine bibber,Eccle. 31. for that hath destroyed many a man. The fire proueth the hard yron: euen so doth wine proue the hartes of the proude.

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All such therefore as peruert bee: and seekes to maintaine their estate:

Without repentance straight shall see: the endles woe and dreadfull gate.

¶ The signification.

THe two foremost excesse, the king mainteinaunce, the Frier sufferance: and Backus the god of wyne: the Beare force: the seruing man riot: and the Popishe priest careles dyet.

[Page] Rom. 12. GLuttonie is the worke of darknes: let vs not therfore be geuen vnto it, but let vs set against it the prayer that is written in the 23. chapter of Ecclesiasticus.Eccle. 23. As Esau, Esau.,Heb. 12 Gen. 25. which for one messe of meate solde hys byrthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would by enheritance haue receaued blessing, hee was put by, for hee found no place of repentaunce, though hee sought for it with teares. Thus by example it is manifest, that gluttony looseth the memory, and causeth many a man to promise that which after he repenteth. Gluttony is neuer satisfied: and when the belly is full, then doth ye body craue rest. Gluttony loseth fyrst memory: secondly consumeth substaunce: and thirdly, Gods vengeance and wrath falleth vpon such disobedient liuers. Example of the childrē of Israell, who being not satisfied with the Lordes prouision,Exod. 16. grudged, and shortly after so much prouoked the wrath of God, that they were destroyed, the meate being in their mouthes. Thus therfore as the Lord is a reuenger of the gluttonous: euen so is he also of the superbious, and all other offendors:Luk. 16. as Diues was punished & had his reward, so also shall be all those that in time haue no regard.

sloth

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As sluggishe sleepe the tyme doth spend: and loytering luskes no paine will take:

So fire consumes them in the end: as filthy varmin the idle forsake.

¶ The signification.

HE which lyeth a sleepe in hys bed, signifieth sloth in hearing of the worde: the fire burning about him, signifieth Gods wrath, which consumeth hym through hys slothfull negligence: and he which lyeth dead, with the varmin creeping from hym, is filthy behauiour and idle life, whose end is also miserable.

[Page] THe omnipotent God, & plasmator of all creatures, neuer ceaseth, but still laboureth by hys holy spirite, in ye hartes of the faythful, to draw & procure thē to al vertuous studies & exercises, as most best seemeth hym, among all estates, as well ye tē poral as spiritual: not yt he hath any neede of man, but yt he seing man so subiect to all deformed vices and vanities, oft stirreth hym by hys holy spirite to repentaunce: For as hys Godhead is incōprehensible, so hys mercies are also innumerable. Therfore flie sinne, and geue not thy selfe to sloth and idlenes, least thou by long sleeping ouerpasse the houre,Percius in hys Satires. and so be shutte out. A man negligent, is as a land that is barren. Also Cato reproueth sluggishnes as a vice most deadly:Cato. Plus vigila semper nec somno deditus esto: Nam diuturna quies vicijs alimenta ministrat. Delight not in sloth, but frō sleepe sone arise: for rest & idlenes is mother of all vice. Also, a mā negligent and slothfull, is as a dead mā, & alwayes apt to great mischiefes. There is also an inward sloth or sluggishnes, and that is when a man by desire of worldly goods & promotions, cleane forgetteth his creator, and remē breth more ye goods of this world, then ye life to come. S. Paul to Timothe sayth: [...]. Tim. 4. Take hede vnto thy self, & vnto learning, & continue therin: For if thou shalt so do, thou shalt saue thy selfe, & them that heare thee. Miserable are the daies of the sluggishe and sleepie vagabondes as will not worke, nor once geue them selues to labour, whose dayes are dolefull, and endes most odious and hatefull.

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The sleepie minde doth tyme forget: and youth to toyes do most desire:

So tyme once paste is hard to fet: to late in age learning to require:

The signification.

HE which sitteth sleeping signifieth slothfulnes amongest teachers, whose desire being satisfied, careth not for the charge: the children idlenes, whose mindes without a carefull tutor, are bent to nothyng but ease and vanities.

[Page] OUr Sauiour Christ rebuked his Disciples, when he came and founde them a sleepe, & sayd vnto Peter: What? Math. 26 coulde ye not watch with me one houre? watch and pray, that ye fall not into temptation: the spirite is ready, but the flesh is weake. Also, the kingdome of heauen is lyke vnto a mā which sowed good seede in his field. Math. 13 But while men slept, there came hys enemye, and sowed tares amōg the wheate, & went his way. Which signifieth ye negligence yt mē haue in ye thinges belōging to God, which is by ye carefulnes of riches & pleasures of thys world. Quintilian sayth,Quintilian. yt naturall sinne foreseeth sloth & idlenes. Ishbosheth was slaine by Rechab & Baanah in his sleepe.2. King. 4. Sampson by sleeping lost ye lockes of hys head,Iudg. 16. whereby his great strength was diminished, & so takē of ye Philistians. Ouid declareth in his first boke,Ouidius Metham. of one Argus, who had an hū dreth eyes, & alwaies whē he slept, certain of his eyes were open & saw, so yt at no time he might be found with all on slepe: But Mercury by his subtil musicke, brought Argus in so sound a sleepe, yt he strake of hys head, & so deliuered Io, yt before was transformed into a Cow. There be many yt haue an hūdred eies, for they see very cleere, & haue also quicke wittes, and perfect vnderstādinges: but neuertheles Mercury, that is to say, the world, oft bringeth them a sleepe: and then the Cow, that is to say, the flesh, is lost and perisheth. An idle hand maketh poore, Prou. 10. but a quicke labouring hand maketh rich. Time is the most precious thing that is.Theophrastes.

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All such as will not labour in time: but spend their dayes in idlenes:

Full soone are caught vp with the line: of sorrowe, paine, and wretchednes.

¶The signification.

HE which standeth by hys tooles, signifieth the dissēbling labourer, who mindeth to worke no longer then his cō maunder standeth by, and when there is none to controle hym, then hee loytereth as before. Of such idle labourers there are to many.

[Page] AS smoke is vnto ye eyes: euen so is a sluggishe person to them that send hym forth. A slothfull person shutteth hys handes into hys bosome as into a pot: Prou. 19. and will not take paine to put it to his mouth. A slothfull body will not go to plough for colde in the winter: Prou. 20. therfore shall he go a begging in the Sommer, and haue nothing. Delight not thou in sleepe, least thou come vnto pouertie: but open thine eyes that thou mayest haue bread. Thus gentle reader, mayest thou see the mischiefe and vnhappines that ensueth sloth. When Eneas came from the siege of Troy, hee ariued in Carthage, there for a tyme to solace hym selfe: and as he walked, ye Quene of Carthage, whose name was Dido, espying ye comely personage of Eneas, was therwith inflamed. And when they had talked togethers, and sociated them a certaine space, the sayd Eneas departed into Italy, and there was long tyme absent from the presence of Dido, who waxed displeasant at his sloth and forgetfulnes, saying, that the cause of hys absence without spedie returne, would be cause of her death. Eneas not regarding the letter that Dido sent, but being loth to iourney, remayned still in Italy. In the meane tyme, Dido slue her self: and whē Eneas knew of her death, then he lamented yt he had not come before her death. Some writers say that Dido builded Carthage, and Eneas was dead iij. C. yeares before the buildyng of Carthage: therfore it was not that Eneas, but some other. S. Augustine writeth of ye same, Confessionum in fine.

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Great griefe it is the learned to see: in slothfull rest to spend their dayes:

Such may be likened to dronebees: that sucke the sweete and go their wayes.

¶The signification.

HE which rydeth on the Asse signifieth sloth, as well amōg the chiefest as among the lowest: the Fryers weede and Beades signifieth hypocrisie and lothsomnes of the truth.

[Page] SLoth among the spiritual, is much to be reproued, & spokē of in all such as do not thankfully apply the giftes that God geueth thē, to their brothers profite. From such God wil take hys giftes, & will make thē voyde of al ghostly vnderstāding. The kingdome of heauen is lyke vnto x. virgins, Math. 25 which tooke their lampes, and went to meete the bridegrome. Fiue of them were folishe, and v. were wise. The folishe tooke their lampes, but tooke no oyle with them. But the wyse tooke oyle with them in their vessells, with their lampes also. While the bridegrome taried, they all slumbred and slept. And euen at midnight, there was a cry made: beholde the bridegrome commeth, goe out to meete hym. Then all those virgins arose, and prepared their lampes. And the folish sayd vnto the wise: geue vs of your oyle, for our lampes goe out. But the wise aunswered, saying, not so, least there bee not inough for vs and you: but goe ye rather to them that sell, and bye for your selues. And while they went to bye, the bridegrome came: and they that were readye, went in with hym to the wedding, and the gate was shut vp. Afterwardes came also the other virgins, saying: Lord, Lord, open to vs. But he answered & sayd: verely I say vnto you, I know you not. Watch therefore: for ye know neither the day, nor the houre, when the sonne of man shall come. The lampes signifie such dead fayth as S. Iames declareth to bee in deuills and rotten trees which bring forth no fruite.Watch. We ought alwayes so to liue, euen as though we should depart presently.

envy

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Enuie seeketh where to finde: to hurt hys neighbour if he can:

And neuer ceaseth but to purloyne: which hath bene the vndoing of many man.

¶ The signification.

THese two mē signifieth, the one a true labourer, the other an enuious deceauer: he which soweth the ground is diligēce of mind in sowing the seedes of veritie: but he which stādes pouring the corne into the water, signifieth a deceatfull person, seeking by all meanes to waste and spoyle the seedes of veritie: the byrdes signifie the faythfull followers of the veritie.

[Page] ENuie ought to be put out frō all men: for by enuie many men cōspire their owne death, and come to vtter destruction. Example of Caine that slue hys brother Abell, Gen. 4. and therefore the Lorde sayd to Caine: Now art thou cursed from the earth. &c. By enuie Ioseph was solde of hys brethren into Egypt. Gen. 38. Thorowe enuie Saule would haue slaine Dauid with a Iauelinne,1. Reg. 18 but Dauid escaped and fled from hym. Who made Daniell to bee cruelly entreated,Dan. 6. but onely enuie? For when Darius had ordayned a C. & xx. Lordes which should be in all his kingdome, amongest whō was Daniell, which exceeded all the reast of the Lordes, for the spirite of God was with hym: so that ye kyng was minded to set hym ouer the whole realme. Wherfore the princes & Lordes sought to picke out in Daniell some quarrell, yet could they finde none occasion nor fault vpon hym. Then they seing that they could not preuaile, they imagined a sure statute, namely: that who soeuer desired any petition, either of any God or man within xxx. daies, except it were to the king, the same person to be cast in the Lions dēne. So Darius made the writing, and confyrmed it: whereby ensued, that those which sought the death of Daniell, whom God had deliuered from the denne of the Lions, the same were of the Lions destroyed.

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Where Gods word preached is in place: vnto the people willingly:

Woe be to them that would deface: for if such cease, the stones will crie.

¶The signification.

HE which preacheth in the pulpit, signifieth godly zeale, & a furtherer of the gospel: and the two which are plucking him out of his place, are the enemies of Gods word, threatning by fire to cōsume the professors of the same: and that company which sitteth still, are Nullifidians, such as are of no religion, not regarding any doctrine, so they may bee quiet to liue after their owne willes and mindes.

[Page] WHo caused our Sauiour Christ to be condemned to death,Luke. 22. but enuie of ye Iewes? Also, because the coūsell of Ahitofell was refused,2. Reg. 17. hee presently sadled hys Asse and rode home, and so hā ged himselfe.Act. 7. The Iewes also thorow enuie stoned to death ye Martyr S. Steuen. So likewise Senacherib, 2. Esd. 4. or Sanabalat, when he heard say that the walles of Ierusalem were redified, he was wroth and tooke great indignatiō, and mocked the Iewes. Wherby it appeareth that enuie is a right greuous malady, and contrary to nature: for nature desireth good, and euery creature naturally taketh pleasure in good thinges: But enuie tormenteth him selfe when he seeth any good thyng happen vnto an other, and the most harme falleth vpon hym selfe. It holdeth the hart and the minde in great melancholy, and maketh ye cullour to waxe pale: It drieth the body, and maketh all such as vse it, oft to sigh, and to speake alwayes euill of other, and can not say well. Enuie seeketh alway to destroy the wealth and welfare of hys neighbour. Enuie maketh a man to be like a feend of hell, which may not suffer the creature in no wyse to do well. God graunt for hys mercy, to shorten the dayes of such enuious mindes as seeketh to displace the veritie.Amor.

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While enuie seeketh to destroy: and will not cease to leaue hys will:

Then mischiefe most doth him annoy: and so of death he hath his fill.

¶ The signification.

HE which striketh, with death behind him, signifieth enuiousnes against the quiet state of the faithfull, and in hoping by enuie to destroy, death is hys reward: the other by constāt faith in Christ is preserued, by the sword which is the word of God, and so ouercōmeth enuie: the Angell behind hym, is Gods prouident loue, which neuer faileth all those that trust in hym.

[Page] THe vngodly is caste downe for his iniquitie: Prou. 14. but the righteous hath a good hope, euen in death. A pacient mā is better then one strōg: Prou. 16. & he that can rule him selfe, is more worth then he that winneth a citie. Thorow enuie Acis was slaine by the monster Poliphemus, Ouid. lib. 13. because he would haue rauished Galathe the wife of Acis. Also, the two sonnes of king Phillip of Macedon, Percius & Demetrius, thorow enuie sought eche others death, and were both slaine. Also, Nessus deceaued Hercules of Dianira, at a riuer, and being on the other side,Ouid. would haue violated her, wherby Hercules shotte an arrowe through his body. Nessus perceauing him selfe to haue his deathes wound, gaue a venomed shirte to Dianira, saying: that to whom soeuer she gaue that shirte, his loue should neuer depart from her: so that by the sayd shirte, Hercules was destroyed. Thus enuie hath vndone many a man and woman, & brought thē to vtter destruction. O wretched enuie, and daughter to pride, which neuer seeth the end of thy miseries: thou desirest to see the people in misery, and then thou reioycest, and art glad when that thy neighbour decayeth: by thee, neither from thee, may come any profite, neither in this world nor in the world to come.

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To Serpent like I may compare: those greedie wolues that lambes deuoure:

Awayting still to catch in snare: all such as gette they may by power.

¶The signification.

THe Dragon signifieth the enemie to all that professe the worde of God: the Cardinall persecution, or a persecutor of the same: the Fryer murther: the sheepe which are a killing, signifieth the professours of Christ, from the beginning of the worlde to these present dayes.

[Page] ENuie is blinde, & can doe nothing but dispraise vertue:Liuius. it is a scabbe of thys world, to haue enuy at vertue. O ye miserable conditions of people that are to bee gouerned,Tullius. amōg whom, diligēce is hated, negligence is reproued, where sharpnes is perillous, liberalitie thākeles, cōmunicatiō deceatfull, pernitious flattery, euery mans coūtenance familiar, many mens mindes offended, waite to hurt priuily, faire wordes openly, whē officers be cōming, they tary for thē, while they be present, they do await on thē, being out of authoritie, al do forsake thē. All other sinnes are not so pestiferous as enuy: for ye lecherous by his sinne getteth somtime a frend or louer: but it may be accōpted a miserable & deadly kind of frendship.Tullius. The couetous by his vsury getteth goods & possessions. The negligent by his sloth, oftentimes hath peace, because he medleth with nothing. The proud of such as he is him self, is often praysed. If he be rich, of the poore for feare: or if he hath ought, for that which he hath. The irious or wrathfull mā is often feared. The glutton by filling hys panch, of sweete and delicate meates. Thus among all sinnes, enuie is most pernitious, and to be accompted most miserable.

pride

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When daintie dames hath whole delight: with proude attyre them selues to ray:

Pirasmos shineth in the sight: of glittering glasse such fooles to fray.

¶The signification.

THe woman signifieth pride: the glasse in her hand flattery or deceate: the deuill behinde her temptation: the death head which she setteth her foote on, signifieth forgetfulnes of the life to come, wherby commeth destruction.

[Page] TAke heede yt thou fall not into pride, least thou perishe with such as before haue offended.Cleobolius. Lindius. Example of Lucifer, which for his pride was cast down into ye infernal hell. Also, Adam by trāsgression fell thorow ye subtill intisinges of the Serpent.Gene. 3. Gene. 16. Agar the seruant of Sara, thorow pride disdained her mistres, because of a childe that she had by Abraham, therefore she was driuen to flie into the wildernes, by the way that lyeth to Sur. Also, Membroth or Nimrod, thorow pride caused the Tower of Babell to bee builded.Gen. 10.11. And the Lorde sayd: Beholde the people is one, and they haue all one language: Come, let vs goe downe, and confound their language, that euery one vnderstand not hys neighbours speach. And so the Lorde scattered them from that place, into the vpper face of all the earth. It is therfore to be vnderstanded, ye pride surmoūting folly & all sinne, is shame & seruitud [...]. Pharao king of Egypt, Exod. 14. Psal. 106 through hys obstinate pride, was drowned in the red sea, & all his hoste, so yt there remained not one of thē. Haman for his pride, was hāged on ye gallowes that he had ordayned for Mardocheus. Hestor. 7. Abimilech, because a womā smote him on ye head with a peece of a milstone,Iudg. 9. & therwith brake his braine panne, as he approched the Tower of Thebez, he therefore caused his harnesse bearer, to runne him through ye body, for that it should not be sayd, yt a woman had slaine him. Also, Nabuchadonozor was transformed into a dumbe beast,Dan. 4. for the space of vij. yeares, because he so proudly exalted him selfe, saying: Thys is the great Citie of Babylon, which J my selfe, with my power and strength, haue made.

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The rich to prayse in some respecte: as from all vice will soone refraine:

But such as Pauper doe detecte: those gestes with Diues must take paine.

¶The signification.

THe rich man signifieth a proude mā couetous, such a one as careth for no poore man, but for such as hym lyketh (to many such are not good in a cōmon wealth): the poore man signifieth the pouertie generall, whose petitions of such are not heard, nor once relieued.

