In perusing this Treatise, courteous Reader (I pray you) take the Bible, and turne to euery place here quo­ted, which meeteth you in the reading: so shall you reap double profit of your paines, and greatly confirme your conscience in the assurance of the word of God.

• GOD the Creator
• MAN y^e transgressor

Christ being

• God &
• Man

the Redeemer.

THe Lord God, the father, the Sonne, and the holy Spirit, being one, and the same god in substance, es­sence and nature, yet three distinct persons in the self same diuine nature: being also without beginning, and from all eternitie, at the Time began at the creation. The Angels also were then created, as stately witnesses of Gods will, for the seruice of the elect. Heb. 1. 14. beginning to manifest him selfe by his [Page 2] workes (as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 1. vers. 19. 20.) in sixe dayes created heauen and earth, the sea, and all the creatures in them; and last of all in the Which is out Friday: so to the day of mans crea­tiō, being also sup­posed the day of his transgression, most aptly answe­reth the day of his redemptiō, which we commonly call good Friday. sixt day of the creation, he made man (male and fe­male) after his owne image and likenesse, The soul of mā is a spirituall & di­uine thing, inspired in mā by the brea­thing of the Al­mightie, & there­fore is immortall, Gen. 2. 7. Iob. 33. 4. Eccle. 12. 7. which being separate frō the bodie, it self a­lone: but after the general iudgemēt together likewise with the body im­mortal, shal either rest in eternal ioy, or abide in endles wo, Ioh. 5. 29. breathing in their faces the breath of life, whereby they became liuing soules, Gen. 1. and 2. effectually blessing them, and commanding them to multiply, and to subdue the earth, to rule ouer the fish of the sea, the foules of heauen, and the beasts of the field, which came therefore willingly to submit them selues to Adam, who, as their soueraigne, gaue them seue­rall names, as pleased him, Gen. 1, 28. & 2. 19. Psal. 8, 6. &c. And in Eden or Para­dise, a garden most goodly and pleasant for waters, and all fruteful trees, the Lord God set Adam and the woman, permit­ting them free libertie to eate of all the trees in Paradise, saue onely of one tree, whereof he forbad them to eat, most cer­tainly telling them, that whensoeuer they should eate thereof, they should die the By Adam sinne entred into the world, & death by sin goeth ouer all men, because all men haue sinned, Rom 5 12: for it is appointed vnto mē, that they shal once die, and then cometh the iudg­ment. Hebr. 9, 27: but they that liue til the last day, shal in a moment, in sted of death, be changed from mortall to immortall. 1. Cor. [...]5. ver. 52. 53. death. Gen. 2. 8. &c. and 3. 2. &c. Thus [Page 3] Adam and Eua our first parentes being [...]reated right perfect, and most innocent, [...]ully furnished with all goodly gallant­ [...]esse of bodie, and heauenly ornaments [...]f the mind, bearing all the rule and so­ [...]eraigntie in thē, both of the earth it self, [...]nd of all the creatures therein, Psal. 8, 4. &c) receiued all these most excellent and [...]nestimable iewels at the Lords hand to [...]heir owne keepe and custodie, both for [...]hem selues, and for their posteritie for euermore: hauing also free-will and li­bertie in them selues, either to stand and abide in the perfection of the diuine like­nesse of righteousnesse, holinesse & god­ly knowledge, wherein they were made, or to fall therefrom at their owne wil and choise: they through the subtiltie of the enuious Because Moses had not mētioned the creatiō of the Angels, nor Satās fal, which was not before the 6. day, as we see by that suruey, Gen. 1. 31. but either on that day, or very short­ly after, as Io. 8 44. therefore he spea­keth of the subtil­tie of Satan vnder the name of a ser­pent, which for his naturall wilinesse, was a fit instrumēt both for Satan to deceiue man by, & for Moses to represent vnto the rude Israelits, the spiri­tuall craftinesse of the Deuill. Serpent the deuil, most vnthāk­fully This transgressiō of Adā was a most grieuous sin: for he brake not simply the Lords cōman­dement, but verie confidently credi­ting Satās lies, which Eue reported vnto him, most wickedly grudged at his creator, and conceiued an hatefull indignation against God, for that he had forbid­den him the eating of that frute, by eating whereof (as he was wickedly perswa­ded) he should be like vnto God, and coequall with his Creator. All this is e [...]i­dently gathered by Satans perswasion, that they should be as gods by transgres­sion: & likewise of Gods deriding Adams proud presumption in thinking by his trespasse to become as God him selfe, Gen. 3. vers. 5. 22. And where S. Paule saith that Adam was not deceiued, 1. Tim. 2, 14, he speaketh not that either to excuse, or to extenuate Adams sin: but onely to admonish women of their dulie deser­ued subiection vnto their husbands, Gen. 3. 16. because their grandmother Eue, being first deceiued her selfe, through the subtilty of the serpent, 2. Cor. 11, 3, be­came also Satans instrument to deceiue the man, Gen. 3, 6. Reade Eccles. 25, 26. transgressed the Lords comman­dement, [Page 4] in eating of the forbidden frute, more beleeuing the lying serpent, then their gracious Creator, and so wilfully running into the iust punishment of e­ternall death, due to them selues, and to all their posteritie for the same, most iust­ly bereft, & depriued for euer both them selues & their of-spring, of all these hea­uenly ornaments and Lordly preroga­tiues. But our gratious and wonderfull louing God most mercifully caused Hu­and-cry to be made after these wofull wights, to arrouse sinfull Adam out of the bushes, whither he had vainely fled to hide himself and after conference with him, as well to let him see him selfe ex­cuselesse, as to conuince him of most vn­kindnesse, at length To the end that man might alway remember & feele this disobedience, the Lord imposed a curse vpon the whole course of Nature as touch­ing mans vse, Gen. 3, 17: frō which the very creature gro­neth vnto this present to be deliue­red, Rom 8, 20 &c. which shall be by sire at doomesday as S. Peter writeth 2. Pet. 3, 7. offreth him this speciall grace (purposed in him selfe from euerlasting, whereby the Lord both clea­red his iustice, and shewed his mercie,) that the seed of the woman should bruse the serpents head, Gen. 3, 15. Adam be­leeued this short sentence, and through faith in this promise was saued. In the as­surance of this promise were all the fa­thers and faithfull, before Noahs flood [Page 5] saued. The floud came in the yeare of the world 1656. For notwithstanding the ho­ [...]ie exercises which the Lord had enioi­ned Adam & his ofspring to practise by offrings & sacrifices, as types & patterns of that promised seede Christ, the lambe of God, which therefore in purpose of God, in promise to man, and in type of It is verie like that the skins of those beastes, which were slaine for sacrifice at that instant of the promise of redēp­tion, serued to cloth Adams na­kednesse, Gē. 3, 21 that as their bo­dies were burnt in sacrifice to prefi­gure Adams deli­uerance from hel­fire: so their hides likewise might hide his shame, keepe his bodie from cold, and continuallie put him in mind of the Lords mercifull couenant. And thi [...] mēt the Lord in commaunding the Israelites to weare that blew gard, as a memo­riall of his lawes, in the borders of their garmentes, Num. 15 vers 38. 