[Page] ANtiochus also for hys pride,2. Mac. 9 was greatly punished of God, & smitten with such a disease, of yt which he might not be healed. [...]. Mac. 8 Nicanor thorowe pride, was discōfited & ouercome of ye Iewes. Phaeton because he toke vpon him to gouerne ye chariot of his father Ph [...]bus, he therfore had a great fall. Dedalus was also drowned,Ouidius Metham. because he tooke vppon him to flie so hie in the ayre, that the force of the sunne beames melted hys magicall winges, in refusing his father Icarus counsell. Dauid the kyng after that hee had numbred the people, his hart smote hym, saying: I haue sinned exceedingly in that which I haue done. [...]. Reg. 24 Iezabell proudly sought the death of the Prophets: and therfore the Lorde sent Iehu to Iezraell. And whē Iehu was come to Iezraell, [...]. Reg. 9. Iezabell heard of it, and starched her face, and tyred her head, and looked out at a window. And as Iehu entred at the gate, she sayd: had Zimri peace which slue hys maister? And he lift vp his eyes to the window, and sayd: Who is of my side, who? And there looked out to him two or three chamberlaines. And he sayd, throwe her downe: so they threw her downe, and her bloud dashed toward the wall, and toward the horses, and he troade her vnder foote. And so she was deuoured of dogges. Why boastest thou thy selfe, thou tyraunt, Psal. 52. that thou canst do mischiefe? where as the goodnes of God endureth yet dayly.

[...]

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love

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[Page]put me now in remembraunce, for we wil reason together, & shewe what thou hast for thee, to make thee

¶The signification.

THe womā signifieth Gods loue: The hart continuance of the same: Hell vnder her signifieth death and destructiō: vnto the careles liuers of this world: the lambe signifieth the quiet conscience of the faithfull: And death vnder him signieth the chaunge of life, vnto all the good to immortalitie, the bad to destruction.

[Page] righteous, thy first father offended sore, and thy rulers haue sinned against me.Genneces. Psal. 24. The earth is the Lords, and all that therein is: the compasse of the worlde, and they that dwell therein, who shall assend into the hill of the Lord, or who shall rise vp in his holy place. Euen he that hath cleane hands and a pure hart, and that hath not lifte vppe his minde vnto vanitie, nor sworne to deceiue his neighbour. What man liuing can say that he is cleane and hath not offended, now therefore consider what wonderfull loue our creator hath to man,Ierem. 33. when he by his holy spirite calleth vs to repentaunce, to the ende that all shoulde come to hys eternall and heauenly kingdome. From all misdedes wherin they haue offended against me, I saith the lord, wil clense them, and all their blaspeemies which they haue done against me, when they regarded me not, I will forgeue them, and this shall gette me a name, and prayse, and honour, among all the people of the earth, which shall here of the good that I will shewe vnto them, yea they shalbe afrayed and astonned at all the good deedes, and benefites that I will do for them. God so loued the world, that he gaue hys only begotten sonne,Iohn. 3. that whosoeuer beleueth in him shoulde not perishe, but haue euerlasting life, for God sent not his sonne into the worlde, to condemne the worlde, but that the worlde through him myghte be saued, he that beleueth on him is not condemned, but he that beleueth not, is condemned already, because he hath not beleued on the name of the onely begotten sonne of God, and this is the condemnation, that light is come into the word, and men loue darckenes [Page] more then light, because thei [...] deedes were euil, fo [...] euery one that doth euill, hateth the light, neither commeth to the light, least his deedes shoulde be reproued, but he that doth truth, cōmeth to ye light, that his deedes may be knowne, how [...] t they are wrought in God.Ephe. 5. Be ye therefore followers of God as deare children, and walke ye in loue, euen as Christ loued vs, and gaue himselfe for vs an offringe and a sacrifice of a sweete sauour to God as for fornication, and all vncleanes let it not be once named amonge you, nor coueteousnes, as it becommeth saintes, or filthines or foolishe talking, or iesting, which are not comely: but rather geuing of thāks, for this ye know that no whoremōger, either vncleane person, or couetous person, which is a worshipper of Images, hath any inheritaunce in the kingdome of Christ, and of God, let no man therefore deceiue you with vayne wordes, for because of such thinges commeth the wrath of God, vpō the childrē of disobedience, be not ye therefore companions of them, ye were sometyme in darcknes, but now are ye light in the Lorde, for vngodly communication strengthneth the body against the spirit, and withdraweth the minde from al good exercise and labour, and thereby deserueth the iust wrath of God, and such as are worshippers of Images & fornicatours, such like hath no part wyth Christ in his kingdome, to whome be all glory for euer. Be not wise in thine owne consent: but feare the Lord, and depart from euill,Prou. 3. so shall thine nauell be hole, and thy bones strong, honour the lord with thy substaūce, & with ye firstlings of al thine increase, geue [Page] vnto the poore, so shal thy [...]arnes be filled with plenteousnes,Tobia [...]. and thy presse shall flowe ouer with sweete wine. My sonne depise not the chastening of the lord, neither faint whē thou art rebuked of him, for whom the Lord loueth, him he chasteneth, and yet delighteth in him,Heb. 12. euer as the father in his owne sonne, if ye endure chasteninge, God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes, what sonne is he whome the father chasteneth not. Reioyce ye heauens, and singe prayses thou earth, talke of ioy ye hilles, for God hath comforted his people, and will haue mercy vpon his that be in trouble, but Sion saide: God hath forsaken me,Esay. 49. and my Lord hath forgotten me. Will a mother forgette the childe of her wombe, and not pitie the sonne whome she hath borne? And though she do forgett, yet will I not forgette thee: sayth the Lor [...]e. These are the wordes that the Lorde sheweth vnto Ieremy saying:Ierem. 30. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, write vp diligently all the wordes that I haue spokē vnto thee in a booke, for loe the time commeth sayth ye Lord, that I will bringe agayne the prisoners of my people Israell and Iuda (sayth the Lord (for I will restore them vnto the lande, that I gaue to their fathers, and they shal haue it in possession. By this may it euidently appeare, that God is alwayes myndefull of hys people,Christ in Math. 22. and will not forget them, although for a time he suffer them, yet at the length he will visite and helpe them. For when the Phariseyes had heard that he had put the Saduces to silence, they came together, and one of them which was a Doctour of the law, asked him a question, and tempting [Page] him & saying: Maister which is greatest commaundement in the law: Iesus saide vnto him. Thou shalt loue thy Lorde thy God, with all harte, and with all thy soule, and wyth all thy minde,Exod. [...]0. this is the firste and greatest commaundemēt: And the second is like to it. Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe, in these two commaundementes hange al the law and Prophetes. In this commaundement the which our Sauiour Christ spake to a Doctour of the se [...]t of the Phariseyes and Saduces, in willinge them firste to loue God, and next his neighbour or neighboures, is plainely to be vnderstanded, the loue of our Sauiour Christ towards man, in declaring that he which loued God faithfully, and also his neighbour, should receiue for his reward the euerlasting ioyes and felici [...]ie, th [...]t soro [...] is [...]endent & plaine, that for the great lou [...] our [...]auiour Christ hath towar [...]s man, dyd not onely teach all those the which were mindefull of his euangelicall doctrine, but also shedde his most precious bloud to [...] come man from the bondage of sinne vnto the life of righteousnes, and so [...] cōmite with God the father, to whome be all h [...]ue i [...] and glory worlde without ende.

¶Our loue toward God.

LEt vs loue God, for he hath loued vs first, and redemed vs from all euill, if we diligently follow his preceptes and commaundementes,Iohn. [...]. he was before all things he created all thinges, by his only power [Page] and might, and none but he, without him was made nothing yt was made. In him is life light and verity: a God without beginning and without ending, he came among his owne, and his owne receiued hym not, but as many as receyued hym, to them gaue he power to be the sonnes of God.Prou. 8. Therefore harken vnto me, O ye children, blessed are they that keepe my wayes, O geue eare vnto nurture, be wyse and refuse it not, blessed is the man that heareth me, waiting dayly at my gate, and geuing attendaunce at at the postes of my doores, for who so findeth me, findeth life, and shall obtaine fauour of the Lorde, but who so offendeth against me saith God, hurteth his owne soule, all they that hate me, is the workers of death, and deadly louers. Harken also & be stedfast in beliefe, and seeke for none other helper and mediato [...]r, but onely Iesus Christs, which is the mediatour for all mankinde, to God his father, and he it is the which is the preseruer & none but he. In the fourth of Saint Iohn,Iohn. 4. it is euidently shewed, in the [...]uing communication, the which our Sauiour Christ had with the woman of Samari [...], by the well side, declaring plainly that he himelfe was the sonne of God, and sauiour of the worlde, who so therefore thatseeketh to any other mediatour, redemer, or preseruer then the onely god and Christ, is vtterly deceiued, and except speedy returne, voyde from all ioye & felicitie, I am the Lord God, which brought thee out of the land of Egipt,Exod. 20. Os [...]. 13. that thou shouldest not knowe no God but me onely, and yt thou shouldest haue no sauiour but only me. I haue loued you sayth the lord, [Page] and yet ye say, where in hast thou loued vs: was not Esau Iacobs brother saith the lorde, yet haue I loued Iacob, and hated Esau.Malach. 1. Rom. 9. Thou wilt saye vnto me, why then blameth he vs yet, for who hath benne able to resiste his will. But O [...]an, what art thou, which disputeth with God, shall the worke say to the workeman why hast thou made me on this fashion: hath not the potter power ouer the claye, euen of the same lumpe to make one vessel vnto honour, and an other to dishonour. Euen so God wil [...]inge to shewe his wrath, and to make his power knowne, suffreth with long patience, the vessels of wrath, ordayned to damnatiō, and to declare the riches of his glory on ye vessels of mercy, which he hath prepared vnto glorye. They that feare the Lord wil not mistrust his word,Eccl. 2. and they that loue him, will [...]eepe his commaundementes: they that feare the Lord, will seeke out the thinges that are pleasaunt vnto him, and they that loue him, shall fulfill his lawe. They that feare the Lord will prepare their hartes, & humble their soules in his sight, they that feare the Lord, keepe his commaundements, and wilbe pacient til they se himselfe, saying, better it is for vs, to falle into the hands of the Lorde, then into the handes of men, for his mercy is as great as himselfe.Malach. 1. Shoulde not a sonne honour his father, & a seruitant his maister, if I be now a father, wher is now mine honor, if I be ye Lord where then am I feared, saith the Lord of hostes. Now to you priestes that depise my name, and if ye say, where in haue we despised thy name. In thys, that ye offer vncleane bread, vppon mine alter And when thy son [Page] asketh thee intime to come, saying: what meaneth these witnesses, ordinaunces, and lawes, which the Lord our God hath commaunded you: thē thou shalt saye vnto thy sonne▪ we were Pharaos bondmen in Egipt;Deut. 6. and the Lord brought vs out of Egipt, wyth a mighty hand, and the Lord shewed signes & wonners, great and euill vppon Egipt, vnto Pharao and all his housholde, before our eyes, and brought vs out from thence, to bring vs in, and to geue vs the land, which he sware vnto our forefathers.Psal. 98. Maruailous thinges did he in the sight of our forefathers in the land of Egipt, euen in the fielde of Zoan, he deuided the sea and let them goe through, he made the waters to stand on an heape, he rayned downe Manna also vppon them for to eate, and gaue them foode frō heauen. But for all this they sinned more and more, and beleued not his wondrous workes, therefore did he consume their dayes in vanity: & their yeares in trouble, but he remembred his mercy towardes vs, that he forgaue their misdeedes, and destroyed not them vtterlly. Yet for all that they greeued him with their hil alters, and prouoked him to displeasure with their Images. Whē God heard this, he was wrouth, and tooke sore displeasure at Israel. While ye phariseyes were gathered together, Iesus asked them saying: What thinke ye of Christ?Math. 22. whose son is he? They said vnto him, the son of Dauid: He saide vnto them: How then doth Dauid in spirite, call him Lord, saying, the Lord sayde to my Lord, sitte on my right hand, till I make thyne ennemies thy foote stoole. If Dauid call him Lord, how is he then his sonne, and none coulde [Page] aunswere him agayne one worde, neither durste any from that day forth aske him any moe questions, notwythstanding, that Christ, in yt he was man, was the sonne of Dauid,Note. that is desended of the stocke of Dauid, yet Dauid seing in spirit that he was God, called him Lord, but the Phariseyes who were all flesly, coulde not perseiue so much of ye spirit.Luke. 1 [...]. Beholde a certaine lawyer stoode vp & tēpted him saying, maister what shal I do to enherit eternall life: He sayde vnto him, what is writtē in ye law, how readest thou. And he answered & said: loue thy lord thy God with al thy hart, and with all thy soule, and with all thy strēgth, and with all thy mynde, & thy neighbour as thy selfe: And he sayde vnto him, thou hast aunswered right, this do and thou shalt liue, he willing to iustifie himselfe, saide vnto Iesus. Who is then my neighbour: Iesus answered and sayde. A certayne man desended from Ierusalem to Ierico, and fell into the hands of theues, which robbed him by the way, and wounded him, and left him halfe deade, and by chaunce there came a certaine priest that same way, which saw him and passed by, and likewise a Leuit, which also loked vppon him, and passed by. Then a certayne Samaritan, as he iornied by, came nigh vnto him, & whē he saw him he had compassion on him, and went to and bound vp his wounds, and set him on his own beast and brought him to a common Inne, and made prouision for him, and on the morrow whē he departed, he tooke out two pence, and gaue to the host, and said vnto him, take cure of him, and whatsoeuer thou spē dest more, when I come agayne I will recompence [Page] thee. Which now of these three thinkest thou, was neighbour vnto him that was wounded, and he said he yt shewed mercy on him. The Lawyer perceiued not yt it was himselfe the which was wounded with extreame woundes of fained hope,Note. ignoraunce, and sinne, and the same whiche profered to heale those woundes, was the Samaritan Christ, which profered not health vnto him onely, but also vnto all such as had confidence and trust in him. But he iustifiyng himselfe, therein condemned himselfe, because there is none righteous but Christ alone.Deut. 10. And now Israell what doth thy Lord thy God require of thee, but to feare ye Lord thy God, and to walke in all his wayes, to loue him, and to serue thy Lord thy God, with all thy hart and with all thy soule. Namely that thou keepe the commaundementes of the Lord and his ordinaunces which I commaunde thee this day, for thy wealth. God geueth to mā that which is good before him,Eccl. 2. wisdome, vnderstanding, and gladnes, but vnto the sinner werines,Deut. 6. Math. 22. Iosu. 22. and superfluous care, that he may gather and heape together, the thing that afterward shalbe geuen vnto him, whome it pleaseth God, thys is now a vaine thing: yea a very disquietnes and vexation of minde. Marke also the wordes of our Sauiour Christ to Philip. Philip saith vnto him, shew vs the father and it suffiseth vs:Iohn. 14. Iesus sayde vnto hym, haue I bene so long time with you, & yet hast thou not knowen me, Philip. He that hath seene me hath [...]eene the father, and how sayest thou then shewe vs the father, beleuest thou not that I am in the father, and the father in me. At the least beleue me, for the very [Page] workes sake. If ye loue me, keepe my commaundementes, and I will praye the father, and he shall geue you another comforter, that he may abide wyth you euer, which is the spirit of truth, whom ye worlde cannot receiue, because the world seeth him not, neyther knoweth him, but ye know him, but he dwelleth with you and shalbe in you. I will not leaue you cō fortles, but will come vnto you.Eccle. 14. All transitory things shall faile at the last, and the workers thereof shal go withall. Euery chosen worke shalbe iustified, and he that medleth withall, shall haue honour therein: blessed is the man that keepeth himselfe in wisdome, and exerciseth himself in vnderstanding, and with discretion, shall he thinke vpon the foreknowledge of God, which considereth the wayes of wisdome in his hart, hath vnderstanding in his secretes, goeth after her, as one that seeketh her out & cōtinueth in her wayes, he looketh in at her windowes, and harkeneth at her doores, he taketh his rest besides her house, and fasteneth her stake into her walles, he shall pitch his tente nigh vnto her hand, and in his tent shall good things rest for euermore, he shall set his children vnder her couering, and shal dwell vnder her braunches, vnder her couering shall he be defended from the heat, and in her glory shall he rest. For I suppose that the afflictions of this life, are not worthy of the glory which shalbe shewed vpon vs.Rom. 8. Also the feruent desire of the creatures abideth looking when the sonnes of God shall appeare, because ye creatures are subdued to vanitie against their will: but for his will which subdued them in hope, for the very creatures shalbe deliuered [Page] from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God.

¶How we ought to loue our neighboures.

EUery beast loueth his like, euē so let euery man loue his neighbour, all fleshe will resort to their like. And euery man wyll keepe cōpany with such as he is himsele. But as the Wolfe agreeth with ye lambe,Eccl. 3. so doth the vngodly with ye righteous. What fellowship should an holy man haue with a dogge, how can the rich and the poore agree together. The wild asse, is the Lions pray in the wildernes, euen so are poore men the meate of the rich. Like as the proud may not away with lowlines, euen so doth the rich abhorre the poore. If a rich man fall, his frendes set him vp agayne: But when the poore falleth, his aquaintance forsake him. If a rich man fall into error he hath many helpers, he speaketh proude wordes, and yet men iustifie him: But if a poore man goe wronge, he is punished, yea though he speake wisely, yet can it haue no place. Whē the rich man speaketh, euery man holdeth his tonge, and loke what he saith, they prayse it, vnto the clouds. But if the poore mā speake, they say what fellow is this, and he do amisse, they shal destroy him for what felowship hath righteousnes with vnrighteousnes, what company hath light with darckenes, what concorde hath Christ with beliall, eyther what part hath he that beleueth with an infidell, and how agreeth the temple of God with Images. Beware of vnrighteous thinges,2. Cor. 6. Eccle. 17. he gaue euery man also a commaundement [Page] cōcerning his neighbour, their wayes are euer before him, & are not hid from his eyes. The mercy that a man sheweth, is as it wer a purse wyth him, and the grace that is geuen to a man, preserueth him as the aple of an eye.Thess. 1.4. But as touching brotherly loue, ye neede not that I write vnto you, for ye are taught of god to loue one an other, who so discouereth secretes leseth his credence,Eccle. 27. and findeth no frende after his mynde, loue thy frende, and bynde thy selfe in faithfulnes with him, but if thou bewraiest his secretes thou shalt not get him againe, for like as the man is that destroyeth his enemy, so is he also that dealeth foolishly in the frendshippe of his neighbour. Like as one that letteth a birde goe out of his hands, cannot take her againe:Rom. 13. also he that loueth his neighbour hath fulfilled the law. I say walke in the spirit,Gala. [...]. and fulfil not the lustes of the flesh, for the flesh lusteth contrary to the spirit, and ye spirit contrary to the flesh these are contrary one to the other, so that ye cannot do that which you would, but and if ye be ledde of the spirit, then are ye not vnder the lawe. The deedes of the flesh are manifest, which are these, fornication, vncleannes, wantonnes, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, varience, zeale, wrath, strife, sedition, sectes, enuiyng, murther, drōkennes, glotony, & such like, of ye which, I tell you before as I haue tolde you in time past, yt they which such things commite shal not inherit the kingdome of God. But ye fruit of ye spirit is loue, ioy, peace, long suffring, gētlenes, goodnes, faithfulnes, mekenes, tēperāce, against such there is no law, they that are Christes haue crucified the flesh with the appetites [Page] and lustes. He that loueth his father and mother,Math. 10. sonne or daughter more then Christ, is not worthy of him. He that findeth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for my sake,Seneca. Tullius. shall finde it. Men can better suffer to be denied, then to be deceiued: Where wrōg is committed by two manner of wayes, either by force, or by fraud, fraud belongeth to a foxe, force to a Lion, both the one and the other is to the nature of man, wonderfull contrary, for that I thinke very necessary some history to be spoken of concerning brotherly loue, the which ought to be, and also the misery the which eftsons happeneth to malicious myndes, and seekers of others harmes.Horasius. libr [...]. primo. I finde that in the dayes of Darius the sonne of Ahasuerues king of Caldey, there rayned also one Phalaris a tyraunt ouer Scicilia, Sicilia is a prouince of Spaine and now vnder the gouernmēt of the Emperour. the which vsed to punish euill offenders very cruelly, and it fortuned that on a tyme there came vnto him one Palarius, a craftes man of brasse, or as it may be more plainlier spokē a brasier, such a workman as was very politike in his occupacion. The sayde Palarius desiring to please Phalaris not onely to get vnto himselfe some great praise, but also hoping to haue had some large reward, made a Bull of brasse,Policro [...]ison. being hollow wyth a doore to open in the one side, whereas all those men that were condempned shoulde go in to be tormented, and when they were within, the doore to be closed, & fier to be made vnder the Bull, so that the crye, the which the offenders made, sounded through the sayde Bull in such hidious sort, as if there had bene a great number of Bulles, because of certaine ingens that were within [Page]

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enclosed. Whē Phalaris saw the crueltie of the crafts man against those mē condemned, among the which there were some of his natiue countrey, as also strangers, forthwith he caused Palarius to be tormented in that sort the which he had ordayned for others, it is therfore necessary that among Christiās there should be christian gouernment, the one to loue the other, & not the one to hate the other. For by such meanes, the worst end of the staffe happeneth to the beginner. Yf [Page] thy neighbour be an offender, and such a one as will not be reformed, then let the lawes prouided serue for his punishment, but be thou no imaginer of euill, also let not there be too whot loue the one with the other, least there happē as sodaine a colde, but liue and loue by measure.Trogus. li. pri. I reade of one Candalus king of Lidus, the which loued his wife so much because of her beutie and fayrenes, that on a time he shewed her vnto one Gigy the which to fore had bene his companion and fellow all naked, to the end that he should thereby praise her beutie and fairenes, reporting her to be one of the personablest women that then were liuing in so much that shortly after his fellow Gigy committed adultery with the wife of Candalus, and so the sayde Candalus thereby lost both his wife and kingdome. In this Candalus time, was liuing the prophet Daniell. Tobi. 4. Let vs loue therefore effecteously supporting one an other, and looke that thou neuer do vnto an other man, the thing that thou wouldest not an other man should do vnto thee, eate thy bread with the hungry and poore, and couer the naked with thy clothes, set thy bread and wine vpon the buriall of the righteous, and do not thou eate and drinke thereof wyth the sinners, aske euer coūsayle of the wise, be alwayes thankfull vnto God, and beseech him yt he will order thy wayes, and that whatsoeuer thou deuisest or tahest in hand, it may remayne in him. Haue we not all one father,Malach. 2. Rom. 13. hath not one God made vs: why doth euery one of vs then despise his owne brother, and so breake the couenaunt of our fathers. Thou shalte not beare false witnes against thy neighbour.Exod. 20. We which [Page] are strōg, ought to beare the frailenes of them which are weake, and not to stand in our owne conceite,Rom. 1 [...]. but euery man please his neighbour vnto his wealth, and edifiyng, for Christ pleased not himselfe, but as it is written, the rebukes of them which rebuke thee, fell on me. Brethren if any man be fallen by chaunce into any fault, ye which are spiritual helpe to amend him, in the spirit of meekenes, considering thy selfe, leaste, thou also be tempted. Beare ye one an others burthen and so fulfill the law of Christ.Eple. [...]. I therefore which am in bandes for the Lordes sake, exhorte you, that ye walke worthy of the vocacion wherewith ye are called, in all humblenes of mynde, and meekenes, and long suffring, forbearing one an other through loue, and that ye be diligent to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bonds of peace, being one body and one spirit, euen as ye are called, in one hope of your calling, let there be but one Lord, one Faith, one Baptisme, one God and father of all, which is aboue all, through al, and in you all.Phil. [...]. If there be among you any consolation in Christ, if there be any comfortable loue, if there be any felowship in spirit, if there be any compassion or mercy, fulfil my ioy that ye draw one way, hauing one loue, being of one accord, and of one mynde, that nothing be done through strife or vayne glory, but that in meekenes of mynde, euery man esteme other, better then himselfe, and that no man consider hys owne, but what is meete for others.Math. 7. Aske and it shalbe geuen you, seeke & you shall finde, knocke & it shalbe opened vnto you, for whosoeuer axeth receiueth, and he that seketh findeth, and to him that knocketh, [Page] it shalbe opened. Be ye therefore discrete and sober, that ye may be apte to prayers,Peter 4. but aboue all thinges haue feruent loue amonge you, for loue couereth the multitude of sinnes, be ye harborus one towardes an other, and that without grudging, as euery mā hath receiued the gift, minister the same one towardes an other, as good ministers of the manifolde grace of God, whosoeuer doth not righteousnes, is not of God neither he that loueth not his brother.Iohn. 13. A newe commaundement geue I vnto you, that ye loue together as I haue loued you, that euē so ye loue one an other, by this shall all men know, that ye are my desciples. This is my commaundement, that ye loue together, as I haue loued you,Iohn. 15. greater loue then this hath no man, then that a man bestow his life for his frendes. Thou shalt not fauour the pore nor honour the mighty,Leuit. 19. but in righteousnes shalt thou iudge thy neighbour. Thou shalt not go vp and downe as a priuy accuser among the people, neither shalt thou stand against the bloude of thy neighbour. I am the Lorde, thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine hart, but shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, that thou beare not sinne for his sake, thou shalt not auenge thy selfe, nor be mindefull of wrong, against the children of my people, but shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe. I am the Lord,Rom. 13. Amos. 5. ye shall keepe my commaundementes. Let loue be without dissimulation, hate that which is euill, and cleaue vnto that which is good. Be kinde one to an other wyth brotherly loue. We shoulde not loue one an other,1. Peter. 4. as Cayne, which was of the wicked and slew his brother, and wherefore slew he him, [Page] because his owne workes were euil, and his brothers good. He that loueth not his brother abideth in death,Iohn. 3. who so euer hateth his brother is a man slayer, and ye know that no man slayer, hath eternal life abiding in him.

¶Our loue towardes our enemies.

WE ought to loue our enemies, ye haue heard how it is sayd, thou shalt loue thine neighbour and hate thine enemy.Math. 5. But I saye vnto you loue your enemies, blesse them which curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them which do you wrong and persecute you, that ye may be the children of your father that is in heauē, for he maketh his sunne to arise on the euill, and on the good, sendeth his raine on the iust and vniust, for if ye loue them which loue you, what reward shal ye haue, do not the publicans likewise, and if ye be frendly to your brethren only what singular thinges do ye, do not the Publicans also, ye shalbe therefore perfect, euen as your father which is in heauen is perfect.Prou. 2 [...]. Let not the wrath and gelosye moue thee to follow the wicked and vngodly, why? the wicked shall haue no posteritie, and the candle of the vngodly shalbe put out. My sonne feare the Lord and the kyng, and keepe no company with them that slide backe from his feare, for their destruction shall come sodainly, and who knoweth the aduersity that may come of them both.Eccle. [...]. Goe not from the doctrine of the elders, for they haue learned it of their fathers, for [Page] of them thou shalt learne vnderstanding, so that thou mayst make answere in ye time of neede, kindle not the coles of sinners, when thou rebukest them, least thou be burnt in the fiery flames of their sinnes, resist not the face of the blasphemer, that he laye not wayte for thy mouth.Esay. 54 Thy children shalbe taught of God, and I will geue them plenteousnes of peace, in righteousnes shalt thou be grounded, and be farre from oppression, for the which thou needest not to be afrayed, neither for hinderaunce, for it shall not come nigh thee, beholde the aliant that was farre from me shall dwell with me, and he that ioyneth battayle against thee shall pearish, and as for all tongues that shall resist thee in iudgement, thou shalte ouercome them, and condemne them, this is the heritage of the Lordes seruauntes, and their righteousnes commeth of me saith the Lord. A wise iudge will order his people with discretion:Eccle. 10. and where a man of vnderstanding beareth rule, there goeth it well, as the iudge of the people is himselfe, euē so are his officers, and loke what manner of man the ruler of the Citie is, such are they that dwel therein also. An vnwise king destroyeth his people, but where they that be in authority be men of vnderstanding, there the citie prospereth. I say vnto you whosoeuer confesseth me before men, euen him shall the sonne of man confesse also before the Angels of God,Luke. 12. & he yt denieth me before mē shalbe denied before ye Angels of God, & whosoeuer speaketh a word against ye sonne of mā, it shalbe forgeuē him, but vnto him yt blasphemeth the holy ghost, it shal not be forgeuen.Actes. 4. Also when the Apostles of Christ were forbidden to preach, they would not, but shewed thē selues [Page] more obedient vnto God, then men, such was the enuy of the Iewes to ye professours of God & his worde. And it came to passe as he sate at meat with them, he tooke bread blessed it, brake and gaue to thē, and their eyes were opened, and they knew him, and he vanished out of their sight.Luke. 24. Our Sauiour Christe shewed himselfe after his passion, vnto two disciples as they went toward Emas, and after that standing in the middest of the eleuēth, as they were together, saying that he was the light of the world, and the sauiour of all those which beleued in him, such loue had our Sauiour towardes the enuious Iewes, and yet they woulde not beleue. Also when the martyr S. Steuen rebuked the stifnecked Iewes,Actes. 7. for their cruell oppression and putting to death of al the prophets, before the comming of that iust, whome ye haue now betrayed and murthered, and ye also haue receaued a law, by the ordinaunce of Angels, and haue not kept it, and when they heard his wordes they gnashed their teeth vppon him, and ranne all at once and stoned him. In like sorte hath the enemies of Gods Gospell, sought to kill & to destroy the professours of hys truth, God graunt for his mercy, if it be his will, to open their eyes, that they may perceiue the truth, and sory their for offences.Math. 10. Who so euer shall not receiue you, nor will heare your preaching, whē ye depart be out of that house, or that citie, shake of the dust of your feete. Truely I say vnto you, it shalbe easier for the lande of Zodom and Gomorra in the day of iudgement then for that Citie.Prou. 25. There is nothing so close that shal not be opened, and nothing so hide that shall [Page] not be knowen, a worde spoken in due season is like apples of golde, in a grauen worke of siluer. Be not wise in your own opinions, recōpence to no man euil for euill,Rom. 12. prouide afore hand thynges honest in the sight of all men, if it be possible, howbeit of your part, haue peace with all men, dearely beloued auenge not your selues, but geue roome to ye wrath of God, for it is written vengeaunce is myne, I wil reward sayth the Lord. Therfore if thyne enemy hunger feede him, if he thirst geue hym drinke, for in so doing, thou shalt heape cooles of fier vppon his head, be not ouercome of euill, but ouercome euill with goodnes.

2. Kings 1.When the profit Dauid heard that an Amelikite had slayne his enemy King Saule, he was very sory, and mourned for him, and caused ye Amelikite for his rewarde also to be slayne, because he had killed the Lordes annoynted. [...]e [...]e. 18. When the Lord purposed to destroy Zodom and Gomorra. Abraham sayde vnto hym, Lorde what if there be 50. righteous, wilte thou spare the rest for their sakes, so that it came to the number of tenne, and there coulde none be founde, but onely Lotte and his householde the which were preserued, thus oughte euery man to forgeue and to pray for his ennemy, and so shall we bee the seruauntes of God.

faith

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¶Of fayth and the wonderfull working of the same: and stedfast beliefe of the fathers in olde tyme.

The signification.

THe man in armour signifieth all stedfast beleuers of the veritie, being armed with constant zeale of Christianitie, and weaponed with the shielde of liuely faith, the spere of continuaunce, and the sworde of the word of God: The Diuil vnder him is temptation, being ouercome by faith in Christ Iesus.

[Page] FAith is a sure cōfidēce of things which are hoped for,Hebr. 11. and a certainty of things which are not seene. By it the Elders were well reported of.Gene. [...]. Through fayth we vnderstand that the world was ordayned by ye word of God:Actes. 13. And things which are seene, were made of thinges which are not seene.Rom. 1. By faith Abell offred vnto God a more plenteous sacrifice then Cayne,Gen. 4. by which he obtayned witnes that he was righteous, God testifiyng of hys giftes: by which also he being dead yet speaketh. By faith was Enoch translated that he shoulde not see death,Gen. 5. Sapi. 4. Eccle. 44. and. 49. neither was he found, for God had taken him away. Before he was takē away, he was reported of that he had pleased God: but without faith it is impossible to please him, for he that cōmeth to God, must beleue that God is, and that he is a rewarder of thē that seeke him.

Gen. 5. Eccle. 44.By faith Noe being warned of God, eschued the thinges which were as yet not seene, and prepared the Arke to the sauing of his houshold, through the which Arke, he condempned the worlde, and became heyre of ye righteousnes which is according to faith.Math. 12. Gen. 11. Actes. 7. By faith Abraham when he was called, obeyed to goe out into a place, which he shoulde afterward receiue to inheritaunce: and he went out, not knowing whether he should goe. By faith he remoued into the land of promise, as into a straunge countrey, whē he had dwelt in tabernacles, and so did Isaack and Iacob heires with him of the same promise, for he looked for a Citie, hauing a foundation whose builder and [Page] is God. Through faith Sara also receaued strength to conceaue and be with childe,Gen. 21. and was deliuered of a childe, when she was past age, because she iudged him faithfull which had promised: & therefore sprang there of one, euen of one, which was as good as dead so many in multitude as are the starres of the skye, and as the sand the which is by the sea shore, innumerable. These all dyed according to faith,Gen. 15 when they had not receiued the promises, but sawe them afarre of, and beleued them, and saluted them,Iob. 8. Gen. 47. 1. par. 29. psal. 39. and confessed that they were straungers & pilgrimes on the earth, for they that sawe such thinges, declare that they seke a Countrey, and if they had bene mindefull of the countrey, frō whence they came out, they had leasure to haue retourned agayne: but now they desier a better, that is to say an heauenly, wherefore God hymselfe is not ashamed, to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a Citie.Exod. 13. By fayth Abraham offered vp Isaac, when he was proued, and he offred him being his onely sonne, in whome he had receiued the promises, and to him it was sayde, in Isaac shall thy seede be called, for he considered that God was able to rayse vp agayne from death, therefore receiued he him also for an example of ye resurrection. By faith did Isaac blesse Iacob and Esau,Gen. 27. Gene. 49. concerning thinges to come. By fayth Iacobe when he was a dying, blessed both the sonnes of Ioseph, and bowed hymselfe towarde the toppe of his scepter.Gen. 50. By fayth Ioseph when he dyed, remembred the departyng of the children of Israell, and gaue commaundement of his bones

[Page] Exo. 2. Act. 7. Exo. 2.By faith Moyses when he was borne, was hidde three monthes of his father and mother, because they saw he was a proper childe, neither feared they the kinges commaundemente. By fayth Moyses when he was great, refused to be called the sonne of Pharaoes daughter, and chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God, then to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season, and estemed the rebuke of Christ, greater riches then the treasures of Egipt, for he had respect vnto the reward. By fayth he forsoke Egipt, and feared not the fiercenes of the king, for he endured, euen as though he had sene him which is inuisible.Exo. 12. Exo. 14. Iosua. 6. Through fayth he ordayned the passouer, and the effusiō of bloud, least he that destroyeth ye first borne, should touch them. By faith they passed through the red sea as by dry land: which whē the Egiptians had assayed to do,Iosua. 2. they were drowned. By faith ye walles of Iericho fell downe, after they were compassed about seuen dayes.Iudi. 7. Iudi. 4. Iudi. 14. Iudi. 11. 1. Reg. 17. 1. Reg. 12. 1. Reg, 17. Dan. 6. Dan. 3. Dan. 2. 3. Reg. 19. By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that were disobedient, when she had receiued the spies to lodging peaceably, and what shall I more saye, for the time wilbe to short for me to tell of Gedeon, of Barach, and of Sampson, and of Iephtaph of Dauid also, and Samuell and of the Prophets, which through faith subdued kingdomes, wrought righteousnes, obtayned the promises, and stopped the mouthes of Lions, quenched the violence of fier, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weaknes were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armes of the aliantes, the women receiued their dead raysed to life agayne. Other were racked [...] [Page] would not be deliuered, that they myght inherit a better resurrection.3. Reg. 21. Esa. 38. 3. Reg. 17. 3. Reg. 14. Againe other were tried with mockkinges and scorninges, moreouer with bondes and prisonment, and were stoned, were hewen a sunder, were tempted, were slaine with the sworde, walked vp and downe in sheepes skinnes and goates skinnes being destitute, troubled, and vexed, which men the worlde was not worthy of. They wandered in wildernes and in mountaynes, and in dennes and caues of the earth, and these all through fayth obtayned good report, and receiued not the promise because God had promysed a better thynge for vs, that they without vs should not be made perfect.