39. but the apparel of christians is the Lord Iesus Christ & his [...]ertues as faith, righteousnesse, holinesse of life, &c. Rom. 13, 14. Gal. 3; 27. Eph. 4, 24. which in the parable are called the wedding garm [...]nt, Mat. 22, 11. read Reuelat. 3. vers. 4. 18, & 14, 5. sacrifice was slaine from the begin­ning of the world, Reu. 13, 8. as we plain­lie see by Adams sonnes offrings. Gen. 4. vers. 3. 4. Which were doubtles according to Gods owne appointment [...]nd accep­ted onlie by faith, Hebr. 11, 4. And were also the faithfull The first borne in euerie familie, till the [...]aw was the sacrificer: but as the law the Leuites were appointed thervnto, Exo. 19, 22 & 24, 5. Num. 8. vers. 18. 19. whose offrings (as is verie like) were approued by site sent frō heauen to consume their sacrifices, cōpare these quotations, Gē. [...], 4. Leu. 9, 24. 1 King. 18, 38. 1 Chr. 21, 26. 2 Chr. 7, 1 Hebr. 11, 4. practises of all the ten fathers before the floud, as we may well perceiue by this, that the Lord reuealed to them what beasts & fowls were clean, & what vncleane, Gen. 7, 2. and 8, 20. As likewise after the floud, and before the law, the example of Noah, Genes. 8, 20. [Page 6] Melchi-zedek, Genes. 14, 18. Abraham, Gen. 12, vers. 7. 8. & 13, 18. Isaak Gen. 26, 25. Iaacob, Gen. 31, 54. and of Iob, Iob, 1, 5. & 42. vers. 8. 9. witnesseth. And not­withstanding also those reuerent & state­lie sagies, the ten Before Noahs floud they liued with bread, salets, rootes, frutes, and all increase of the earth &c. Gen. 1. 29. milke, butter, &c. of the flockes or heards, Gene. 4 2. not hauing com­mandement to touch the life of anie creature for meat: but at the floud the Lord so weakned the state of mans bo­die, in shortning his daies, that mā stood in neede of fish and flesh also to susteine life: for before the floud the eating neither of fish nor of flesh was permitted, Gen. 9, 3. long-liued fathers be­fore Noahs floud, set downe in their or­der by Moses, Gen. 5, 3. &c. Who were all graue prophets, & preachers to proclaime Gods mercies to faithfull penitents, and to denounce his iudgements against the stubburne sinners of that age: yet they conuersing with Cains posteritie (whose companie by Cains far banishment, the Lord would haue had his to auoide, Gen. 4, 14.) were now become most pro­fane and wicked, corrupting the true re­ligion and worship of God, in so much that, at this time of the floud, there was but onelie Noah, the tenth father of that age, whom the Lord found faithfull vp­pon the whole earth, Gen. 6, 9. & 7, 1. And although the Lord had warned them sixe score yeares before of that vniuersall di­luge and destruction, and that they both heard the continuall admonitions, & ve­hement preachings of these three excel­lent [Page 7] fathers Methushelah, Lamech, and Noah all the time The floud came the 17. day of the 2. moneth, Gen. 7. 11. which is our O­ctober (as compa­ring Ex. 12, 2. with 23, 16. you may plainlie perceiue) and in the moneth before died Me­thushelah, 5. years after the death of Lamech. Noah & his 3. sonnes, Sem, Ham, & Iapheth, with their 4. wiues Gen. 6. vers. 10. 18. were those 8. per­sons saued frō the floud in the Arke, 1. Pet. 3, 20. by whō see how the earth is replenished with inhabitants, Gen. 10. & of the caution in Gods decree, 800. years after (counting from the confusi­on of tongues, Gē. 11, 8.) for the chil­dren of Israel to succeede Hams posteritie the cur­sed Cananites, Deut. 32, 8. Noah. Sem. almost of that long [...]pace of repentance, and also saw Noahs diligence in preparing the Ark, by Gods commandement, Genes 6. vers. 13. 14. a­gainst that dreadfull day: yet so wicked [...]nd desperate they were, that they toke no notice thereof, though it stood vppon [...]he destruction both of their bodies and [...]oules, for they knew nothing of it (as [...]ur Sauiour testifieth) till the floud came & swept them all away, Mat. 24, 39. Some [...]ew yeares after the floud, this promise was renewed: for Noah, as a Prophet, told [...]ore distinctlie of what familie this seede [...]hould come, saying: Blessed be the Lord God of Sem, Genes. 9, 26. noting thereby [...]wo things vnto vs, both that this bles­ [...]ng should come of the linage of Sem his [...]econd sonne: and also that the rest of the [...]orld (as heathen idolaters) should be [...]uered from Sems familie for a time, [...]hich came to passe in the tenth genera­ [...]on after at Abrahams calling from VR [...]f Chaldea. Moses recordeth Sems gene­ [...]tion to abraham, Gen. 11, 10. &c. Abra­ [...]am was borne in the yeare of the world [Page 8] 2008, and two yeares after the death ofAbraham. Noah, which was 352 yeares after the floud, when now all the families of the earth, (sauing Melchi-zedek, who by all likelihod, was that old Sem, Gen. 11. vers [...] 10. 11. & 14, 18 &c.) were fallen to idola­trie and atheisme, euen Terah the father of Abraham, Iosh. 24. verse. 2. 14. But whē Abraham was 70. yeares old, the Lord By three proofs especiallie the scriptures cō ­mend Abrahams faith vnto vs: 1. by his willingnesse in forsaking his fa­thers house, kin­red and countrie, to follow Gods calling he wist not whither, Gen. 12, 1. Act. 7. 3 Gal. 3. vers 6, 17. Hebr. 11, 8. 2. by his as­sured hope in Gods promise to obteine a sonne, when in reason ther was no hope, Rom. 4, 19 &c. 3. by the readie offring vp of his son Isaak, in hō he had receiued the promises, Heb. 11, 17. &c. In him therefore we see a worthie pattern of our faith, Gal. 3, 7. cald him out of VR of the Chaldees, cō ­manding him to forsake his natiue soil [...] & countrie, and to goe into a land, that h [...] would shew him, promising most amp­lie to blesse him & his. Now more plain­lie renewing and confirming vnto him the promise of that holie seed, that in him all the families of the earth should be blessed, Gen. 12, 1 &c. and 17, 1 &c. Act. 7▪ 2. which S. Paul interpreteth thus: To A­braham and his seede were the promises made: He saith not, to the seedes, as spea­king of manie: but, And to thy seede, a [...] of one which is Christ, Galat. 3, 16. And heare at Abrahams calling from among the Idolaters, The Iewes se­paration from the Gentils, when, & how long. beginneth that hateful ia [...] betweene the church of God, through ceremonies, and the residue of the world [Page 9] being heathen atheists, as S. Paul spake sometime of the Ephesians, Eph. 2. vers. 11. 12. which hatred and enemitie continued 1864. yeares, viz. from Abrahams calling from VR of Chaldea, but chieflie from the birth of his sonne Isaak which was 30. yeares after through the signe of cir­cumcision, Gen. 21. vers. 4. 5. And much more increased 400. yeares after, at Moses law, Exod. 33, 16. Leuit. 20, 26.) vnto the full accomplishment of this holie seede Christ, who abrogating through his flesh the hatred (that is,) the law of cere­monial commandements, which standeth in ordinances, made of The Gentiles were gathered in­to the shepefold of the Iewes, Psa. 47. 3. Ioh. 10. 16. by Christ the great shepheard of the sheepe, Isai, 49, 6. Mat. 28. vers. 18. 19 Heb. 13. 20. that there might be one shepefold, & one shepheard, & Bishop of our soules, Ezech. 37, 24. 1 Pet. 2, 25. twaine (Iew and Gentile) one new man in himselfe so ma­king peace. Ephes. 2, 14 &c. In regard of which pacification by Christ, the heathē are called the remnant of the brethren, Micah. 5, 3. The brethren. Isa. 66, 20. A si­ster, Cant 8, 8. Sheepe, Ioh. 10, 16. a rem­nant of Israell, Rom. 11, 26. fellowes with [...]. Israell of Christes mistical bodie. Eph. 3, 6.