By faith we resist the Deuill,1. Iohn. 2. and ouercome him in the worlde. Finally my brethren, be stronge in the Lord, and in the power of his might, put on the armour of God,Ephe. 6. that ye may stand stedfast against the crafty assaultes of the Deuill, for we wrestle not against flesh and bloude, but against rule, against power, and against worldely rulers of the darckenes of thys worlde, against spirituall wickednes, for heauē ly thinges, for this cause take vnto you the armoure of God, that ye may be able to resiste in the euill day, and stand perfect in all thinges. They that haue receiued the faith and the holy Ghost, and also tasted the gospel of God, if they do forsake it,Hebr. 6. and blaspheme it, willing to be saued by other sacrifice then that by Christ, do abide the iudgement of God wythout mercy, we yt beleue Christ let vs follow Christes liuing.Hieroni. August. The faith of a Christian is ioyned with charitie, and without charitie is the faith of the Deuill. Like as [Page] the bodye is deade wherein is no spirite,Iacobus August. so faith is dead where there lacketh workes. Fayth not exercised, soone waxeth sicke, and being vnoccupied is assaulted with sundry displeasures. Well may he be counted right valiaunt in dede, which in ioy nor in sorow doth not exceede, the faithfull man possesseth his treasure,Seneca. whose modestie moueth still to minde measure. He that teacheth the liuely faith in Christ, buildeth the building and doctrine of God.1. Tim. 1. Iames. 1. 2. Cor. 13. For faith in tribulation causeth patience. Let euery man see therfore whether he continue in the same. Faith also maketh vs to obtayne that whiche we desire in prayer, and by the which we are by the number of saintes,Math. 21. Actes. 26. 1. Iohn. 5. in receauing remission of our sinnes. Thus faith is our v [...]tory, for all that is borne of God, ouercommeth the world, and this is the victory that ouercommeth the worlde, euen our faith. Who is it that ouercommeth the worlde? euen he which beleueth that Iesus is the sonne of God. Christ is risen from the dead, and is become the first frutes of them that slepe: for as by man came death,1. Cor. 15. euen so by man also came life euerlasting, to all that faythfully beleue.

hope

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¶Of Hope.

The signification.

THe troubled seas signifie the temptations of mankinde, the shippe beyng rent, signifieth the dispersed churche of God, who beyng tossed to and fro by the force of temptations, and throwne out, yet they not fearyng the boysterous windes of aduersitie, but thorough assured hope in Christ they flie to the rocke of endles felicitie, which is Christ.

[Page] BEcause therefore that we are iustified by fayth, we are at peace with God, thorough our Lorde Iesus Christ, by whom we haue a way in through faith vnto his grace, where in we stand and reioyce in hope of the praise that shalbe geuen of God, neither do we see onely, but also reioice in tribulation: for we know that tribulatiō bringeth pacience,Rom. 5. pacience bringeth experience, experience bringeth hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, for the loue of God is shed abrode in our hartes by the holy ghost which is geuen vnto vs. All suche as be right Christians, are not ashamed of this hope, for they are well assured that by the death of Christ, God loueth vs, and will bring the hope of all Christians to passe. Hope here is not alone, but is ioyned with fayth and charitie, so that the one cannot be without the other, neither the one to haue the lacke of the other: For as Faith cannot be iustified without workes, no more can hope without charitie: for as faith without workes is deade, so is hope without charitie deade also. Therfore it is necessary for all christians to ioyne thē selues to these foure, and although they be named in foure seuerall names, yet but two in effect, as may be very plainly vnderstanded, Faith, workes, hope and charitie, workes in the name of a plurall number, signifieth all, as well the euill, as good. But I meane those workes in the which all faithfull Christians ought to arme themselues withall, and all those that with willing mindes doo further any of these, vnto such the rewarde is most happy and fortunate, with [Page] faithfull hope there is alwayes constant charitie, the which worketh so diligently that she neuer seaseth, but is still labouring by all meanes to helpe and relieue all such as of her hath neede. Example herein, may be compared vnto all diligent preachers & furtherers of Gods worde, the which neither for persecution nor preferment of liuing, will once leaue of frō teaching the poore of whom they haue cure & charge, (of such there is very fewe) which signifieth most euident and playne, that charitie is nere blynde and can not very well see. Therefore I wishe or desire all estates so to bridle their affections, that with sufficiencie eche man may so liue in this world, that in ye world to come he may haue euerlasting felicitie. Hope thou in the Lorde and kepe his way,psal. 37. and he shall promote thee, that thou shalt possesse the land. Whē the vngodly perishe thou shalt see it.psal. 17. But my hope hath bene in thee O Lord. I haue sayd thou art my God.psal. 46. God is our hope and strength, a very present helpe in tyme of trouble. For thou lord art my hope,psal. 91. thou hast set thine house of defence very hye. My soule hath longed for thy saluation,psal. 119. and I haue a good hope because of thy worde. Thou O God art the thyng that I long for,psal. 71. psal. 141. thou art my hope euē from my youth. I also cried vnto the Lord, and sayd, thou art my hope and my portion in the land of the liuing. Blessed be the Lorde my strength, which teacheth my handes to warre, & my fingers to fight, my hope, and my fortresse, my castle and deliuerer, my defender in whome I trust, which subdueth my people that is vnder me: for I suppose that the afflictions of this lyfe,Rom. 8. are not worthy of the [Page] glory, which shall be shewed vpon vs, also the feruent desire of the creatures abideth, loking when ye sonnes of God shall appeare, because the creatures are subdued to vanitie against their wyll, but for hys will which subdued them in hope, for the very creatures shall be deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God: for we know that euery creature groneth with vs also, and trauaileth in payne, euen vnto this time not they only, but euen we also which haue the first fruites of the spiritie, mourne in our selues, and waite for the adoption, and loke for the deliueraunce of our bodies, for wee are saued by hope: but hope that is seene, is no hope, for howe can a man hope for that which he seeth, but and if we hope for yt which we see not, then doo we with patience abyde for it: for where fayth is, there is hope, and where as there is no sure hope, there is no christian fayth, wherefore it may be right well sayd, we are saued by hope. That is by the most certayne and sure faith in Christes promise,Rom. 12. whiche causeth vs to hope certainly that at the tyme appointed, we shall be deliuered from this great burden of the flesh.Prou. 11. Pro. 14. The desire of ye righteous is acceptable, but the hope of the vngodly is iudgement. The vngodly is cast a way for his iniquitie, but the righteous hath a good hope euen in death.Pro. 25. The hope that is put in a false man in tyme of neede, is like a rotten tooth, but let not thy soule be moued to slay him. Also as there is a good hope, vnto the godly which before is expressed so is there a fayned hope among the wicked and very seldome can be redressed, whiche is when a man in [Page] worldly causes hopeth to bring to passe that thyng which by no meanes may be entertayned or gotten. Example of one Iphis the sonne of Theucer, kyng of Mesia, a countrey ioyning to Hungary, the which for the loue of a damosell called Anaxareten, hanged him selfe. Wherefore the Poetes haue fayned the saide Anaxareten to be turned into a stone because that she loued not him the which for her loue had hanged him selfe.Ouidius lib. 4. Moreouer what ensued of the Princes whiche sought the death of the Prophet Daniell, their folishe & vayne hope was vtterly frustrated, for they thought that Daniell being once among the lyons, could neuer haue escaped vndestroyed, but God so preserued him that he escaped yt death, and those princes which hoped that after his death to haue ruled & borne their owne sway, were of the lions vtterly destroyed, this is the ende of all vayne hope. Therfore as there is an infallible and true god, so is there also but one firme and true faith, and in like, one hope, and one charitie. Let all christians therfore pray vnto God to send his holy spirite amonge [...]t vs, and that we may be thankful for his inestimable benefites daily bestowed vpon vs, lest the like mischiefe happen vnto vs now present, as by example hathe happened vnto those the which [...]aue bene refusers of the same.

charity

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❧The description of Charitie.

1. Iohn. 4. GOd is charitie, & he that dwelleth in charitie dwelleth in God, and God in hym. Here in is also loue perfect in vs that we should haue trust in the day of iudgement. The charitie of God is declared vnto vs,Iohn. 3. for he hath sent his sonne alredy into the world to redeme the world, from sinne, death, and hell, and hath payde for our raunsome, euen his most precious bloud vpon the crosse for vs miserable creatures, els had we bene vtterly destroyed for euer. No man ascended vp into heauen, but he that came downe from heauen. And as Moyses lifted vp the Serpent in the wildernes, euen so must the sonne of man be lifted vp, that none that beleue in him perish, but haue eternall life. Little children ye are of God, and haue ouercome the world, for greater is he that is in you, then he that is in the worlde, he the which is prince of the worlde is the diuell. But the charitable louing and merciful sauiour, he is the king of heauen, and of all charitable people, but suche as say that workes onely iustifieth from sinne, do not onely and vtterly deny Christ to be come in the flesh, but also they deny and depriue them selues from the euerlasting ioy and heauenly felicitie, and although workes are nedefull and necessary, yet beyng without faith, hope, & charitie, nothing at all auayleth. In beleuyng that all such workes as are done truely, and not fainedly, with faith ioyned, are most wholesome and profitable. Hope, in tarying the good will and pleasure of God, neuer thinkyng the [Page]

Of Charitie.

¶The signification.

AS many as intend to be pertakers with Christ & his Apostels must vse this worke of charitie, which is to fede the hungry, to clothe the naked, to harbor the harbourles, & lodge the stranger, to visite the sicke, and to relieue the prisoners and poore afflicted members of Christ, this is the dueties of all faithfull people.

[Page] tyme long of this our abode and pilgrimage. Charitie in all thinges nourishing,Rom. 5. and ready to cherish all such as lacke and are in necessitie, and so continuyng till it shall please the Lord, to chaunge vs into a better life, which is most glorious: for if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne, much more, seyng we are reconciled, we shalbe preserued by his life, not onely so, but we also ioy in God by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ, by whome we haue receyued the attonement. Nothing ought to seperate vs from the charitie of God:Rom. 8. for whatsoeuer he be yt seeth what Christ hath done for him, cannot but beleue that God loueth hym, and with all his soule, mynde, and will, ought to loue god agayne: for thorough his loue that loueth vs, we ouercome strongly the infirmity of our corrupt and filthy flesh, yea I am sure that neither death, neither life neither aungels, neither rule, neither power, neither thinges present, neither thinges to come, neither hie, neither low, neither any other creature, shall be able to depart any faithfull beleuer from the loue of God shewed in Christ Iesu our Lord. For the eternal wisdome of God was, and is such, that before the world began, appointed certayne that should professe & set forth the gospel of his sonne, euen to the worlds ende, that is, they are not onely called, but also elected and chosen. All the commaundementes do lead vs to charitie, for the ende of the commaundementes is loue, the which commeth of a pure hart, and of a good cō science, and of fayth vnfayned, for the which thynges some haue erred, and haue turned vnto vayne iangelyng, [Page] because they would be doctours in the Scriptures, and yet vnderstand not what they speake, neither wherof they affirme. If this part of Scripture were well considered of all such frantike heades, the which taketh vpon them to interprete the scriptures according to their owne wilfull myndes, I doo not doubt, but suche would be better aduised, in considering their dueties, not onely to their princes and gouernours, but also to the omnipotent God who is able in a moment clearely to seclude, and cutte of such vnprofitable impes. For as Corach, Dathan, and Abiram, were destroyed for their rebelliō against Moses Gods seruaunt, in resisting the ordinaunces and lawes before commaunded, they as men the whiche would seme wiser in their doyng then Moses, which had the firme and true law in dede, were by the Lord so greuously plaged, that the earth opened, and they all went downe into hell,1. Cor. 16. suche is the rewarde of all disobedient children. Watche ye, stande fast in fayth, quit you like men and be strong, and let your busines be done in loue.1. Iohn. 2. My little children these things write I vnto you, that ye sinne not, if any mā sinne, yet we haue an aduocate with ye father Iesus Christ which is righteous, and he it is that obtayneth grace for our synnes, not for our sinnes onely, but for the synnes of the whole worlde. And hereby we are sure that we knowe him, if we keepe his commaundementes.Rom. 1.3 He that saith I know him and keepe his commaundements, is a lyer, and the veritie is not in him.Ephe. 4. Owe nothing to any man, but to loue one an other, with charitable loue. I therefore which am in bondes for the lordes sake, exhort you, that we walke worthy of [Page] the vocation wherwith you are called, in all humblenes of minde, and meekenes, and long suffering, forbearing one an other, and forgeuyng one an other through loue, and that you be diligent to kepe the vnitie of the spirit, in the bonde of peace, beyng one body and one spirite, euen as you are called in one hope of your callyng. Let there be one Lord, one fayth, one baptisme, one God and father of all, which is aboue all, and in you all. Let vs be rooted in charitie, that is let vs consider one an other, to prouoke vnto loue, & to do good workes: and let vs forsake the fellowship that we haue among our selues, as the maner of some is: but let vs exhorte one another, and that so much the more, because ye see that the day draweth nye, in this part is shewed our duetie, if we wil be pertakers of the mercy before rehersed.Hebr. 10. Heb. 6. Math. 12. But if we sinne willinglingly after that we haue receiued the knowledge of the truth, there remayneth no more sacrifice for sins, but a feareful loking for iudgement and violent fire, which shall deuoure the aduersaries. This place is also spoken of in the 6. of thys epistle, and also in the 12. of the Euangelist S. Mathew, that in sinnyng willingly, is blasphemy against the holy ghost, which S. Iohn calleth ye sinne vnto death, let all such therfore, as spare not to blaspheme the spirit of God in resisting and rayling vpon hys worde know that their masse is no sacrifice for sinne, but yt the terrible iudgement of God remaineth for them and their wicked idolatry. Charitie ouercōmeth all sinne. If I had the spirite of prophecy and knew all misteries, & all maner of cunning. Also if I had all fayth, in so much as [Page] I could translate and cary away mountaynes out of their places, yet were I nothyng if I lacked charity. Moreouer, if I did distribute all my goods in feding the poore, and although I gaue my body that I burned, hauing no charitie, it nothyng auaileth me. Charitie is pacient and gentle. Charitie hath enuy at no man, it doth nothyng amisse, it is not puft out wyth pryde, it is not ambicious, she seeketh not her profite, she is not moued, she thinketh no euil, she reioyceth in no mischiefe, she goeth with truth, all thinges she suffereth, all thinges she beleueth, according to godly charitie, all thinges she hopeth which is to saluation, all thinges she beareth, charitie neuer fayleth. Thus sayth the Lord: the people of Israel,Iere. 13. which escaped in the wildernes, from the sworde, found grace to come into their rest. Euen so shall the Lorde now also appeare vnto me from farre, & say, I loue thee with an euerlasting loue, therfore by my charitable mercy, I haue drawen thee to me. I will repaire thee agayne, O thou daughter of Israell, that thou mayest be fast and sure. Therfore whatsoeuer thou be that this shal read, iudge not rashly, but vse the Scriptures to the furtheraunce of thy health and solace, and although in many points they may dislike thee, yet know thou that it is the truth and thou the lyer: therefore I say agayne, whatsoeuer pointe or title thou happen to read, and do not wel vnderstand it, as if thy capacity be not able to comprehend ye meaning therof, omit it to the diuine wisdom of god, & pray yt it may be opened & reueled vnto thee, & thus with charitie vse thy selfe, that therby it be not only a profit to thee whilest thou [Page] art liuing, but also an euerlasting ioy in the world to come. The hipocrites for to follow their inuencions, do leaue iudgement, and charitie vndone, as appeareth more euident in the xi. chapter of the Euangelist S. Luke.Luke. 11. God graunt for his mercy, such charitie to raigne amongst vs, that there may not onely be an outward shew therof, but also in dede, wherby we may be found at the generall day such seruaunts, as were occupied and not stepyng, when we shall be called.

justice

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Of humayne iustice and iudgement.

NO man may be iust, that feareth either death, payne, exile, or pouertie, or that preferreth their contraries, before very equitie.Tulli. The foundation of perpetuall prayse and renoume is iustice, without the which nothyng is commendable. King Agesilaus being demaūded which was the better, either iustice or fortitude. He aunswered, if all men were iust, we neded no fortitude. The glory of a good man is to do iustice. Iustice exalteth the people, but sinne maketh the people wretched and miserable. The Emperour Alexander hearyng that a poore olde woman was ill intreated with one of his souldiours,Aristides. he discharged him, and gaue him in bondage vnto the woman to get her her liuing with his crafte, forasmuch as he was a carpenter. Aristides, being called the righteous, being demaunded of one if he was righteous of his owne nature. Nature said he, hath much holpen me thereto, but yet by myne industrie, I haue holpen her also. In the pathe of iustice is lyfe, the way that turneth there from, leadeth vnto death. Iustice exalteth the people in honour. Sinne maketh the people wretched and miserable. Use not iustice for fauour of frendshippe, or malice, but so deale with all men, that they may report well of thee. My sonne, desiring wisdome, kepe thou true iustice, and God almighty wyll geue it vnto thee. Caius fabricus, was consul of Rome in his dayes there was discention among the Samnites, and for that they determined an ende, came before [Page]

❧ Of Iustice.

The signification.

SHe which sitteth hauing in one hande a sworde, and in the other a paire of balance, is iustice, also hauyng but one eye in the midst of her forehed, signifieth vpright iudgement, not exteming the person, the balance equitie, to vse no parcialitie, nether for loue nor fauour, the sword to cut of all rebellious persons and offenders, the other are signified in the chapter.

[Page] yt said Fabricus, & profering a great sūme of gold desired his counsaile for that they had bene so long tyme in controuersie. Fabricus seing their gold, laughed, saying: let me first see whether it hath either taste or smell, and so gaue to them their golde againe, here in he shewed himselfe to be such a iudge as regarded more true iustice, then corrupt bribery or gayne. For saith he, it is better to be maister ouer gold, then that gold should haue the gouernment, the which encreaseth most miserable tormentes, it may bee supposed that in these our dayes there are very few such Iudges and doers of Iustice, for the corrupte desire of golde hath blynded the eies of many, not altogether among iudges, but also among all degrees, as well spirituall as temporall, and forasmuch as all commē dable histories ought no to be forgotten in causes nedefull, therfore are they placed in such sort, as most best may sollicitate the myndes of all louyng and diligent readers, and also to that end and purpose that when Gods iustice and iudgement shal be shewed among the wicked for the inordinate liuing) as a fore warnyng, let this be taken hede of, for that the iustice and iudgement by Gods wordes, threatneth for greuous offence greuous punishment.

Cambices beyng kyng ouer the Persians and Medes aboute the yeare of the worlde foure thousande and seuentie, elected and chose one named Sisamnes to be iudge ouer his people, the which for his parcialitie was complained vpon vnto the king, that he had against law & right condēned a man to death, the matter being examined and founde true, forthwith [Page] the kyng caused the sayde Iudge to be put to death, and his skinne to be striped of, and layd before the iudgement seat, where tofore he had done the offence, and also caused Ottanus, Sisames sonne to succede in iudgement, admonishing hym to beware of peruerse iustice by example of his fathers skinne, lest beyng founde with the like fact, to haue the lyke rewarde, and also caused these verses to be written of him as followeth.

Policro.

1. Sede sedens ista, iudex inflexibilis sta

2. A manibus reuoces munus, ab aure preces

3. Sit tibi lucerna, lex lux, pellis (que) paterna,

4. Qua recedes natus, pro patre sponte datus.

Thou that sittest in this iudicall place,

Set vp right, and holde thy handes from meede,

Thine eares from prayer, and fauour from thee chace,

Let loue be thy guide, keepe iustice I thee read,

Thy fathers skinne, which doth thy chayre spred,

Haue in thy mynde, fall not to like offence,

Lest for thy fault, thou make like recompence.

The iudges ought to do righteous iudgement accordyng to the commaundement of God geuen by Moses vnto the children of Israell, saying: I charged your iudges at the same tyme, saying, heare the cause of your brethren, & iudge righteously betwene euery man and his brother,Deu. 1.16. and the straunger that is with him. See that you know no faces in iudgement but heare the small as wel as the great, and be afraid of no man, for the iudgement is Gods, and the cause that is to harde for you bring vnto me, and I wyll [Page] heare it. Iudges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy cities, which the Lorde thy God geueth thee thorough out thy tribes, and they shall iudge the people righteously. Wrest not thou the law, nor know any person, neither take any reward, for giftes blynde the wise, and peruerte the wordes of the righteous. That which is iust and right shalt thou follow, that thou mayst liue, and enioy the land which the Lorde thy God geueth thee.Sirach. 20 Pro. [...]4. Rewardes and giftes blyndeth the eyes of the wise, and maketh him domme, that he cannot tell men their faultes. It is not good to haue respect of any person in iudgement, neither to regard the outward appearaunce of men. He that saith to the vngodly, thou art righteous, him shall ye people curse, yea, the comminaltie shall abhorre him, but they that rebuke the vngodly, in them doth God delight, and a riche blessing shall come vpon them.Sirach. 11. Condemne no man before you haue tried out the matter, and when thou hast made inquisition, then reforme righteously, geue not sentence before thou hast heard ye cause, but first let men tell out their tales. Striue not for a matter, that toucheth not thy selfe, and stand not in the iudgement of sinners.

If there be strife betwene men,Deu. 29. Deu. 27. they shall come vnto the law, and let the iudges geue sentence betwene them, and iustify the righteous, and condemne ye vngodly. Cursed be he that taketh rewarde to slay the soule of innocent bloud, for in iudgement a mā should not agree to the voyce of many, for to come by the truth. Thou shalt not accept a vaine tale, nether shalt put thine hand with ye wicked,Exo. 23. to be an vnrighteous [Page] witnes.Iohn. 7. The law doth forbid to iudge of a man, except he be knowne to be such a one, as hath bene before either an extorcioner, or a periured person, or such a one as hath bene before an vtter enemy to all good lawes and orders, he that iudgeth his brother, iudgeth the law.Iames. 4 What art thou that iudgest an other: Go to now, ye that say, to day and to morrow let vs go into such a citie and continue there a yere, and buy and sell, and winne, and yet cannot ye tell, what shall happen on the morrow, for what thing is your lyfe, it is euen a vapour that appeareth for a little tyme, and then vanisheth away: for that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, and if we lyue, let vs do this or that, but now ye reioyce in your bostinges, all such reioysings is euill: therefore to hym that knoweth how to do good, and doth it not, to hym it is sinne, he that backbiteth or iudgeth his brother, doth iudge the lawe to be euil, for the law forbiddeth so to do. He that knoweth and yet doth not, is without excuse, for God hath promised no mercy, but to thē that wil do their good will. Herein is not onely an excellent admonition vnto worldly iudges, but also among all estates, so that whatsoeuer he be, that by any meanes goeth about to dislike or misuse, vnto that person is promised the iust iudgement of God, the which hath power to destroy both body & soule. Thou shalt not fauour ye poore, nor honour the mighty, but in righteousnes thou shalte iudge thy neighbour, thou shalt not go vp and doune, as a priuy accuser among ye people,Leui. 19. neither shalt thou stand against the bloud of thy neyghbour that thou beare no sinne for his sake.Pro. 3.

[Page]My sonne forget not thou my law, but see that thine hart kepe my commaundements, let mercy and faithfulnes neuer go from thee, bynd them about thy necke, and write them in the tables of thine harte, so shalt thou fynde fauour and good vnderstandyng in the sight of God and man.Eccle. 4. Deliuer him that suffreth wrong from the hand of ye oppressor, and be not faint harted when thou sittest in iudgement. Be mercifull vnto the fatherles as a father, & be in stede of an husband vnto their mother, so shalt thou be an obedient sonne of the highest, and he shall loue thee more then thy mother doth. At the mouth of two or thre witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death dye,Deu, 17. and at the mouth of one witnes let no man die.Eccle. 20. Beware of bribery and giftes, for rewardes and giftes blynde the eyes of the wise and make him domme, that he cānot tell men their faultes. The Kite in the ayre knoweth her tyme, the turtle, the Storke, and the swalow do come at their seasons, my people knowe not theyr lordes iudgemēt.Tulli. A good man will not in his frendes cause do against a weale publike, against hys othe, nor agaynst the trust which is put in hym, for he layeth aside the personage of a frend, when he taketh on hym a iudges office.Alexander Augustus. The emperor Alexander would neuer suffer to be solde the office of a iudge, or great authoritie in ye execution of lawes saying, nedes must he sel that doth buy. And I wil not let that there shal be merchants of gouernance, which if I do suffer, I may not condemne, for I am ashamed to punish a mā that buyeth and selleth. Themistocles being the chief iudge in Athence, when there came to hym a great [Page] musitian which desired of hym a thyng somewhat against iustice. Themistocles aunswered, if in singing thou doost not regarde number and tyme, thou art not worthy to be called a good musitian, nor I a good Iudge if I would preferre before the lawes, the priuate fauour of any one person.1. Reg. 8. The children of Israell cried out vnto Samuell against his two sonnes, the whiche he had made to be rulers of his people, because they did peruert ye law and were corrupt with rewardes, whose names were Ioell and Abia, and required a kyng (consider the misery the which hath alwayes happened among cruel and tyrannous iudges, and also the happy successe of good & godly maiestrates, Iudges and other officers, and then may it plainely be perceiued to whome Gods mercy is shewed, for as he is a god of truth, so is he also in vsing hys iustice to the wicked damnation, and to the other most happy saluation.

truth

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❧ The description of Veritie.

CHrist is the truth, and he is also called the spirite of truth,Iohn. 14. not onely because he is true, but bicause he maketh ye name into whome he entreth true, where as all they do, without the spirite is none other thing but lies.2. Peter. 1. Also S. Peter saith, that all diligence ought to be shewed among christians. And hereunto geue all diligence in your fayth, ministryng vertue in vertue, knowledge in knowledge, temperaunce in temperance, pacience in pacience, godlines in godlines, brotherly kindnes in brotherly kindnes, loue, for if these thinges be among you & are plenteous, they will make you that ye neyther shall be idle nor vnfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ. But he yt lacketh these things is blinde and gropeth for the way with his hand, and hath forgotten that he was purged from hys olde sinne, as many as lacketh these and such like workes are blynde and vnderstandeth not, what the faith of Christ meaneth, and also without the mercy of Iesus Christ, are vtterly secluded from all heauenly felicity, which felicitie cannot be gotten (of suche) with out harty prayers, in the tyme of this transitory abode vpon earth, and as many as haue in them the motions of these godly and fruitfull vertues, may be most assured, to be the very elect, and that they haue the true faith, so long as they cōtinue therin, no state, no time, no florishing power, no monarchie, nothyng within the circuite of the whole earth, may once be compared [Page] to the prosperous estate and endeles felicitie of those and such as haue and do obey the liuing God.

Iosua for that he obeyed God enherited certayne possessions in the lande of Canaan, and likewyse the lord strengthened Caleb ye sonne of Iephune, which said, behold the Lord hath kept me aliue as he sayde. This 45. yeares euen since the Lord spake this word vnto Moyses while the children of Israell wandred in the wildernes,Iosua. 14. and nowe, loe, I am this day 85. yeares olde, and yet am as strong at this tyme, as I was when Moyses sent me, loke how strong I was then, so strong am I now, whether I go to warre or to come agayne. Herein is plainly shewed what happy rewarde happeneth vnto those that vse truth, for that both Iosua & Caleb obeyed the lordes behestes, truely they therefore receiued the rewarde of truth which is eternall felicitie. All the wayes of the Lorde are mercy and truth, let thy tonge be ignoraunt of lying,Ieronomi. and swearing, and loue so well truth, that what soeuer thou speakest, thinke that thou swerest. Truth most commonly with many wordes is scattred to nothing.Lactanti. The eternall God is so mercifull vnto his people that he geueth them space to amende of theyr former offences, and calleth them by his prophetes and preachers, to the ende that they at all tymes should be redy in all truth and godly exercises, to sollicitate thē selues withall,Exo. 18. as for example. The Lord commaunded Moyses, saying: Thou shalt seeke out among all the people, men of actiuitie, and suche as feare God, true men hatyng couetousnes, and make them heads ouer the people.Deu. 13. If thou shalt heare say in one of thy [Page] cities, which thy Lord thy God hath geuen thee to dwell in, that certayne men being the children of Beliall, are gone out from among you, and haue moued the Inhabiters of theyr citie, saying, Let vs go and serue strange Gods which ye haue not known, then thou must seeke and make searche, and inquire diligently, and beholde, if it be true and the thyng of a surety, that suche abhomination is wrought among you, then thou shalt smite the dwellers of that citie, in the edge of the sworde, and destroy it vtterly, and all that is therein, and euen the very cattell thereof, with the edge of the sworde, and gather all the spoile of it, into the midst of the streete therof, and burne it with fire, both the citie, and all the spoyle therof euery whit, for the Lorde thy God. For asmuch therefore as the almighties charge was so great vnto Moses & Aaron, wyth the rest Ministers in those days concernyng Idolatry and supersticious ordinaunces, and that they were commaunded by the mouthe of the mighty and eternall God, fully to seclude themselues, not onely from the personages or companies, but also from all suche goodes as all those chyldren of Beliall had in their gouernement, and in no wise to entermeddle wyth one iote of it, and that bothe theyr fayned Gods and goodes shoulde be burned, not priuily, but openly, to the intente, that those Leuites and people whiche beleued in the true God shoulde not at no time therewith bee infected, and also because Sathan should not haue any quarrell, at no time, amongst the peculier people of God, sithens therfore that the commaundementes of God, [Page]

Of Veritie.

The signification.

HE which sitteth on the raynebowe signifieth Christ, and the sworde in his hande signifieth his wrath against the wycked, the round compasse, the worlde, and those two climing, the one a Pope, and the other a Cardinall, striuyng who shall be higheir, and the Diuell which falleth headlong downe is Lucifer, whiche through pride fel, he which holdeth the world, is death, standing in the entrance of hell to receyue all such superbious liuers.

[Page] were so earnestly looked vnto in those dayes, and so iustly and truely obserued, how much more ought it, in these our dayes, to be both looked and sene vnto, for those people beleued in the promises to come, hoping in deede, that that god the which had promised, was able to performe that which was promised, and through there beliefe were receaued vp in glory, now that which was promised, and of them looked and hoped for, is come to passe, which is Christ, the sauiour of the whole world, and vnto vs as mighty a sauiour, which beleue, as vnto them the which before his comming through the promise beleued. Then if we will be the true children of God, as they were, we must do as they did, which is to follow yt which God commaunded, not only them, but all vs also, which is to cleaue to all truth, to deny all supersticious enormites and imaginations of man, and to vse the worde of God rightfully and truely, taking nothing from it, neither adding or putting any thing to it, but sincerely and truely to reuerence and obey it, & to shew our selues willing members of the churche of God, and then God will guide vs, and so enflame our harts with the ardent desire of his promises, that at no time the boysterous windes of errour shall not once haue power to ouerthrow vs, neither the tiranus threatning of princes and magistrates once able to euert or turne vs from the deuine preceptes of our only Lord and sauiour Iesus.Deu. 18. When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God geueth thee, se that thou learne not to do after the abhominations of those nations, let there not be founde among you [Page] any one, that maketh his sonne or daughter to go through the fier, or that vseth witchcraft, or a choser out of dayes, or that regardeth the flying of foule or a sorcerer, or a charmer or that counselleth with spirits, or a southsayer or that asketh the truth of them that be dead, for all that do such thinges, are abhominable vnto the lord, and because of these abhominations, the lorde thy God doth cast them out before thee, whē thou art come vnto any lande whether it be in parte of thy natiue coūtry or others, learne not the mischeuous imaginations of men, but vse thy selfe with the swete counsailes of Gods worde, let not the subtile craftines of sathan, enflame thine hart with sorcery or witchcraft, or any vaine worshipping of supersticious and diabolicall lawes, for lukers sake, but chiefely in all stormes of temptations pray to the mighty God to ayde thee, and arme thy selfe with gods truth, neuer seacing of thy laboure, till the lord thy God doth call thee, and whatsoeuer he be that in this sort spēdeth his dayes, let him be sure to haue a most happy rewarde. Example.

Hezekiah the sonne of Ahaz kyng of Iuda did raigne,4. Reg. 18 fiue and twenty yeares olde was he when he beganne to raigne and raigned nine & twenty yeares in Ierusalem, and he dyd that whiche was right in the syghte of the Lorde, and therefore the Lorde prospered hym. Teache me, and I will holde my tounge,Iob. 6. and when I doo erre, shewe me where in. Howe stedfast are thy woordes of truthe, and whiche of you can rebuke or reproue them. Be thou my Iudge O Lorde &c.Psal. 26. For thy louyng kindnes is [Page] euer before mine eyes, and I will walke in thy truth. &c? O shut not vp my soule, with the sinners, nor my life with the bloud thirsty, in whose handes is wickednes: and theyr right hands are full of gifts. Good lucke haue thou with thine honoure, ride on, [...]sal. 45. because of the worde of truth, of mekenes, and righteousnes, and thy righte hand shall teache the terrible thinges. But loe thou requiredst truth, in the inwarde parts,Psal. 5 [...]. and shalt make me to vnderstand wisdome secretly. Mercy and truth are met together,Psal. 85. righteousnes and peace haue kissed ech other, truth shall florish out of the earth, and righteousnes hath looked downe from heauen. But thou o lord art full of compassion and mercy, long suffering plenteous in goodnes & truth.Psal. 86. psal. 89. My song shall be alwayes of the louing kindnes of the lord, with my mouth will I euer be showing thy truth from generation to generation, thy truth shalt thou stablish in the heauens, O Lord ye very heauens, shall prayse thy wonderous workes, and thy truth in the congregation of saintes, O Lord who is like vnto thee, thy truth most mighty lord is on euery side, righteousnes and equitie is the habitation of thy seat, mercy and truth shal go before thy face, my truth and my mercy also shal be with him, and in my name shal his horne be exalted, neuerthelesse my louing kindnes will not I vtterly take from him nor suffer my truth to fayle. Lord where are thine olde louing kindnes which thou swarest vnto Dauid in thy truth,psal. 91. hys faythfullnes and truth, shall be thy shilde and buckler. It is a good thinge to geue thankes vnto the Lord,psal 111 and to sing prayses vnto thy name O moste [Page] hiest, to tell of thy louing kindnes early in the morning, and of thy truth in the night season, the workes of his handes are veritie and iudgement, all his commaundementes are true, they stand fast for euer and euer, and are done in truth and equitie. O prayse the Lord all ye heathen,Psal. 1.17. praise him all ye nations, for his mercifull kindnes is euer more and more toward vs, and the truth of the Lord endureth for euer.Psal. 1.19. O take not the worde of truth vtterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in thy iudgementes all thy commaundementes are true. Thy truth also remayneth from one generation to an other, thy righteousnes is an euerlasting righteousnes, and thy lawe is the truth. Be thou nigh at hand O Lorde, for all thy commaundementes are true. Thy word is true, and is from euerlasting, all thy iudgementes of thy righteousnes endureth for euer.Pro. 8. Doth not wisdome cry, doth not vnderstanding put forth her voyce and say, my throate shall be talking of thy truth, and my lippes abhorre vngodlines. A Iust man will tell the truth, and show the thing that is right, but a false witnesse deseueth. A true mouth is euer cōstant, but a dissembling tong is euer chaungeable,Pro. 6. the lord abhorreth lying lippes, but they that labour for truth please him. A false witnesse shall perish,Pro. 21. but he that is a true man, boldely speaketh that he hath hard. Haue I not warned thee very oft,Pro. 22. with counsaile and learnyng, that I myght shew thee the truth, and that thou with the veritie mightest aunswer them that send vnto thee. Wo be vnto them that make vnrighteous lawes,Esay. [...]. and deuise thinges which be to hard for to keepe, where through [Page] my people are oppressed, and the Innocentes of my people robbed of iudgement, that wisdome may be theyr pray, & that they may rob the fatherlesse. What will you do in time of visitation, and when destruction shall come from farre? To whom will ye runne for helpe, and to whom will you geue your honoure, that he may kepe it, that when I with drawe my hande, ye come not among the prisoners, or lye among the dead. &c? But faythfulnesse and truth shall they trust vnto, yea vnto the lord the holy one of Israel.Esay. 16 And in mercy shall thy seate be prepared, and he shal sit vpon it in the truth in the tabernacle of Dauid, iudging and seking iudgement, and making hast vnto righteousnes. In that day shall this song be soung,Esay. 16. In the land of Iuda, we haue a strong citie, saluation shall God appoynt in steade of walles, and bulwarkes, open ye the gates that the righteous people which kepeth the truth may enter in, there minde is set vppon thee, because thou preseruest them in peace, yea in peace, because they put theyr trust in thee, put ye your trust alwayes in the Lord, for in the Lord God there is strength for euermore, let all christians ioye in this heauenly comfort, the which the holy prophet of God speaketh, for although it be long agone since he spake it, yet is it as fruitfull to al faythful christians now in these our dayes as euer it was before. God graunt that the harts of al faythful christians may be thankfull, for these his inestimable benefites and mercyes shewed vnto vs in these our dayes, and therefore let vs reioyce with the Israelites, and say God is oure righteousnes and truth, and God hath deliuered vs [Page] from the fiery, and cruell malice of sathan, and al papistical doctrine, wherby now hauing no let, nor foes to disturbe vs, may so diligently shew ourselues, in ech vocation, that thereby Gods name may be glorified, and our soules refreshed, with ye heauenly foode of immortall ioyes, to the which eternall and liuing God be all honour and glory for euer and euer.