This promise of the blessed seede the Lord confirmeth also to Isaak Gen. 26,Isaak. Iacob. 4. likewise to Iacob Gen. 28, 14. And after the Lord had now 2509. yeares (for so lōg [Page 10] was it from the creation to the law) hel [...] the faithfull in long suspense of this pro­mised Redeemer, it pleased him (vppon his miraculouslie deliuering his peopl [...] out of Egipt, whither, because of Ioseph [...] Law. preferment, Genes. 45. 8. Iacob, by God [...] commaundment, had caried them. Gen▪ 46, 3 &c.) to set downe in his writte [...] law, deliuered by Moses, a plaine platform at large of the same promise so often be­fore renewed. Which law should be both as a hand-writing vnto his people for to shew them the grieuousnes of their trās­gressions, Col. 2, 14. til the promised see [...] should come, vnto which the promise [...] were made, Gal. 3, 19. and their weake vnablenesse to attaine to the perfect puriti [...] of that law, Rom 8, 3 (for it is spirituall [...] but sinful man is carnal, Rom. 7, 14) And also as a child-guide, or tutor to conduc [...] them to this promised seed Christ, Gal. 3▪ 24. which things were most liuelie prefigured by the s [...]dry washings, purifyings offrings and sacrifices, which they wer [...] bound to obserue▪ aswell to witnesse thei [...] owne vncleannesse through Adams trāsgression, as to imprint before their eies [...] [Page 11] plaine stampe and pattern of Christs suf­frings, who should fulfil that law for thē, Mat. 5, 17. Rom. 8, 2 &c. And bearing our sinnes in his body on the crosse, 1 Pet. 2, 24. bring in eternall iustice for vs all, Dan. 9, 24.

One consideration hereof wil I present for all, when the Iew, in the time of the law should, behold the harmelesse beast, that was to be slaine for sacrifice, vppon the head, whereof he was to * put his hands, Leuit. 1, 4. whereby he protestedRead 2. Chron. 29. 23. his owne guiltines of death for his sinnes, which it (as a figure of Christ) was rea­die to suffer, the verie sight of so wofull a spectacle could not but The right vse of the sacrifices of the law. moue euen his flintie heart to be inwardlie touched with a deepe remorse & sorrow for his sinnes: and, so trembling at Gods iudgement, force him (if ther were anie sparkle of grace) to flee by faith to the truth of that fearefull figure, which was Christ, this promised redeemer. The same promise is likewise 440. yeares after the law, re­newed to king Dauid, that this blessedDauid. seede should descend in kingly rase from his Herehence it is that in the ne [...] testament our Lord is so vsuallie called the sonne of Dauid, concer­ning which name, for want of know­ledge to distin­guish of Christes two natures his God-head & mā ­hod, our Sauiour put the Pharisees to a nō-plus, Mat. 22, 41 &c. for they would not ac­knowledge him to be God, though both the scrip­tures & his works so testified, Ioh. 5, 18. & 10, 33. Ioh. 5, 39. Mat. 11. vers. 3. 4. 5. Ioh. 5. 36 & 15 24. loines, 2 Sam. 7, 12 &c. Psa. 132, 11. [Page 12] Isai. 9, 7. The manner of the accomplish­ment whereof Saint Luke penneth thus: And in the sixt moneth, the Angell Ga­briel was sent from God vnto a citie of Galilie, named Nazaret, to a virgin affi­anced to a man, whose name was Ioseph, of the house of Dauid, and the virgins name was Marie. And the Angel went in vnto her, and said: Haile, thou, that art freelie beloued: the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and thought what maner salutati­on that should be. Then the Angell said vnto her: feare not, Marie: for thou hast found fauour with God: for lo, thou shalt ‘conceiue in thy womb, and beare a sonne, and shalt call his name Iesus. He shall be great, and shalbe called the sonne of the Most-high. And the Lord God shal giue vnto him the throne of his father Dauid, and he shall reigne ouer the house of Ia­cob for euer, and of his kingdome shalbe no end, Luke. 1, 26 &c. S. Peter thus: Men and brethren, I may boldlie speake vnto you of the patriarke Dauid &c. seeing he was a Prophet, and knew that God had’ [Page 13] sworne with an oth to him, that of the frute of his loines he would raise vp Christ, concerning the flesh, to set him v­pon his throne, he knowing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul should not be left in graue, nei­ther his flesh see corruption &c. Act. 2, 29 &c. And S. Paul in this wise: of this mans seede (speaking of king Dauid) hath God, according to his promise, raised vp to Israel, the Sauiour Iesus &c. Act. 13, 23 &c.

The Prophet Dauid had wonderfull reuelations of Christ, in so much that he by faith (as well as Abraham. Ioh. 8, 56) well near a 1000. years before saw Christ crucified, and foretold what speeches he should speake vpon the crosse, Psal. 22, 1. Mat. 27, 46. Ps. 31, 5. Luke. 23, 46. Also of Iudas his treason, Psalm. 41, 9. Ioh. 13, 18. and cursed end, Ps. 109, 8. Act. 1, 16. Like­wise how the scoffing scribes, priestes, pharisees & elders should mocke Christ, Psal. 22, vers 7. 8. Mat. 27, 43. and the sa­uage souldiers deale with him, Psal. 22. vers. 16. 18. and 69, 21. Mat. 27, 48. Ioh. 19, 34. Luke. 24, 44. He spake also of his re­

Now let vs consider, that like as this seede Christ Iesus, (being the day-spring from an high to visite vs, Luke. 1, 78. and the true light of the world, Ioh. 8, 12. A light to be reueiled to the gentiles (as wasNumb. 24. 17. prefigured by the starre, Mat. 2, 1 &c.) and the glorie of the people of Israel, Luke. 2. 32) is called the Sunne of righteousnesse to arise with health vnder his wings vnto them, that feare the Lord, Malac. 4, 2. E­uen so, after the manner of the rising of the Sunne, we haue seene Christes mani­festation vnto the world, for the Sunne, being readie to arise, first sendeth forth some small glimse of his brightnes, wher­vnto we may compare the misterie of that aphorisme: The seede of the woman shall breake the serpents head, Gen. 3, 15. Then it enlargeth the same brightnesse with more light, to which Noahs pro­phecie may be likened: Blessed be the Lord God of Sem, Gen. 9, 26. Afterward ascending higher, and approching nearer vnto vs, it putteth forth his glimmering beames of clearer light, whereto we may resemble the plainer promises cōcerning Christ communicated with those after-ages [Page 17] of Abraham, Genes. 12. vers. 2. 3. of Isaak, Gen. 26. vers. 3. 4. of Iacob, Gen. 28. 14. of Dauid, 2 Sam. 7, 12 &c. At length it discouereth it selfe, and appeareth out o­penlie, whereunto Christes birth and na­tiuitie answereth, Mat. 2, 1 &c. and lastlie, it mounteth vp aboue the earth, most glo­riouflie in lightning, quickning and cō ­forting the earth, & all things thereupon: And to this accordeth Christes exaltati­on and lifting vp from the earth, where­by himselfe was glorified, Ioh. 12, 23. drew all men vnto him, vers. 32. & gaue them power beleeuing in his name, to be the sonnes of God, Ioh. 1, 12. And in this wise the holie Scripture seemeth to manifest vnto men, from the beginning of the world, the eternall purpose and decree of God touching Christ our redeemer. As may also appeare by those metaphoricall speeches drawen from the sunnes arising often vsed in the Scriptures, as: Deut. 33, 2. Micah. 5, 2. Mal. 4, 2. wherefore the Apo­stle calleth Moses law a vail, or couering, 2. Cor. 3, 14 And Saint Peter likeneth the same law and old testament (i. the scrip­tures written before the comming of [Page 18] Christ) vnto a light that shineth in a dark place, 2 Pet. 1, 19. But contrariwise in the same verse, he nameth Christ, or the prea­ching of Christ crucified (that is the new testament, the day-dawne, and day-star, which (as Zacharie Iohn Baptists father prophecied) should giue light to them, that sit in darkenesse, and in the shadow of death, and guide our feet into the way of peace, Luke. 1, 79. And concerning Christes dissoluing and losing the works of the Deuill in man, that thing he effe­cted through his passion, as he was man, 2. Cor. 13, 4. 1 Pet. 3, 18 & 4, 1. & by his resurre­ction, as he was God, Ioh. 10, 18. 1 Cor. 6, 14. and 15, 15. The Apostle in a wonder­full breuitie wrappeth vp both these ef­fects saying: Iesus Christ was deliuered to death for our sinnes, and As the Action of Isaaks offring (being a figure of Christes) was 3. daies in finishing (for the third day he was, after a sort raised from the dead, Gen. 22, 4. Heb. 11. 19.) so the space of Christes offring himself was three daies, from his death to his re­surrection. Mat. 16. 21. 1 Cor. 15▪ 4 rose againe for our iustification, Rom. 4, 25. As also yet more wonderfullie he abridgeth the whole summe of christian Religion thus: God is manifested in the flesh, iustified in the spirite, seene of Angels, preached vnto the Gentiles, beleeued on in the world, and receiued vp in glorie, 1 Tim. 3. 16. Hauing spoiled the principalities and [Page 19] powers, and made shew of them openly,Read Mat. 12, 40. & Hos. 6, [...]. & 13, 14. and triumphed ouer them in his crosse, Col. 2, 15. Euē destroying through death, him, that had the power of death, that is, the deuill, that he might deliuer all them which for feare of death, were all their life time subiect to bondage, Heb. 2. vers. 14. 15. we reade in holy scripture of three spe­ciall and famous Three notable deliuerances of Gods church, and all at one time of the yeare. deliuerances, or redēp­tions, with their iust times and moneths of the yeare by most certaine cumstan­ces described. 1 Abrahams calling out of Chaldea from idolatrie into the land ofan. mundi [...]709. promise, Gen. 11, 31. & 12, 1. and 15, 13. Ex­od. 12. vers. 26, 40. 2 Israels redemption out of Egypt, Exod. 12, 41. Gal. 3. vers. 16. 2509 17. 3 The deliuerance of the Iewes from 3456 Babylon by Cyrus king of Persia, Ezra. 1, 1 &c. 2 Chron. 36, 10. Dan. 9. vers. 2. 21 &c. All which were done at the spring of the yeare, to shadow and represent vnto vs this fourth and generall redemption of man-kinde from Satan, sinne, hell, death &c. wrought by Christ, what time the pas­chall lambe (a type of Christ the verie lamb of God, that taketh away the sinnes of the world) was to be killed and eaten, [Page 20] Exo. 12. vers. 6. 8. Mat. 26, 18. For from th [...] going out of the commaundement of Cyrus touching the Iewes returne home againe vnto the death of Christ, the Ang [...] Gabriel (whose ministerie the Lord vse [...] in the message of Christes humanitie, a [...] here to Daniel, to Zacharias, Luke. 1, 19 [...] to the virgin Marie, vers. 26. 27. And (no [...] doubt) to Ioseph thrise, Mat. 1, 20. and 2. v [...] 13. 19) certifieth Daniel, that there shal [...] be 70 weekes, which (after the propheti­call weeke, a day for a yeare, as Ezech. 4 [...] 6) conteine 490 yeares. Dan. 9, 24 &c▪ but Christ was to be killed in the mids o [...] the last weeke, Dan. 9, 27. then were ther [...] 3943 iust 487 yeares. And according to th [...] time of the Angels apparence to Daniel vers. 21) about the euening sacrifice, which in praier, and oblation, was frō the ninth hower to the twelfth: as likewise at th [...] ninth hower Christ gaue vp the ghost Mat. 27. vers. 46. 50.

The Iewes diuiding the day (from sun­rise to sun-set) into 12 howers, Ioh. 11, 9 [...] began their euening praier at the ninth hower (that is, as we accompt, at three o [...] the clocke after-noone) Act. 3, 1. which cō ­tinued [Page 21] three howers, euē till the euening [...]acrifice of the lambe was offered at twi­ [...]ght, Exod. 29, 41. what time also Christs [...]odie (the true sacrifice of our sinnes, Isai. 3, 10. Ephes. 5, 2. 1 Pet. 2, 24.) was taken [...]om the crosse, Mat. 27. vers. 57, 58.