He that feareth God will do good, and who so keepeth the law,Sirach. 15. shall obtayne wisdome, men that go about with lies, will not remember her, but men of truth shalbe found in her, and shall prosper euen vnto the beholding of God. And aboue all things pray the hyest that he wil lead thy way in faithfulnes & truth. The arrogant and stifnecked Phariseyes, although they beleued not ye preaching of our Sauiour Christ, yet they confessed him, to be the truth, saying: maister we know that thou art true and teachest the way of God truely neither carest thou for any mā,Math. 22. Marke. 12. for thou regardest not the outward appearaunce of men, tell vs therefore how thinkest thou, is it lawfull that tribute be geuen vnto Cesar or not: But Iesus perceaued theyr wickednes, sayde, why tempte ye me ye hipocrites, shewe me the tribute money, and they tooke him a penny, and he sayde vnto them, whose is thys Image and superscription, they sayde vnto hym, Cesars. Then sayde he vnto them, geue therefore vnto Cesar, the thinges which are Cesars, and vnto God those thynges that are Gods. By thys Cesar, is ment all temporall rulers, to whome we ought to geue all thinges that the lawe of the countrey we be in, bindeth vs to geue, whether it be [Page] our goodes, our life, our childrē, or seruants, to do thē seruice, as in resisting the forrayne enemy, & shewing our selues obedient subiects vnto our prince & gouerners, not after a sodomicall order, but after those orders yt are as wel to be alowed of God, as of ye Prince or magistrats. Euery one yt euill doth, hateth ye light,Iohn. 3. neither cōmeth to ye light, least his dedes should be reproued, but he yt doth truth, commeth to the light, that his deedes may be knowne, how yt they are wrought in God. He that commeth from heauen is aboue all, and what he hath seene and heard, that he testifieth, and no man receaueth his testimony, he that hath receaued his testimony, hath set to his seale that God is true. Which seale signifieth our Christian beliefe, the which when we haue heard, do forth wyth followe, to the vttermost on our parts, and do stedfastly stande to the same, refusing no plagues that may be layde on the body, for that sweete fruite of happy ioye, but euen to the ende, therein so to continue, and then haue we beleued, and also sealed.Iohn. 7. Iohn. 8. Rom. 3. 2. Cor. 6. But he that seeketh hys prayse that sent hym, the same is true, and no vnrighteousnes is in him, yea, and he that sent me is true. Let God be true, and euery man a lyer, as it is written, that thou mightest be iustified in thy sayinges, and ouercome when thou art iudged. Let vs geue none occasion of euill, that in oure office, be founde no fault, but in all thinges let vs behaue our selues as the ministers of God, in much pacience, in afflictions, in necessityes, in anguishes, in stripes, in imprisonmentes, in striues, in laboures, in watchynges, in fastynges, in puernes, in [Page] knowledge, in long sufferyng, in kindenes, in the holye ghost, in loue vnfayned, in the worde of truthe, in the power of God, by the armour of righteousnes, of the right hande and on the lefte, by honour and dishonoure, by euill reporte and good reporte, as deceyuers and yet true. And I saw heauen open, and behold a white horse, and he that sate vpon him, was called faithfull and true, and in righteousnes, he doth iudge and make battaile.Reuel. 19. And I sawe an angell stande in the sunne, and he cried with a loude voyce, saying, to all the foules that flye by the midst of heauen, come and gather your selues to the supper of the great God, that all flesh may be deuoured. The multitude that cried, are the vniuersall church or congregation of the faithfull, which is also to be vnderstanded the wyfe of the lambe. The lambes supper, is the lyfe euerlasting for all true beleuers to rest in perpetual ioy, and endeles felicitie. The foules that are called to the slaughter, are the true preachers of christes doctrine, who are commaunded to kill and deuoure all flesh with the sharpenes of their preaching, in rebuking the fleshly,Iere. 4. liuing in all degrees. O Israell if thou wilt turne thee, (O England if thou wilt turne thee) and leaue thine abhominations, then turne vnto me sayth the Lord: for euen as the Prophet spake vnto Israell, euen the very same speaketh he vnto thee O England. And if thou wilt put away thyne offences out of my sight, thou shalt not be moued, and shalt sweare, the Lord liueth in truth, in equitie and righteousnes, and all people shall be fortunate & ioyfull in hym.Oseas. 4. Heare the wordes of the Lord, O ye children [Page] of Israell, for the Lord must punishe them that dwell in the lande. And why, there is no truth, there is no mercye, there is no knowledge of God in the lande, but swearing, lying, manslaughter, thefte, and adultry haue gotten the vpper hande, therefore shall the lande be in a miserable case, and all those wycked offendours that are therin, shall be rooted out. The Lord kepeth not his wrath for euer, and why, his delight is to haue compassion,Mich. 7. thou shalt kepe thy truth with Iacob, & thy mercy for Abraham, like as thou hast sworne vnto our fathers long ago. And it shall come to passe, that like as ye were a curse among the heathen, O ye house of Iuda, and ye house of Israel, euen so wil I deliuer you that you shal be a blessyng. Feare not but let your hands be strong, for thus saith the Lorde of hostes. Like as I deuised to punish you, what time as your fathers prouoked me vnto wrath saith the Lord of hostes, and spared not, euen so am I determined now in these dayes for to do well vnto the house of Iuda and Ierusalem. Therfore feare ye not. Nowe the thinges that you shall doo are these, speake euery man the truth vnto his neighbour, execute iudgement truely, and patiently within your portes. None of you imagine euill in his harte agaynste hys neyghbour, and loue no false othes, for all these are ye thynges that I hate sayth the Lorde. The law of truth was in his mouthe,Mal. 2 and there was no wickednes found in his lyps, he walked with me in peace and equitie, and did turne many one away from their sinnes.

Kyng Darius made a great feaste vnto hys seruauntes3. Esd. 3 [Page] vnto all hys Courte, and to all the officers of Media, and Percia, yea to all the Deputies, and rulers that were vnder hym, from Iudea, vnto Ethiopia a 127. countries, so when they had eaten and dronken, beyng satisfied, and were gone home agayne, Darius the king went into his Chaumber, and there layde him downe to sleepe, and after a while a waked.

In the meane season the three young men that kepte the kinges person, and watched hys bodye, communed among themselues, and spake one to an other, let euery one of vs say something, and looke whose sentence is wisest and moste excellent aboue the other, vnto him shall Kyng Darius geue greate gyftes, and clothe him with Purple, and set hym nere the Kinges presence, and so euerye one wrote hys meaning, sealed it, and layde it vnder the kinges Pillowe and sayde, when the kyng ariseth we will geue him our writinges, and looke whose worde the king and his chiefe Lordes iudge to be most wisely spoken, the same shall haue the victory, one wrote, Wine is a strong thing: the second wrote, the King is stronger: the third wrote, Woemen haue yet more strength, but aboue all thinges the truth heareth away the victory, and this last probleme was written by Zorababel, and was by the king and his counsaile estemed most best in that he preferred truth aboue al thinges. True frendship, and frindes, ye surely shall finde, where many pure hartes, are made in one minde.

Pitagoras. Tobi. 1. Tobias, of the tribe and Citie of Nepthalem [Page] whiche lyeth in the hye countreyes of Galile aboute Naason the way towarde the West, hauyng the Citie Sephet vppon the lefte syde, thoughe he was taken prisoner in the dayes of Salmanazer kyng of the Assirians, neuerthelesse being in captiuitie,Tobi. 12. he forsooke not the way of truthe. They that doo sinne in vnrighteousnes,Tobi. 14. are the ennemies of theyr owne soules, wherefore I tell you the truthe, and wyll hyde nothyng from you, serue the Lorde in the truth, seeke after hys wyll, and doo the thyng that pleaseth him. For God is gracious and mercifull,Eccle. 2. he forgeueth sinnes in the tyme of trouble, and is a defendour for all them that seeke hym in the truthe. And we sawe the glorye of it,Iohn 1 as the glorye of the onelye begotten sonne, full of grace and truthe. If ye beleue not that I am he,Iohn 8 ye shall dye in your sinnes. Then sayde they vnto him, what art thou, and Iesus sayth vnto them, euen the very same thing that I spake vnto you, I haue many thinges to saye and to iudge of you, yea, and he that sent me is true, then sayde hee to those Iewes whiche beleued on hym, if ye continue in my worde, then are ye my verye disciples, and ye shall knowe the truth, and the truth shall make you free, but now ye goe about to kill me, a man that hath tolde you the truth, which I haue hearde of God, why doo ye not knowe my speache, euen because ye can not abyde the hearyng of my woorde, ye are of your Father the Diuell, and the lustes of your father will ye serue, he was a murtherer from the beginnyng, and abode not in the truth, therefore ye beleue me not, whiche of you [Page] rebuketh me of sinne, if I say the truth why do ye not beleue me.Iohn. 18. For this cause was I borne, and for thys cause came I into the world, that I should beare witnes of the truth, and al that are of the truth heare my voyce. I say the truth in Christ, and I lye not, if the truth of Christ be in me,Rom. 9. this reioysing shall not be takē away frō me,2. Cor. 11. in the region of Achaia. Wherfore because I loue you not God knoweth, neuerthelesse what I do, that will I do, to cut away occasion that they might be found like vnto vs, in that wherin they reioyce, we can do nothing agaynst the truth, but for the truth. But let vs follow the truth, in loue, and in all thinges growe in him whiche is the head,Ephe. 4. euen Christ. Let no mā deceiue you with vain words, for because of such things cōmeth the wrath of God, vpon the children of disobedience, be not ye therefore companions of them. Ye were sometime darkenes, but now are ye light in the lord, walke as children of light, for the fruite of the spirite consisteth in all goodnes, righteousnes, and truth. Study to shew thy selfe laudable vnto God,Ephe. 5. a workeman that neadeth not to be ashamed distributing the word of God, truely and iustly, as for vngodly vanities of vices, passe thou ouer them, for they will encrease vnto greater vngodlinesse, and theyr wordes shall freate euen as doth the disease of a canker, of whose number is Himeneus, and Pliletus, which as cōcerning the truth haue erred, saying that the resurrection is passed al ready, and do destroy the fayth of some, but the sure ground of God standeth still & hath this seale, the lord knoweth them that are his, and let euery man that calleth [Page] on Christ depart from his iniquitie.Titus. 1. This witnes is true, wherefore rebuke thou them sharpely, that they may be sounde in the fayth, not taking heede to Iewishe fables, and commaundements of men, that turne away the truth.1. Iohn 1. If we say that we haue felowship with him, and walke in darkenes, we lye and do not the truth. I haue not writtē vnto you,1. Iohn. 2. as though ye knew not the truth, but as though ye knewe it, and knowe also that no lye commeth of truth, God graunt al christian hearers and readers of his worde, to be as well followers, as hearers, that after this life, we may all raygne in the eternall and euerlasting kingdome, with God the father, and his sonne Iesus Christ, to whome be all glory and dominion both now and euer.

wisdom

[Page]

The description of wisdome.

ANd the Lord spake vnto Moyses saying, beholde I haue called by name, Besalael, the sone of Ury, the sonne of Ha [...]e, of the tribe of Iuda,Exo. 31. and I haue filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdome and vnderstanding, in knowledge, and in all maner of worke, to finde out subtill feates, and to worke in golde, siluer, and brasse. And now harken O Israell vnto the ordinaunces and lawes,Deu. 4. which I teach you &c. Kepe it therefore and do them, for that is your wisdome. The valiant and kingly Prophet Dauid, in that he feared the Lord,1. King. 18 the Lord prospered hym, and he behaued him selfe wisely in all his wayes, and the Lord was with hym, wherefore, when Same sawe that he was so exceding wife, he was afrayde of Dauid. The dayes of Dauid drewe nye that he shoulde dye, and he charged Salomon his sonne saying:3. King. 2. I go the way of all the world, be thou strong therefore, and shew thy selfe a man. Kepe thou the watch of ye Lord thy God, that thou walke in his wayes, and keepe his statutes, and his precepts, his iudgementes, and his testimonies, euen as it is written in the lawe of Moyses, that thou mayst prosper in all yt thou dooste, and in euery thing that thou medlest wi [...]h all, (concerning Ioab) the sonne of Zarine in that he slewe the two capitaines, Abner, and Amasa. Deale with hym, therefore according vnto wisdome, and bring not his hore heade down to the graue in peace.Tulli. Prudence cōsisteth in knowledge of things good & euill. [Page]

❧Of wisdome.

The signification.

THe house which standeth on the rocke, signifieth the stedfast beliefe of the faythfull: The other which standeth in the valy and on sandy ground, is the church of Antichrist and all popishe preaching, whiche house by violence of the water which falleth frō the heigth, ouer turneth it, and so lieth voyde and empty.