No maruell now (the time of Christes [...]omming so long and so plainlie told be­ [...]ore, and recorded in Daniels prophecie) [...] S. Iohn note this in the Iewes especiallie [...]s a monstrous (and yet general) vnkind­ [...]esse, proceeding of their wilfull igno­ [...]ance of Gods mercifull visiting them by [...]is owne Manie of the Iewes of that time waited cōti­nuallie for Christs comming, as Io­seph of Arimathe­a, Luke, 23, 51. fa­ther Simeon, An Phanuel, and di­uerse other, Luk. 2 vers. 25. 36. And in the yeare that Christ suffred, Caiaphas proph [...] ­cied that one should die for the people &c. Ioh. 11 49. not speaking that from Dani­els writings, but God putting the truth in his mouth (as he did in Ba­lams asse, Num­bers, 22, 28) he vttered thereby his owne malice▪ which he bare in his minde to kill Christ: so the caitife blasphe­med, and prophe­cied with one voice. sonne: that Christ Iesus came [...]nto his owne, and his owne receiued [...]im not, Ioh. 1, 11. our Lord therefore [...]harplie rebuketh those Pharisies, and [...]adduces, for their grosse ignorance of [...]he signes and times of his comming a­ [...]ong them: telling them that they were [...]etter seene in the face of the skie, and [...]ore wether-wise to discerne faire daies [...]nd tempests, then skilfull to know the [...]mes of the Lords visitation, Mat. 16▪ 3. [...]his their generall ignorance, euen at his [...]ast farewell to the citie, moued him to [...]eepe ouer Ierusalem, and through sor­rowfull [Page 22] sobbes, euen to wan [...] words to expresse his griefe for their wofull mise­ries, saying: O if thou hadst knowē at the least in this thy day those things, which belong to thy peace! but now are they hid from thine eies, Luke 19, 42. They had diuerse signes to haue put them in minde of his comming, as the departure of the Read Dan. 2, 44. After the cap­tiuitie of Babylō, there were no kings in Iewrie, for the state was go­uerned by depu­ties of the tribe of Iudah: but that Herod, Mat. 2, 1 &c. being an Ara­bian by nation, & descended of the stocke of the kings of that fourth kingdome, Dan. 2, 40 reigned king in Iudea (& so the scepter was translated from the tribe of Iu­dah) when Christ was borne. scepter from the tribe of Iudah, Gen. 49, 10. And the sending of Elias the Prophet, Malac 4, 5. not that verie Elias himselfe should rise againe to reproue, as Sirachides supposed, Eccles. 48, 4 &c. And as the common opinion of the Iewes and Iohn Baptist denieth that he is Elias, Ioh. 1, 21. but his deniall is after this sense of the Scribes, for so his questioners ment it. See He­rods feare that 10. Baptist should be risen againe, Mat. 14, 2. The Iowes had long before this ti [...]e admitted Pytha­goras his Metēp­sychôsis, as also h [...]s profane opinion of the good & ill angel attending each one, 2 Machab. 11, 6. Acts. 12, 15. Scribes was, Mat. 17, 10: but that Iohn Baptist should go before Christ in the spirit and power of Elias, as Gabriel inter­preteth Malachis meaning to Zacharias, Luke. 1, 17. & Christ maketh it plaine, Mat. 11, 14. This finall blindnesse in Is­raell Moses by the spirit foresaw, & there­fore brast out with this hearty wish of their only happinesse: Oh that they were wise, then they would vnderstand this: they would cōsider their latter end! Deut. 32, 29. with sorrow inough the Prophet doubled this complaint: who is blind, [Page 23] but my seruant? or deafe, as my messen­ger, that I sent? who is blinde as the He alludeth to the name Ieru­salem, which sig­nifieth visible peace: for the Lord had set it in the middes of the nations, as a spe­ctacle in their sight of all peace and prosperitie to his people: but the Iewes brea­king the conditi­ons thereof, were yet vainly confi­dent of peace, which thus the prophet repro­cheth, Ezech. 5, 5. Ier. 7, 4. and our Lord, Luke. 19, 42. en­dowed-with-peace? Isai. 42, 19. where­fore our Sauiour, as he went to the crosse, turning backe to those wailing women, which lamenting him, little thought of their owne calamities, that should short­lie ensue, mercifullie forewarneth them: Weepe not for me, ye daughters of Ieru­salem, but weepe for your selues, and for your children: for behold the daies will come, when men shall say: Blessed are the baren, and the wombes, that neuer bare, & the brestes, that neuer gaue sucke, Luk. 23. vers. 28. 29. But I am here caried farther then I purposed, yet not so far from my purpose, whereunto I returne. S. Iohn saith that this Iesus Christ, the iust, is our aduo­cat with the father, & the reconciliatiō for all our sinnes, 1 Iohn. 2, verse. 1. 2. And that his bloud clenseth vs from al sinne, 1 Iohn. 1, 7. for (as the Baptist saith) he is the lamb of God, which taketh away the sinne of the world, Ioh. 1, 29. ‘Neither is their (as S. Pet. witnesseth) saluation in any other: for amōg mē there is geuen none other name vnder heauen whereby we must be saued,’ [Page 24] Acts. 4, 12. To him also giue all the Pro­phets witnesse, that through his name, all that beleeue in him shall receiue remissi­on of sinnes, Act. 10, 4 [...] Therefore the true Christian touching all the worke of his saluation, both in heart beleeueth, & with mouth confesseth with the Psalmist thus: Whom haue I in heauen but thee? And I haue desired none in the earth with thee Psa. 73, 25. He alone is God all-suffi­cient, Gen 17, 1. mightie and sufficient to saue, Isai. 63, 1. neither is there anie other that heareth our words, Isai, 41, 26. and 63. vers. [...]. 16. Wherefore Dauid calleth him: O thou that hearest the praier, Psal. 65. 2. And Isay, setteth downe the verie fo [...]me of euerie Christians faith and confession thus: Onely in the Lord touching me (shall he say) is Righteousnes, in the orginall t [...]ngue is red in th [...] pl [...]n [...]mber, to sig [...]ifie vnto vs th [...] all our right [...]s [...]esse is of the Lord, & [...]hat we should neuer once open our mouth to iustifie our selues, Eze. 10, 63. all my righteousnesse & strength, Isai. 45, 24. for Christ Iesus (who is al in al, Col. [...], 11. Ioh. 1, 9. Rō. 9, 16. Eph. 1, 23 Phil. 2, 13) of God is made vnto vs wisedome, & righteousnesse, & sancti­fication, & redemption, that God alone might haue al the glorie, 1 Cor. 1. vers. 30. 31. Now the meanes to obtaine this righteousnesse in Christ, is by hearing the [Page 25] word of God (either red: Exod. 24, 7. Deu. [...]1, 11. Ioh. 20, 31. Act. 15, 21. Eph. 3, 4. Col. 4, 16, 1 Thes 5, 27. or Preached: Act. 8, 35 &c and 16. vers. 14. 32. 1 Cor. 14. vers. 24 25) assuredly to beleeue all the promi­ses of God in his son our Sauiour, 2 Cor. 1 20. 1 Ioh. 5. vers. 10. 11) applying them to thy selfe thus, That Christ Iesus died for my sinnes, and rose againe for my iusti­cation, Rom 4, 25. And the Apostle saith, ‘if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus, and beleeue in thy hart that God raised him vp from the dead,’ thou shalt be saued: for with the heart man be­leeueth vnto righteousnesse, and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation, for the scripture saith: whosoeuer belee­ueth in him stall not be ashamed, [...]om. 10, 9 &c. The Iarler at Philippi asking Paul and Silas what he should do to be saued, they answered: Beleeue in the Lord Iesus, and thou shalt be saued, Act 16. 20 &c. The Scribe demaunding of Christ what he should do to inherit eternall life, is sent to the law, and word of God to marke what he readeth there, Luke. 10, 25.