[Page] Seperate them that do craftely flatter thee, frō those that do faithfully loue thee,Socrates. least the ill men haue most profite by thee. By these examples, it is manifest that God hath [...]lwayes, and at all tymes preserued, not onely those rulers and maiestrates,Ex misericordia. the which haue vsed and kept hys preceptes, wyth prudent wisdome and iust dealing, but also as well the poore and simple, & hath not onely bene vnto those realmes a most prosperous sauiour in sending aboundaunce of all fertility, but in the ende an euerlasting redemer vnto enlesse ioyes, and most happy felicity. Consider the excellent wisdome of Salomon,3. King. 3. in doyng iustice betwene the two women that stroue for the quicke childe, when as the one of them through her necligence smothered her childe, and by craft ment to lay her fact on the other, to auoyde the blame was reproued, and the true mother of the liuing childe was knowen. Also God gaue Salomō wisdome and vnderstanding exceding much,3. King. 4 and a large hart, euen as the sand that is on the sea shore, and Salomons wisdome exceded the wisedome of all the children of the East countrey, and all the wisedome of Egipt, for he was wiser then all men, yea thē Ethan the Ezrahite, and Hemam, Chalcol, and Darda, the sonnes of Mahole, and hys name was spoken of throughout all nations on euery side, and Salomon spake 3000. problemes,3. King. 10 and his sōges were a thousand and fiue. And the Queene of Saba, hearing the fame of Salomō, concerning the name of the Lord, came to proue him wyth harde questions, and she came to Ierusalem, with a very great trayne, but whē she sawe ye goodly [Page] building, and costly apparell, of ye ministers, and hys drinke, & burnt sacrifices, she sayd vnto ye king, it was a true word that I heard in mine owne land of thy sayings, & of thy wisdome, howbeit I beleued it not till I came and saw it wyth mine eyes: And beholde the one halfe was not tolde me, for thy wisdome and prosperitie exceedeth the fame which I heard of thee, happy are thy men, and happy are these thy seruants which stande euer before thee, and heare thy wysedome. And thou Esdras, after thy wisedome of thy God, that is in thyne hand,1. Esd. 9. set Iudges and arbitrers, by my authoritie, to iudge all the people that is beyond the water, euen all such as know the lawe of thy God, and them that knowe it not, those see that ye teach. And whosoeuer will not fulfill the lawe of thy God, and the kinges lawe, let hym haue hys iudgement wythout delaye, whether it be vnto death, or to be rooted out, or to be condemned in goodes, or to be put in prison. Thys notable example seemeth good, yea, and to be well considered of, amonge the true professours of Christian religion, firste to c [...]nsider what a horrible thing it is, to goe about to peruert the scriptures, and sacred worde of God, with manes lawes and inuentions. Secondarily, what a haynous offence it is before God, in that the subiect shall eyther wilfully, or cōtemptuously go about to make ordinaūces & lawes contrary to the precept and commaundement of that the which the Prince hath determined by generall counsaile, and consent of ye whole realme, so long as it is to the aduauncement of Gods glory, & true religiō. [Page] Now when I asked my counselers how these things might be brought to a good ende,Hesther 13 there was one by vs excelent in wisedome, whose good will, truth, and faithfulnes, hath oft bene shewed and proued, which was also the principall, and next vnto the king: Aman by name, which certified vs, howe that in all hands there was scatered abroade a rebellious folke, that made statutes and lawes agaynst all other people, and haue alwayes dispised the proclaymed commaundementes of kinges, & how yt for this cause, it were not to be suffred that such rulers should cōtinue by you & not to be pin down, seing now we perceaue the same, that this people alone are contrary to euery man, vsing strange and other maner of lawes and withstand our statutes and doinges, and go about to to stablish shrewd matters, that our kingdome should neuer come to good estate, and stedfastnes. Therfore haue we commaunded by such as is next vnder vs, appoynting Aman, which is ordayned to roote out with the sworde, all such aduersaries, and that there shall be no mercy shewed, and none suche spared. By these meanes kinges raigned in honour, and God to blessed them, that all that euer they went about prospered so long as they rebelled not agaynste his testimonies and lawes th [...] which he commaunded them to kepe. And also the su [...]dcees for that they obeyed there prince with godly [...] and [...], so long God did also as well defende them from oppression, as he did the prince or Kin [...] from [...] heuennes and sub [...]sion.Iob. 4.Shall a man be more iust then God, or shall a man be [...] then his maker? Beholde he [Page] founde no truth in his seruauntes, and in his angells there was folly, how much more in them that dwell in houses of clay, and whose fundation is but dust, whiche shall be consumed as it were with a mothe, They shall be smitten from the Morning to the Euening, yea, they shall perish for euer, when no man thinketh thereon. Is not theyr royaltie gone awaye with them? they shall dye truely and not in wisdome. Sould he that bableth much be commended therin?Iob. 11 Should men geue eare vnto thee onely? Thou wilt laugh other men to scorne, and shall nobody mocke thee agayne? Wilt thou say vnto God, the thing that thou takest in hād is perfect, and that thou art cleane in his sight? Oh that God would speake and open his lippes agaynst thee, that he might show thee out of his secret wisedome, why he rew [...]rdeth thee double as he appoynted to do, then shouldest thou know that God had forgotten thee because of thy sinne. Would God ye kept your toung,Iob 13 for then might ye be taken for wise men. And be no leaders of the simple into strange errours & folish imaginations of men, (what plague can be greater vnto that realme where so many sectes of religion is vsed, then the sufferance of such to continue, truely no plague more greater, and no offence more haynouse [...],Iob 15 not onely agaynste the prince, but most chiefest against the almighty. Wast yu made before the hilles?Iob 39 o [...] Hast thou hearde the secrete counsail of God, that all wisedom is to litle for thee?Pro. 1 Who geueth sure wisedome, or stedfast vnderstanding? Commeth it through thy wisedome? Obey thou the Lord, for the feare of the Lord is the begining of [Page] wisedome:Pro. 2. [...]f good vnderstanding haue all these that do thereafter. My sonne, if thou wilt receaue my wordes, and kepe my commaundementes b [...] thee, tha [...] thou wilt encline thine hart vnto wisdome, apply thine harte so vnderstanding. For if thou criest after wisdome, and calle [...] for knowledge: if thou sekest after her, as after money, and diggest for her as for creature, then shalt thou vnderstande the feare of the lord, & finde the knowledge of God. For it is the Lord that geueth wisdome, out of his mouth commeth knowledge and vnderstanding, and he hideth vp health for the righteous.Pro. 3. Well is him that findeth wisedome, and obtayneth vnderstanding. Wisdome is more worth then precious stones,Pro. 4. and all thinges that thou canst desire are not to be compared vnto her, heare O ye children the fatherly exhortation and take good heede that ye may learne wisedome, for I haue geuen you a good doctrine: forsake not my law. Wisedome resteth in the hart of him that hath vnderstanding,Pro. 14. and it shall be knowne among them that are vnlearned.pro. 29 Whoso loueth wisedome m [...]keth hys father a glad man. Moreouer thus sayth the Lord of hostes,Ieremy 9 beware of the vengeance that hangeth ouer you, and call for mourning wines and send for wise women, that they come shortely and singe a mourning song of you, that the teares may fall out of your eyes. Thus sayth the Lord also, let not the wise man reioyce in his wisdome, nor the strong man in hys strength, neither the rich man in his riches, but who [...] will reioyce, let him reioyce in this, that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me, for I am the Lord which [Page] doth mercy righteousnesse and equitie on the earth. Also thus sayth the Lord God,Ezechi. 28 beholde I will bring enemies vpon thee, euen the tyrantes of the heathen, these shall drawe out thy swordes vppon thy bewty and wisedome and shall defoyle thy glory. Wisedome shall not enter into a froward soule,Sapi. 1. nor dwell in thy body that is subdued vnto sinne.Sapi. 2. Who so despiseth wisedome and nourture is vnhappy, and as for the hope of such, it is but vayne, theyr laboures vnfrutefull, and theyr workes vnprofitable. For as much as all men be conceaued and borne in sin, and that with out the free mercy of God, there were no hope of saluation, let vs therfore arme our selues with constant prayers vnto almighty God, to strengthen vs with the wisedome of his holy spirite, that in all our affayres; we may therby be able to withstand our aduersary the Diuell.1. Pet. 5. Who like a roaring Lion seaseth not, but goeth continually about, seking whome he may deuoure, yet forasmuch as our sauiour Christ hath prom [...]sed, that to al that with harty repentance and true fayth turne vnto him, that on those he will haue mercy, let vs therefore yelde vnto God all honour, and count our selues moste ignoraunt, and pray the Lorde so to enflame our hartes with spirituall wisedome, that we may thereby come to the knowledge of hys grace, and heauenly benediction. Steuen full of faythe and power,Act. 6. did great wonders and miracles, amonge the people, then there arose certayne of the sinagoge, which is called the sinagog of the Libertines and Sirenites, and of Alexandria and of Cilicia, and of Asia, disputing [Page] with Steuen, and they could not resist the wisdome, and the spirite which spake. Where constant fayth is, there is alwayes the spirite of Godes wisdome, and to those that do continue therein, is euerlasting life.1. Cor. 1. Hath not God made the wisdome of the worlde foolishnes, for after that the world through wisdome, knew not God, in ye wisdome of God, it pleased God through foolishnes of preaching, to saue them that beleue. For the Iewes require a signe, and the Greekes seeke after wisdome, but we preach Christ crucified, vnto the Iewes an occasion of falling, and vnto the Greekes foolishnes, but vnto them which are called, both of the Iewes and Greekes, we preach Christ, the power of God, and ye wisdome of God. If any of you lacke wisdome,Iames. 1 let him aske of hym that geueth it, euen God whiche geueth to all men indifferently, and casteth no man in the teeth, and it shall be geuen hym: But let hym aske in faith, and wauer not.

peace

[Page]

The description of Peace.

PEace being vsed, according to ye commaundementes of our sauiour Christ, among all faythfull christians, is not onely profitable to the body, but also to the soule, for peace signifieth the ioy of conscience, and surenes against the deuill our aduersarye. And generally the aboundaunce of all spirituall goodnes, because our sinnes are forgeuen vs by Christ.Gen. 5. Abraham for that he so peaceably and quietly obayed the commaundemētes of the eternall and most mighty God, receaued the reward of euerlasting ioyes, and also in that he beleued the promises of God, without any maner doubt or feare, offering vp his onely sonne Isaak, and beleuing stedfastly that ye God which had created hym of earth and dust, was able to restore hym hys sonne agayne, peaceably went to fulfill the Lordes commaundemēt. Therfore ye lord blessed his whole posteritie saying: thou shalt goe with thy fathers in peace, and shalt be buried in a good age.Gene. 42. Gene. 43. Also whē the great dearth and lacke of corne fell in the land of Canaan, Iacob sent his sonnes into Egipt to buye corne, and there they were knowen, of their brother Ioseph, and as they returned homeward, they found their money in the sackes mouthes, at their returne backe agayne into Egipt, they came vnto the man that was the ruler ouer Iosephes housholdes, and sayde vnto hym: Oh sir, we came downe hether at the first tyme to buye foode, and as we came to an Inne it happened that we opened our sacke, and beholde euery mans [Page] money was in his sacke, with full waight, and we haue brought it againe in our handes, and other money haue we brought also in our hādes to buy foode, but we cannot tel who put our money in our sackes. And he sa [...]d peace be vnto you and feare not, your God and th [...] God of our fathers hath geuen you that treasure in your sackes, I had your money. Herein is shewed that there was in them a quiet and peaceable conscience, not desiring more then that which was dew [...]ate them, and fearing also that the money being found in their sackes might be an occasion vnto them of a continuall seruitude and bondage, with sorowfull myndes brought it agayne vnto the man, the which they had thought had formally receaued it. Herein they also shewed themselues not onely peaceable and quiet men, but also constant, and true dealers, desiring no more, then that which of right appertayned vnto thē, this example may seeme very necessary and profitable among all the professours of Christianitie, whereby they may the better know how to vse their crafte and occupiyng wyth truth and equitie. Which beyng kept, bringeth all such to the peaceable hauen of quiet immortalitie.

And if thou thus abide in my lawes and obserue my commaundementes,Leui. 26. I wyll sende peace in the lande, and ye shall fleene wythout any man to make you afrayde, and I wyll rydde euyll beastes out of your lande, and there shall no sworde goe through out your lande, and ye shall chace your enemyes and they shall fall before you vppon the sworde, and fiue of you shall chace a hundred, and a hundred of [Page] you shall put a thousande to flight, and your enemyes shall fall before you vppon the sworde, for I will haue respect vnto you and make encrease and multiply you, and set vp my couenaunt with you, and ye shal eate olde store, and carry out olde for the new. And the Lord spake vnto Moyses, saying:Numb. 25 Phinehes the sonne of Eleazer, the sonne of Aaron the priest turned myne anger away from the children of Israell, in my gelosie, wherefore say, beholde I geue vnto hym my couenaunt of peace, and he shall haue it, and hys seede after hym, euen the couenaunt of the Priestes office for euer, because he was gelious for hys Gods sake, and made atonement for the children of Israell. When thou commest nygh vnto a Citie to fight agaynste it, offer them peace, and if they aunswere thee agayne peaceably and open vnto thee, then let all the people that is found therein, be tributaryes vnto thee, and serue thee. By these pleasaunt examples is manifestly shewed the mighty power of God to al those that put theyr trust in hym, as for example, Phinies then which shewed hym selfe a true follower of the commaundementes of God, and woulde in no wyse, suffer any thing to be done contrary to Gods precept, and therefore God made a couenaunt with him, and with his posteritie for euer. So likewise thys sayde example, moueth all true Christians to be stedfast in the promyses of God, and not for vayne and transitory preferment, to colour or vse them, but wyth singlenes of harte do them, not regarding the person, but the cause, and in so doynge the rewarde [Page]

Of Peace.

The Signification.

HE which standeth with a booke in his hand, signifieth quietnes and peace to the church of God: And the Woman signifieth the spouse and congregation of Christ, being maried to the Lambe (Christ Iesus).

[Page] rewarde is as much in effect vnto all such, as euer it was vnto Phinies, or at any other that at any time haue geuen theyr mindes vnto the obedience of gods lawes. God graunt to all, such zeale vnto his word, that thereby we may haue the like rewarde that are now liuing in these present dayes. Moreouer,Iudges. 6. when the children of Israell, had committed wickednesse in the sight of the Lord, and they being deliuered into the hand of Madian, yet the Lords compassion was such, that he chose Gedeon, and made him captayne ouer the children of Israel, and by his mighty power deliuered them, and the Lord sayde vnto Gedeon, peace be vnto thee, feare not, thou shalt not dye, for Gedeon after that he had sene the angell of the Lord, was in a great feare, and thought that he should haue dyed, saying, haue I therefore sene the angell of the Lord face, to face, that I should dye, then Gedeon made an alter vnto the Lord, and called it: The Lord of peace.Iudges. 11. Also the spirite of the Lord came vpon Iepthath, and he passed ouer to Gilead, and from thence vnto the children of Ammon, and Iepthath vowed a vow vnto the Lord, and sayde, if thou shalt deliuer the children of Ammon into my handes, then that thing that commeth out of my dores of my house agaynst me when I come home in peace from the children of Ammon shall be the Lordes, and I will offer it for a burnt offering, and the first that met him at his returne home, was his owne daughter.1. Reg. 7. All the cities the which the Philistines had gotten from the Israelites, the Lord restored them agayne, euen from Acarom, to Gathe, with the costes of the same, and [Page] Israell plucked them out of the handes of the Philistines and there was peace betwene Israell and the Amorites.2. Reg. 25. Also consider the great kindnesse of Abigaell, the wife of Naball that churle, when Dauid sent x. of his young men vnto him, for that he had preserued his shepehardes and shepe in the wildernes, saying, greete him in my name, and thus shall ye say: peace be to thee, and peace be to thine house, & peace be vnto all that thou hast: Beholde, I haue heard say thou hast shearers, now thy sheepe were with vs in the wildernesse and we did them no spite, neither was there ought of thy flocke minished, vnto them, all the while they were in Carmell, aske thy laddes, and they will shew thee: wherefore let these young men finde fauour in thine eyes (for we come in a good season) and geue I pray thee whatsoeuer commeth to thine hand vnto vs, and vnto thy sonne Dauid, Naball hearing these wordes, sayde, what is Dauid, and what is ye sonne of Isay, there is plenty of seruantes now adayes, that breake away euery man from hys master, shall I then take my bread, my water and my flesh that I haue killed for my shearers and geue it vnto men, whom I wot not whēce they be, when the younge men perceaued the churlishnes of Naball, and that for the good done vnto him, to haue no recompence, returned and tolde Dauid, then Dauid commaunded euery man to girde his sworde to hys side, and prepare themselues to destroy Naball, but Abigaell, Nabals wife seing the misery that was like to ensue on her husbande, for his churlishnes, pro [...]ded certayne loaues, and partched corne, and wine [Page] and a 100. frayles of reasons, and 200. topnets of figges to pacifie the wrath of Dauid and rode to mete him in the way, vnknowing vnto her husband, and as she came in the way, Dauid met her, (and sayd vnto her) in vaine haue I kept al that this fellowe hath in the wildernesse, and he hath quit me euill for good. So and so do God to the enemies of Dauid, if I leaue any thing, that partaineth vnto him, Abigael seing the fearcenesse of Dauid agaynst her husband, fel down at his feete, & desired him to leaue of his enterprise and not to shed bloud, and so Dauid withdrew his hand, and receaued of Abigaell, that which she brought vnto him, & sayd vnto her, go vp in peace to thyne house, beholde I haue heard thy voyce, and haue accepted thy parson.Augusti. He that hath not peace of the hart, the mouth, and the acte, ought not to be called a christian man, wo be vnto them that had rather haue the sig [...]e of abundaunce, then to haue peaceable quietnesse, for where the hart is fixed with the inordinate desire of the world, there can neuer grow any prosperitie in the common wealth, for if the subiect be in penury, and haue the lacke of suffisance, then is it not onely a misery to the commons, but most of all to the prince or magistrates, the kinges power ought alwayes to rest in his subiectes. For if they he weake and feable then cannot that prince or gouernour be strong, although he had neuer so much aboundance of golde or treasure, for such treasure being hid and vnoccupied, bredeth most miserable reproch, and endlesse tormentes. These thinges haue I spoken vnto you, being yet present with you,Iohn. 14. but the comforter [Page] which is the holy ghost, whome my father will sende in my name, he shall teach you all thinges, and bring all thinges to your remembraunce, what so euer I haue sayde vnto you, peace I leaue with you, my peace I geue vnto you, let not your hartes be greued, neither feare, ye haue heard how I sayd vnto you, I goe and come agayne vnto you.Phil. 4. The Lord is euen at hand, be not carefull, but in all thinges shew your peticion vnto God in prayer and supplication, with geuing of thankes. And the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding, kepe your hartes and mindes in Christ Iesu.Apoc. 1. Grace be with you and peace from him which is, and which was, and is to come, and from the 7. spirites which are presente before hys throne, & frō Iesus Christ which is a faithfull witnesse, and first begotten of the dead, and washed vs from sinne, in his owne bloud, and made vs kinges and princes vnto God his father be glory, and dominion for euer more, Amen.

§

§

purgatory

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❧The fetching of soules out of purgatory.