But here (by the occasion of our Lords question, how readest thou?) pawse we a little, and aduisedlie let vs consider the force and efficacie of reading the word of God. The reading of Gods word, and preaching of the same, are the two onely, and ordinarie meanes, whereby (through the working of the spirit) the Lord con­ueieth his word into our heartes: both which are expressed by one word in He­brew Karà, which signifieth to crie, or call: to proclaime, pronounce, or preach: to declare, or reade, Exod. 24, 7. Deut. 31, 11 &c. After which the Greeke [...] se­meth to be feigned, bearing the same sense of proclaiming, preaching or pro­nouncing, Isai. 58, 1. Reuelat. 5, 2. As like­wise S. Iames taketh preaching and rea­ding the word of God both for one, Act. 15, 21. [...]ā. 1. 25. & touching that place: How shall they hear without a preacher? Rom. 10 14. It is principallie ment of the first publishing the glad tidings of the Gos­pell, aswell by Christ him selfe, Isai. 9, 2. & 41, 27. and 49, 6. and 52, 7 &c. Mat. 9, 35. & 17, 5. Rom. 15, 8. Hebr. 1, 2. and 2, 3. as by his Apostles, first to the Iewes, Mat. 10. vers. [Page 27] 5. 6: after to the Gentiles in all the world, Mat. 28, 19. Rom. 16, 26. Colos. 1, 23. Confer Isai. 52. vers. 7. 8. 9. 10. with Rom. 10. verse. 12. 14. 15: for both the Prophet, and the Apostle speake of vniting Christes whole church of Iewes & Gentiles, which could not be called, & conioined but by prea­ching the Gospel, as Saint Paul testifi­eth, Ephes. 2, 11 &c. and it is blasphemie to derogat from that excellent and effectual ordinance of God, the reading of his word, that it should not aswel beget faith in the hearers, if with an honest and good heart they reade (or heare it red) & keepe the same, Luk. 8, 15, as confirme and increase faith in them, being begotten by the same word, 1 Ioh. 1, 4: for the word of God in it selfe is equally heard, whether it be red, Luke. 24, 45, or preached, Act. 16, 14. & equally edifieth, if it be vnderstood, Act. 8, 30, and withal tempered with faith in them that heare it, Hebr. 4, 2. And ther­fore the Apostle earnestlie chargeth the reading his epistles, Col. 4, 16. 1 Thes. 5, 27. 2 Thes. 2, 15. And to that end also was the Gospell written, as Saint Iohn affirmeth, Ioh. 20, 31. read Ephes. 3. vers. 3, 4: This I [Page 28] write not to mainteine vnlearned readers in the church, much lesse to make them equall to the preachers of the word, for I desire with Saint Paul▪ that they all could preach, 1 Cor. 14, 5. as their place requireth of them, Ioh. 21, 15. Acts. 20, 28. 1 Cor 12, 28. 1 Tim. 3, 2. 2 Tim. 2, 2. and 4, 2. 1 Pet. 5, 2. yea rather I wish with Moses, that all the Lords people were Prophets, Numb. 11, 29 (for I well know, and willinglie confesse that the preaching of the word ought to be preferred before the reading of the same, because of our dulnesse, Isai. 28. vers. 9, 10. Hebr. 5, 11:) but my writing is onely to this end, that we should not neglect (as we do) so excellent a benefit, and blessed ordinance of God, as is the reading of his word, being so seuerely commaunded, and highlie recommended to his church. Now let vs go forward: The holie Scriptures are The authority and power of the holie Scriptures. able (& there­fore sufficient) to make vs wise vnto sal­uatiō, through the faith which is in Christ Iesus: ‘for the whole scripture is giuen by inspiration of God▪ and is profitable to teach and improue, to correct and to in­struct in righteousnesse,’ that the man of [Page 29] God may be absolute, being made per­ [...]ect vnto all good workes, 2 Tim. 3, 15 &c. when our Lord would controll anie er­ [...]our, he vsuallie obiected, Haue yee not [...]ed? Mat. 12. vers. 3. 5. and 19, 4. and 21, 42. [...]nd 22, 31 &c. signifying thereby that the [...]acred Scriptures ought to be our onely direction and guide, & therefore the ho­ [...]ie Ghost calleth the word of God a lan­ [...]erne vnto our feet, and a light vnto our [...]aths, Psal. 119, 105. Prou. 6, 23. wherefore Moses exhorting the Israelits to embrace and obserue the law & word of God, tell­ [...]eth them that it is not onely their wise­dome and vnderstanding in the sight of all people, but euen their life also, and the [...]engthning of their daies in the land: and that all the people of the earth shall be a­fraid of them therefore▪ Deut. 4▪ 6 and 28, 10. and 32, 47. wherefore the Lord com­plaineth of the neglect thereof, saying: I haue written vnto them the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing, Hos. 8, 12.

But the holie Ghost, by the pen of S. Paul hath set downe an inuincible S. Pauls gene­rall reason for the iust triall of true religion. rea­son to hold vs to the word of God, in all [...] [Page 32] pocrisie. And he descrieth them by th [...] two most certaine tokens in stead of [...] that they should commaund to And yet both these are cōmaun­ded by the word of God, Gen. 1, 28. and 9. vers. 1. 3. Deut. 12, 20. Therefore this is a speciall note of antichrist so to oppose himselfe against God, 1 Tim. 4, 3. And touching our meats, by grace, or thanke [...]giuing, they are sactified, 1 Tim. 4, 4. which thing (besides that our Lord himselfe vsuallie obserued, Mat. 14, 19 &c) was also commaunded in the law. Deut 8, 10, and practized, 1 Sam. 9▪ 13. abste [...] from diuerse meats, and forbid mariage mong their votaries, 1 Tim. 4, 1 &c. A [...] that they should be louers of their ow [...] selues, couetous, boasters, proude, cur [...] speakers, disobediēt to parents, vnthan [...] full, vnholie, without naturall affectio [...] truce-breakers, false-accusers, intemper [...] fierce, despicers of them▪ which are goo [...] traitors, headie, high-minded, louers [...] pleasures more the louers of God, hau [...] a shew of godlinesse, but haue deni [...] the power thereof: (and he aduiseth Turne away therefore from such, 2 Ti [...] 3, 2 &c. S. Peter writeth likewise th [...] they should teach damnable heresies, [...] uen denying the Lord, that boug [...] them, which they do in seeking right [...] ousnesse by their owne workes, an [...] Saints merits: by suborning strange i [...] tercessours with Christ, or besides Chri [...] by their Masse, purgatorie, &c. by [...] which they denie the force and effica [...] of Christes death, and the merits of [...] passion, making him to die in vaine, [...] [Page 33] [...]ny benefit to them, as S. Paul telleth hose ceremonitarie Galatians▪ Gal. 2, 21. [...]nd 5, 2. and that through couetousnessePapisticall mar­chants and their warehouse. with fained wordes, they should make marchandise of vs, 2 Pet. 2, 1 &c. Saint [...]ohn setteth open the pedlarie-packe of [...]heir marchandise, by which their wares we may well perceiue what marchants Saint Peter▪ meaneth, among which marchandise Saint Iohn reckoneth the soules of men, Reuelat. 18, 11 &c Read the place, for it is notable, and you shall see that the verie wares wil plainly be­wray the marchants vnto you. We haue seene before that it is sinne to make either angel, the virgin Marie, or any other saint our aduocate, mediator, or intercessor to God for vs, not onely because the holie scriptures appoint none such: but for that also that it is Christs office alone, as him­selfe witnesseth, No mā cōmeth to the fa­ther but by me, Ioh. 14, 6. for there is one God, & one Mediator betweene God & mā. which is the mā Christ Iesus, 1 Tim. 2, 5. And touching Christes mediation see a manifest exāple, Zechar. 1, 12 &c. where­fore the prophet Isai calleth him the angel [Page 34] of Gods face, or presence, Isai. 63, 9. Ro [...] 8, 34. Hebr. 7, 25. for by Iesus Christ th [...] true christians offer the sacrifice of prai [...] alwaies to God (that is) the frute of th [...] lippes, which confesse his name, Hebr. 13▪ 15. Reuel. 8. vers. 3. 4. Let vs therefore (following the counsell of the Apostle) g [...] boldlie vnto Christes throne of grace (fo [...] he is our High-sacrificer, and Mediator▪ Hebr. 3, 1. and 5, 5 &c. and 6, 20) that w [...] may receiue mercie, & find grace to help [...] in time of neede, Heb. 4, 16. The Psalmist▪ the more to incourage vs to frequent this throne of grace, exemplifieth vnto vs, by a comparison of the lesser, how readili [...] we shall speede in our suites at Christes throne, saying: Moses, Aaron and Sa­muel called vpon the Lord for pardon, & [...] he heard them graciouslie, Psa. 99, 6. How much more then may we be sure to ob­teine either for our selues, or for others, by the intercession of Christ the sonne of God? Rom. 8, 34.

And here a little to enlarge this matter for our further instruction, let vs consi­der that Christ is our Prophet, our High­priest, and our King, which three offices [Page 35] of Christ the Apostle plainlie describeth, Hebr. 1. namely his propheticall office, vers. 2. his priest-hod in these words: who hath by himselfe purged our sinnes. And his kinglie dignitie thus: And sitteth at the right hād of the maiesty in the highest places &c. v. 3. & 10, 12. Christ is therfore A great Prophet to interpret the mind & wil of God his father vnto vs, Deu. 18. v. 18. 19. Ioh. 1, 18. & 6, 45. Act. 3, 22 &c. Ephe. 2, 17. Heb. 1, 2. touching our redēption, & eter­nal saluatiō in Christ, purposed with God before the world was made, Ephes. 1, 4. by whose spirit the Prophets in olde time spake Gē. 6, 6. 1 Pet. 1, 11. & 3, 19. 2 Pet. 1, 21. An euerlasting King to rule vs, Isai. 9. v. 6. 7. Ezech. 37. vers. 22. 24. Dan. 2, 24 &c. Hos. 3, 5. Psal. 132, 11 &c. Luk. 1, 32 &c. And an High-Priest to reconcile vs vnto God his father, Isai. 42, 6. Malac. 3, 1. Col. 1, 20 &c. 1 Tim. 2, 5. Hebr. 7, 24 &c. and 9. vers. 11. 12▪ by offring vp his owne bodie in sacri­fice vpon the alter of the crosse to paci­fie Gods wrath for our sinnes, Hebr. 10▪ 10. 1 Pet. 2, 24. which vnspotted, and holie sacrifice of his immaculate bodie was suf­ficient in it selfe to satisfie for all the sin­nes [Page 36] in the world, 2 Cor. 5, 14. 1 Tim. 2, 6. Hebr. 2, 9: but effectuall onely for the sinnes of the elect, and beleeuers, Iohn. [...] 12. which the holie Scripture calleth, The manie, Isai 53. verse. 11. 12. Dan. 9, 27. Mat. 26, 28. Hebr. 9, 28. This his priesthood the high priests of the law prefigured, Exod. 28. Hebr. 5 and 7. And Christ hath made all christians, priests vnto God, Reuel. 1, 6, to offer vnto him their bodies, Rom. 12, 1 a contrite heart, Psalm. 51, 17. praise and thankesgiuing, Psal. 116, 17. Hebr. 1 [...], 15. and liberalitie towards the poor, Phil. 4, 18. Hebr. 13, 16. Iob. 29, 13. Psa, 16▪ 3. Tou­ching his priuate life, from his birth till his baptisme, the Euangelists write little, because his humane actions in that space little concerned vs, sauing that his whole life was poore and miserable, Isai 53, 3, that we through his pouertie might be made rich, 2 Cor. 8, 9. he increased dailie in wisedome, stature, and fauour with God and men, and was subiect to his pa­rents, and exercised Iosephs carpentarie art. Luke. [...]. vers. 51. 52. wherefore some­time the Iewes call him, The Carpenter Maries sonne, Mark. 6, 3. which name [Page 37] though they gaue him in derision, yet was it more honourable then they imagi­ned: for he was indeed, The great Car­penter of the world, Col. 1, 16. Hebr. 3, 4. The Iewes knew well that he was vtterly vnlearned, and so they confesse, Ioh. 7, 15. as also his Disciples were, Acts. 4, 13. whereof Saint Paul yeeldeth vs this rea­son, That our faith should not be in the wisedome of men, but in the power of God, 1 Cor. 2, 5. Therefore saith Saint Pe­ter, If any man speake, let him talke as the wordes of God, 1 Pet. 4, 11. And Christ denieth that his doctrine was his owne (as he was man) but of God, Iohn. 7, 16: for indeed he was taught of God, Isai. 50. vers. 4. 5. And therefore was able, when he was but twelue yeares old, to aske the learned doctors such questions, that all that heard him, were astonied at his vn­derstanding and answeres, Luke. 2. vers. 46. 47. Of his questions see an example, Mat. 22, 41 &c. At the age of 30▪ yeares he was baptized, Luk. 3, 23. as at that age also the Leuiticall priests were fully admitted to execute their office, Num. 4, 47. Christ (as it should seeme) was baptized the 15. [Page 38] day of September, in the feast of taber­nacles, Leuit. 23, 34: for so are there iust those 1260. daies, Reuelat. 12, 6, from his baptisme to the 14. day of March (3. years & an halfe after) when he suffred his pas­sion, according to the law, Exod. 12, 6. Mat. 26, 20 &c. which time of 3. yeares and an half (being the space of the cruel perse­cution of the Iewes church vnder Antio­chus, Dan. 12, 11. 1 Machab. 1, 57. and 4, 52. 6, 16. and 2 Machab. 11, 33. who as he was the first tyrant, that euer durst attempt to alter thé law of God, & religion of the Iewes, Dan. 8, 11. & 11, 38. 2 Mac. 6, 1 &c. so for his monstrous and beastlie rage against the High-saints, the people of God, Dan. 7, 8. he might most fitly serue Saint Iohn to patterne antichrist (an other Antiochus) aswell for the like barbarous crueltie against the lightes of the world, Phil. 2, 15. the starres, Dan. 12, 3, Hebr. 11, 12. and Host of heauen, the true Christi­ans, Dan. 8, 10 &c. Reuelat. 8, 12. and 12, 4. and for the equall power giuen him of God thereunto, Dan. 7, 21. and 8, 12. and 11, 36. Reuel. 13, 7. as also for the sem­blable meanes of strength to accomplish [Page 39] his tyrannie, Dan. 7, 7. Reuel. 13, 1. and 17. ver. 37 &c. And lastly for the same iudge­ment and damnation of them both, by booke euidence, recording all their mis­chiefs against Gods people, to be tormē ­ted in the fierie lake for euer, Dan. 7 vers. 10. 11. Reuel. 19, 20. and 20, 12. was likewise the space that Christ the head of his church, Eph. 1, 22. indured all indignities, euen to the shamefull death of the crosse, Phil. 2, 8, Hebr. 12, 2. Isai. 50, 6. as the Prince of our saluation consecrated through afflictions, because he that sanctifieth, & they, which are sanctified, are all of one, Hebr. 2. ves. 10. 11. And this space is also expressed sometime by halfe a propheti­call weeke, answerable to Daniels mid­weeke, Dan. 9, 27. viz. three daies and an halfe, Reuelat. 11, 9. sometime by 42 mo­neths, Reuel. 13, 5. sometime by a time, two times and halfe a time▪ Dan. 7, 25. and 12, 7. Reuel. 12, 14. All which varieties ex­presse yet one space of time, to signifie ra­ther a certaine measure of afflictions de­termined in Gods euerlasting purpose to conforme his Church (both of the Iewes and Gentiles) to the image of his owne [Page 40] sonne, Rom. 8, 29. 2 Cor. 4, 11. 1 Pet. 5, 10. then any certaine time of persecution, which the church of Christ must indure according to the will of God, Rom. 6, 6. 2 Cor. 1, 5. and 4, 10. Heb. 10, 36. 1 Pet. 3, 17. And immediatly after his baptisme he was visiblie replenished with the holie spirit, Mat. 3, 16. Luk. 4, 1. And presently led by the same spirit into the wildernesse to be tempted of the deuil, Mat. 4, 1. Heb. 2, 18. and 4, 15. where he being among wild beastes, Mark. 1, 13. which of old time were wont to frequent the deserts along the riuer Iorden, Zechar. 11, 3. continued fasting 40. daies in holie meditation, be­fore he entred that great worke of his fa­thers businesse, which was inioined him of God, in accomplishing the truth of Moses law, by sealing vp, and fulfilling, the vision and Prophet, and abolishing the dailie sacrifice & oblation of the law, Dan. 9. ve. 24. 