FOrasmuch as the Antichristians haue a place among themselues imagined, a place the which the call purgatory, and so affirming it, and that through their power they are able to bringe soules departed out of hell into theyr purgatory, and also to sende soules thether at theyr pleasure and will, I haue thought good to search the scriptures, to the intent to see if there had bene any such word or place, as by their writings is alleaged, & there is neither word nor place in such sort to be foūd. But sith they affirme such a place to be, I thinke in dede, as many as goe thether, whē they are deade, do leaue their winding shetes behinde, for at okē, which semeth yt such Prelates may put yt more cloth in their Ephod & Tunicle, and Rochet, els it is to be thought tohse relickes should not be made so holy. And for the auoyding of such superstitious imaginations, I haue thought good to nominate so many places of ye scriptures as do alow this third place, which they cal purgatory, but nought there is to be founde as hereafter folowing in thys sayde chapiter more at large shalbe shewed. In ye first of ye holy Euangelist S. Mathew is written these wordes, she shall bring forth a sonne, and thou shalt call his name Iesus: for he shall saue his people from their sinnes, all this was done to fulfill that which was spokē of the Lord by the prophet Esay in his viij. chapiter, saying: Beholde a mayde shalbe with childe and shall bringforth a sonne, and [Page] they shall call his name Emanuell, which is by interpretation God with vs, which name was geuen vnto Christ, because he being God was as Paul witnesseth found like vnto vs in all thinges, sinne onely excepted. Also in the 2. chapiter of S. Marke the Euangelist is written these wordes, when Iesus saw their faith, he sayde to the sicke of the paulsey, sonne thy sinnes are forgeuen thee, and there were certayne of ye Scribes sitting there & reasoned in their hartes saying, how doth this felow blaspheme, who can forgeue sinnes, but God onely. Herein they shewed themselues altogether ignoraunt, not crediting him, for all the miracles that he had done and shewed among them, in like doth the Pope and his fraternity, beholde the scriptures but nothing at all vse them as they ought to do, but altogether to their owne imaginations, in as much as they haue done and do mayntayne a purgatory, a place to punishe soules in, after they be departed this life at their pleasures, which is nothing but mere falshod and deceit, ye and also are not ashamed to say that by vertue of trentall Masses, pardōs, and dirgies, they are able to redeme those that are passed this life from all paynes and tormentes. O wretched congregation, o generation of vipers, that are not ashamed so superbiously to brage and so arrogantly seeke to deface the truth of the liuing God, for as there is but one true and liuing God, no more is there any other sauiour and redemer then God in Christ Iesus, which suffred for all men vniuersally, and he it is that worketh our saluation, and none but he. Si quis peccauerit aduocatum habemus [Page]

Non habemus hic manētē ciuitatem sed futuram inquirimus.

Heb. 13.

Beatiqui ad coenam nuptiarum Angni vocati sunt.

Apoc. 19.

Verbum Dei comburens gladius.

Omnia parata venite ad nuptias.

Math. 22.

apud deum Iesum Christum iustum, ipse est propitiatio pro peccatis nostris. If any man sinne, yet haue we an aduocate with ye father Iesus Christ, the righteous, [Page] and he it is that obtaineth grace for our sinnes, for he was wounded for our offēces, & smitten for our wickednes.Math. 11. Venite ad [...] omnes, qui laboratis, & onerati estis, & ego reficiam vos. Come vnto me all ye that lavour and are laden, and I will refresh you. He saith not go to Iohn, Peter, or Paule, much les to eyther Pope or Cardinal, that any mā should pray vnto, but only and soly vnto him which died on the Crosse for our sinnes, and rose agayne for our iustification, now must it plainly appeare (as it is most euident) that the Pope is an hipocrite, a lyer, & deceauer, going about to robbe God of his honour, in yt he taketh vpon hym to forgeue sinnes, being a miserable & wretched offender himselfe, wich none can do but God only. Christus semel pro peccatis passus fuit, iustus pro iniustis, vt nos adduceret deo. 1. Pet. 3. Christ hath suffred for sinnes, the iust for the vniust, for to bring vs to God, and was killed as pertaining to the flesh, but was quickned in the spirit. Sanguis Iesu Christi emundat nos ab omni iniquitate. The bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ hath purged vs from vs from all our sinnes.Psal. 115. Non mortui laudabunt te domine, ne (que) omnes qui discendunt in infernum. The deade prayse not thee O Lord neither all they yt go downe into silence. How then can Pope or Prelate rayse them vp, & forgeue sinnes, when the Lord hath sayd, that none prayse him that are gone downe into the silēce. O blinde guides, here the blinde leade ye blind, and so both falleth into the dich. Quomodo facti sunt indesolationem subito defecerunt, Psal. 72. perierunt propter iniquitatem fuam. O how sodenly do they consume, perishe and come to a fearefull ende, that seeke to maintaine [Page] their hipocriticall deuises, before ye true words & documents of our sauiour Christ Iesus, as shall be shewed by ye life of holy S. Dunston, a saint of ye Popes owne making. Anno. 958. Iohn ye xij. helde ye Papacie at Rome ye space of 4. yeares 10. monethes, some authors write yt he raigned 9. yeares 3. monethes,Polichronicon. & 5. dayes, and was strikē of a deuill, as he was liyng on bed with a mās wife, and so dyed within 8. dayes folowing. This is he of whom the bie word rise.Bale. Be as mery as Pope Iohn: Unto this holy vicar of Sathan & successour of Simon magus went Dunstone out of England to be confirmed Archbishop of Canterbury: As soone as he was returned againe to England, by authority of this most execrable monster and wicked Antichrist, he gaue a strait commaundement, that Priests out of hand should put away their lawfull wiues, whome that brute con [...]inced hipocrite called the vessayles of fornication, as more playnely appeareth in the actes of the English votaries. Now to returne to the former place of purgatory.M. Bale. King Edwine, vppon the day of his Coronation, lay with Alfiga or Alfgina hys Concubyne, hauing then no wife. Dunstone being at that tyme but a munke and Abot at Glassenbury, and beyng very nere the place, come and plucked them both violently from the bedde, and brought them before the Archbishop Odo, threatning ye woman suspencion, for the which the king after that exiled the sayde Dunstone into Flaunders, and wrought the munkes many other displeasures. When King Edwine was dead the Archbishoppe of Florance, for the good wyll [Page] that he bare vnto Dunstone, wrote this lie of him as followeth. Whē king Edwine was departed this life, ye deuils came & caried his soule to hel, Dunstone knowing therof caused his soule to be takē from ye deuils & to be put into their fained purgatory, with lie & al. Polichronicō saith yt whē Dunston cōmaunded ye deuils to leaue ye soule of Edwine, that one deuil spake and said, had not Dunston ben, they stil mought haue tormēted him. But ye strength of their requiem Masses were of such abhominable operation yt they could kepe him no longer. Thus these shameles rebels, the ofspringes of Sathan, are not ashamed to confirme & say this to be true, which is most pernisious & filthy, God for his mercies sake opē the eyes of all obstinate papistes & hinderers of his word that while the light of his glorious gospell shineth among vs both they and we all may imbrace the light, and not to runne hedlong into the vale of darkenes where is weping wayling and gnashing of teath and endles woes for euer continuing, remember the wordes of our sauiour Christe which he spake ouer Ierusalem saying, I [...]rusalem Ierusalem, qua occidis prophetas & lapidas eos qui mittuntur ad te, Luke. 13. quoties volui congregare filios tuos, quemadmodum auis nidum suum sub pennas et noluisti. O Ierusalē Ierusalem, which killest ye prophets and stonest them that are sent vnto thee, how oft would I haue gathered thy children together, as the Hen gathereth her nest vnder her winges, but ye would not let these few ensamples be sufficient. Cōsider wel of them and prayse them as they are worthy, flye fables and cleaue to the veritie and then no doubt God will extend to vs his mercy Amen.

[Page]

Problemes.

SAthan flourishing, Uertue decreseth,

Uertue flourishing, Sathan consumeth:

If will haue desire to froward intent,

Both froward and will in the end will be shent.

As Fides, and Fallax, be not of one minde,

Light and darkenes.

So vice with vertue can neuer agrée:

Uice will to vice, as euill by kinde,

When vertue shines bright, strange sightes you shall sée.

A seruaunt I had, both trusty and true,

Sathan, the wor [...].

Ful of obedience, and very diligent:

Yet euill in maners▪ full well did ensue,

In darkenes condemned no time to repent.

When earth by his vapour shall fume so the head,

Worldly cares.

That nothing may cause such apacient to sée:

Beware in the end it turne not to Lead,

And so of thy head neuer cured to be.

When Phaeton whipped, his horsses gan runne,

The ouerthrow of the enemy.

The worlde to compasse, as he then thought:

But Soll, sone displased so wilfull a sonne,

And all his intent consumed to nought.

Where mault long lieth not looked vnto,

Some call Popes we wels.

The Popes they deuoure, and wast sone the corne:

Yet all not consumed for all they can doo,

When fier aproch, ther better vnborne.

When Crocadill wéepeth, and lieth full lowe,

Beware of flatt [...].

Then danger nere crepeth, of haue none take:

And the asse for pastour doth neigh with show,

Then Fallax from falshoode sée thou forsake.

The Uiper his kinde, doth vse and kepe,

Trust not [...]

By resemblance of loue, with an outwarde show:

So ire once kindled, causeth some so wepe,

And like will to like as all [...] well knew.

[Page]

The Oke that is grene, and fresh in his kinde,

While he is vntwined so kepe him.

The Iuy once spred, and on the tope take holde:

By little and little, his force is vntwinde,

And the Oke once fallen, then nedes must vnfolde.

Such as can or may see see, lest when ye would ye shall not.

As spring of sommer, the gates doo delight,

And Aquaries would be in Leos place:

The force of Philomisos may sone lose his fight,

And causelesse to forget, eche knowen face.

The Snayle once voyde, his house cannot gett,

Do not wilfully lose thy time.

Where substance of body is vtterly spent:

Nor life to sée light that once might haue set,

And house in the ende by tempest is rent.

When Leo by force his pray doth seke,

Feare not of persecu [...]ion.

By Uenus assent and thinkest not to misse:

Philogines with heate may cause him to gréete,

So greate is his power, deuoyde of all blisse.

The greater mischief allageth the lesser.

When Vulcan with force hath done what he can,

With hammers and sledges to hollow the ground:

Yet Philamertia the enmye of man.

Surpasseth his force, and geueth the wound.

Kepe light while ye haue it, the night is at hand.

Where the hogge is filled with vnwonted swill,

And the Ape is vsed to thinges not meete:

There deadly drincke full soone doth kill,

To late to morne, lesse cause to weepe.

This may come to passe.

When golde into copper are changed in one,

And Acteons dogges are suffised with pray:

Then euery poore pastor shall dwell alone,

And of theyr whole liuing shall haue no nay.

When. Bon. in. to. ner. yae. be. to. some,

God graunt vs his mercy.

His banner displaied in place where he would:

Then L, as Ioylese, may say vndone,

Sith Pietas delaieth once that he could.

[Page]

While Soll with his beames, so fresh geueth light,

Pray to God hardely.

And Ely wisheth Zabeth long to raigne:

Then pray to Iehouah we lose not that sight,

In whome consisteth our profite and gayne.

All such as are wise vse iudgement by measure,

Be not to rash, a solusion to geue:

And so it may chaunce sone to perseuer,

Much better to vnderstand, the matter to atchiue.

FINIS.

❧Of the day of doome, And comming of the Lord, wherein is contayned the rewarde of the faithful, the reprobate go into euerlasting fier.

BEholde, heau [...]n and the heauen of heauens is the Lords, and the earth with all that is therein, notwithstanding,Deut. 10. the Lord had a lust vnto thy fathers to loue them, and chose theyr seede after them, euen you, aboue all nations, as thou seest this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your hart, and be no more stifnecked: for the Lord your God, is God of Gods, and Lord of Lordes, a great God, a mightie, and a terrible God, which regardeth no mans person, nor taketh giftes: he doth right vnto the fatherlesse and widdow, and loueth the stranger, to geue him foode and rayment, loue ye therfore the stranger also, for ye were strangers your selues in ye land of Egipt. Thou shalt feare ye lord thy god, & him onely shalt yu serue, to him shalt thou cleaue and sweare by his name, he is thy praise & thy God, that hath done for thee these great & terrible things, [Page] which thine eyes haue sene. Thy fathers went down into Egipt, with 70. soules, and now the Lord thy God hath made thee & multiplied thee as the starres of heauen, consider most gentle reader, the mercifullnes of so puissāt a creatour, that would not the death of a sinner, but that he should be conuerted and turne from his wicked wayes, if not, that then where he promised life, he will rewarde with horrible death, takeheede therefore, and be constant in all truth vnto the ende, and God will preserue thee, and on all those that haue no loue vnto his word, among suche doth God let slip false prophets to deceaue them. And therefore God shall sende them strong delusion,2. Tessa. 2. that they should beleue lyes, that al they might be damned which beleue not the truth, but haue pleasure in vnrighteousnes, and those which withdraw the faithful from the truth of the gospell. Whoso dwelleth vnder the defence of the most highest,Psal. 1 [...]. shall abide vnder the shadow of the almightie, a thousande shall fall beside thee, and ten thousande at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee, yea with thine eyes shalte thou beholde, and see the rewarde of the vngodly. God beginneth iudgement at his owne house: for he sendeth tribulations, and afflictions vnto his church. If ye be rayled vppon for the name of Christ,1 Pet. 4. happy are ye, for the spirite of glory, and the spirite of God resteth vpon you, one theyr part he is euill spoken of: but one your partes he is glorified, see that none of you suffer as a murtherer, or as a theife, or an euil doer, or as a busie bodie in other mens matters, if any suffer as a christian mā, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify [Page] God on his behalfe, for the time is come ye iudgement must begin at the house of God, if it first begin at vs, what shal the end be of thē which beleue not the gospell of God, and if the righteous scasely be saued: where shal the vngodly & sinner appeare, wherfore let them that suffer according to ye will of God, commit their soules to him with well doing, as vnto a faithful creator. Riches helpeth not in ye day of vēgeaunce, but righteousnes deliuereth from death,Prou. 11. the righteousnes of the iust shall deliuer them, but the wicked shalbe taken in their owne vngodlines. If we had truely iudged our selues, we shoulde not haue bene iudged, but when we are iudged of the Lord, we are chastened, because we should not be damned with the world Uerely, verely, I say vnto you,Iohn. 5. the tyme shall come, and now is, when the dead shall heare ye voyce of the sonne of God, and they that heare shall liue, for as the father hath life himselfe, so likewise hath he geuen to the sonne to haue life in hymselfe, and hath geuen hym power also to iudge, in that he is the sonne of man. Maruaile not at this, the houre shall come, in the which, all that are in the graues, shall heare his voyce, and shall come forth, they that haue done good into the resurrection of life, and they that haue done euill, vnto the resurrectiō of damnatiō.Iohn. 3. For God so loued ye world yt he hath geuē his only son, ye none yt beleue in him should perish but should haue euerlasting life, for God sēt not his son into ye world to condemne the world, but that the world through hym myght be saued, he that beleueth on hym shall not be condēned, but he that beleueth not is condēned already, because [Page] he beleueth not in the name of the only sonne of God.Iohn. 12. He that refuseth me and receaueth not my wordes, hath one that iudgeth hym, the wordes that I haue spoken, they shall iudge hym in ye last day. There shall goe a fire before hym and burne hys enemies on euery side,Psal. 87. hys lightnes gaue shine vnto the worlde, the earth saw it and was afrayd. The Lords comming shalbe heard like a great noyse frō the Citie, and shall reward hys enemyes on a sodayne, euen as the trauayling of a wife whē she bringeth forth a mā childe,Esay. 66. Rom. 13. or euer she suffer the paine of the birth, and anguish of the trauayle. The night is passed, and the day is come nye, let vs therefore cast away the dedes of darkenes and let vs put on the armour of light. Let vs walke honestly, as it were in the day light, not in eating and drinking, neither in foolishnes, as strife and enuiyng, but put ye on ye Lord Iesus Christ,1. Thess. 5. and make no prouision for the flesh, to fulfill the lustes of it. Of ye times and seasons brethren ye haue no neede, that I write vnto you, for ye your selues know perfectly that the day of the Lord shal come euen as a theife in ye night, when they shall say peace and no daunger, then commeth on them sodayne destruction, as the trauayling of a woman with childe, and they shall not escape, therfore let vs not sleepe, but watch diligently for the comming of the Lord, that at our calling we may be found occupied in all God exercises, least being found idell, we perish in our owne iniquitie, and so come to destruction both of body & soule. Examine therefore euery mā amōg your selues, and so spende ye dayes of thys troublesome pilgrimage, that in ye ende we may [Page] come and appeare at ye generall day before ye eternall iudge, who shall iudge all flesh according to theyr desartes, and let vs most chiefely pray vnto God, so to ayde vs wyth hys holy spirit against the temptacions of Sathan,Math. 25. Ex misericordia. that at our appearance we may be found lawdable and glorious in the sight of that most pure and imaculate lambe Iesus Christ, and to receaue ye blessed benediction, when he shal say, come ye blessed children into my euerlasting kingdome prepared for you from ye beginning of the world.Ex merito. (And to ye reprobate & wicked ones, goe ye wicked into the infernall hell prepared for you, the deuill and his aungels.) Let all faithfull hartes pray vnto God and alwayes glorify his most blessed name, vnto the which God be all glory, power, and dominion, for euer, and euer. Amē.

A Smalle reward, I looke to haue,

Of such as do the truth despise:

No whit at all, I mynde to craue,

But further truth in any wise,

All flesh is frayle and soone doth rotte,

As doth the flower in the fielde:

When man is gonne, full soone forgot,

Therefore in tyme to truth do yelde.

Lament all flesh that liuing be,

With brinish teares and blubbrid eyen:

Then after death you soone shall see,

The christall glasse of light to shine.

Which glasse is Christ our Sauiour,

That for vs all his bloud hath shed:

Yelde vnto him all might and power,

Our only ioy and supreme head.

Let fickle fancie not you moue,

From him which can both kill and saue:

For like as gold, so will he proue.

If light you way to late to craue.

FINIS.

Information about this book

Title statement

A christall glasse of christian reformation wherein the godly maye beholde the coloured abuses vsed in this our present tyme. Collected by Stephen Bateman Minister.

Batman, Stephen, d. 1584.

Edition statement

1569

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Text Creation Partnership,

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Date

2004-11 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A05694

ID [STC]

STC 1581

ID [STC]

ESTC S115367

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99850586

ID [PROQUEST]

99850586

ID [VID]

15797

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A05694)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 15797)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 912:06)

Source

— A christall glasse of christian reformation wherein the godly maye beholde the coloured abuses vsed in this our present tyme. Collected by Stephen Bateman Minister., Batman, Stephen, d. 1584..

Extent

[168] p. : ill.

By Iohn day dwelling ouer Aldersgate. Cum gratia et priuilegio Regia Maiestatis per decennium,. Imprinted at London :: 1569.. (Epistle to the reader signed: Stephen Bateman Minister.) (Signatures: A-X⁴ (-A4, blank).) (Imperfect; lacks leaf A4 and quire I.) (Reproduction of the original in the British Library.)

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