27. through the one oblatiō of himself, Heb. 9, 14. & 10, 14. wherby he cancelled the handwriting of the ceremo­niall law, which continuallie reuiued & testified our sinnes against vs, Col. 2, 14. and thereby brought in euerlasting righ­teousnesse [Page 41] for vs all, Dan. 9, 24. Hebr. 10, 14. Moses likewise at the giuing of the law had continued 40. daies fasting in the Lords presence vppon the mount, Exod. 34, 28. And Elias also at the restoring of the same law, was 40. daies miraculouslie sustained without any food, 1 King. 19. v. 8. 14. which miraculous abstinēce of Mo­ses, Elias, and of Christ, sheweth the ho­lie perfection of the law in it selfe, Rom. 7, 12. which was deliuered, restored, and a­bolished by one and the same miracle, though, through the infirmitie of our fleshe, Rom. 8, 3, it could not yet with all that perfectiō make vs perfect, Heb. 7, 19. and 10, 1. but Christs one offring of him­self hath made perfect for euer them, that are sanctified, Heb. 10, 14. Thus therefore in the end of those 40. daies, hauing put the Tempter to flight, he came forth and preached the glad tydings of our saluati­on, Mat. 4, 17. and 9, 35. euen the generall Iubilie of our euerlasting freedome from the captiuitie of Sathan, sinne, hell, and e­ternall death, Leuit, 25. vers. 9. 10. Luk 4. vers. 17. 18 &c. And these three orders namely, kings, high-priests, and Prophets [Page 42] were ordeined according to the law by annointing, Exod. 40, 13. 1. Sam, 16, 13. 1. King 19, 16. to shadow vnto vs the plenti­full graces of Gods spirit, which was in them by measure, Act. 1, 5. Eph. 4, 7. 1 Ioh. 2. vers. 20. 27. and 4, 13: but in Christ with­out measure, Psalm. 45, 7. Luk. 4, 18. Ioh. 1, 16. and 3, 34. and 10, 36. Acts. 10, 38. as in whom are hid all the treasures of wise­dome and knowledge, Col. 2, 3. because in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the God­head reallie, Col. 2, 9: for it pleased the fa­ther, that in him should all fulnesse dwel, Col. 1, 19, and of his fulnesse haue all we receiued, and grace vpon grace, Ioh. 1, 16. Eph. 4, 7. Tit. 3, 6. Psal. 68, 19. God hath for­bidden all similitudes and likenesse of a­nyImages. thing either in heauen, in earth, or in the sea (which lying in his chanell, as it were vnderbeareth the earth, Psal. 24 2) to worship them, or him thereby, vppon paine of eternall death, not onely on the spirituall adulterers themselues (that is, the breakers of that spirituall wedlocke, Ier. 31, 32. Ezech. 16, 8) but euen to the 3. and 4. generation of their adulterous po­steritie, Exod. 20, 5. Read Hos. 2. vers. 2. 3. [Page 43] 4. 5. And Moses exhorting the Israelites (as knowing that he should verie shortly after be taken from them) chargeth them diligently to attend to the law and com­maundements of the Lord, and especiallie that they should beware of idolatrie: for the Lord (saith he) spake vnto you out of the mids of the fire, and yee heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude saue a voice. Take therefore good heed vnto your selues (for you saw no image in the day that the Lord spake vnto you in Horeb out of the mids of the fire) that yee corrupt not your selues, and make you a grauen image, or representation of any figure, &c. Deut 4. vers. 12. 15. 16. wher­by Moses plainlie sheweth that the Lord of purpose with-held from them all shew of figure and likenesse, causing them on­lie to heare a voice (for none can expresse the image of a voice, as saith Esdras, 4 Esd. 5, 37) because they should make no ma­ner image at all: no, though it were pos­sible for them to imitate the verie image of God himselfe to worship him therby, yet were it vnlawfull for them so to doo: for God is a spirit, and they that worship [Page 44] him, must worship him in spirit & truth, for the father requireth euen such to wor­ship him, Iohn 4, 23 &c. Good works al­so these marchants most groslie abuse making them blasphemous, and deroga­torie to the due merits of Christes death and passion, in in seeking Albeit true chri­stians worke not for reward, Rom. 4. 4. but of dutie, Luke. 17, 10 yet our God which [...]eth vs to worke, Mat. 20, 1 &c. of his owne [...]ere bountie and [...]our, Mat. [...] 14 15. hath [...]ed to re­ [...] our workes, Mat. 10. 42. Luke [...]3. Rom. 2, 7. [...]. 6, 10. not for their worthinesse Iob. 15. vers. 15. 16. and 14. 4. and 9, 3. Psal. 130, 3. Luke. 17, 10: but for his own free promise, Hebr. 10, 23, and grace, Phil. 2, 13. Tit 3, 5. which he approueth in thē, Isai. 43, 25. Micha. 7. vers. 19. 20. 2 Cor. 12, 9. merit by thē: for the true Christians soule is purified in obeying the truth through the spirite, to loue brotherlie without faining, 1 Pet. 1, 22. mortifying the deedes of the bodie by the same spirit, Roman. 8, 13. for like as by faith he is made the child of God, Gala. 3, 26. euen so Christ dwelleth in his heart by faith to inable him to comprehend with all Saints the loue of Christ, which pas­seth knowledge, that he may be filled with all fulnesse of God, Ephes. 3, 17 &c. being made partaker of the godlie nature, in that he fleeth the corruption which is in the world through lust: ioining vertue with his faith, & with vertue, knowledge: and with knowledge temperance &c. 2 Pet. 1, 4 &c. for a christian is able to do all things through the help of Christ, which strengthneth him, Phil. 4, 13. euē to loue his enemies, to blesse them, that curse [Page 45] him, to do good to them that hate him, to pray for them which hurt him, and so [...]indlie resembling the naturall sonne of [...]is heauenlie father, Mat. 5, 44 &c. whose workmanship he is created in Christ Ie­ [...]us vnto good workes, which God hath ordeined, that he should walke in them, Eph. 2, 10. And not to be wearie of well doing, Gal. 6, 9. but (by the grace of God, Heb. 12, 28) to go forward in the worke of his saluation, with careful feare & There be two kinds of feare in holie scripture, a filiall, or childly feare, proceeding of the reuerence of Gods maiestie, Ier. 5, 22. and loue of his mercie. Ps. 130, 4. Prou. 28, 14. Isai. 66, 5. Ier. 2, 19. Mal. 1, 6 1 Ioh. 4, 18. And a seruile, or slauish feare, proceeding from an euill consciēce abhorring and trembling at gods presence, Gen. 3, 8. Deut. 28, 65. [...] Prou. 29, 25. Isai. 57, 20. Hab. 2, 4. Iam. 2, 19. trem­bling, Phil. 2, 12. And this is the true ma­king his calling and election sure vnto his own hart & soule, as Saint Peter willeth, 2 Pet. 1, 10, which else is vndoubtedlie sure vnder the Kings broad seale with God, as Saint Paul testifieth, 2 Tim. 2, 19. It is most certaine therefore, which the Apostle saith, that we are ingrafted by baptisme with Christ to the similitude of his death and resurrection, knowing that our old mā (that is, the works which by nature we haue drawen from sinfull Adam) is cruci­fied with Christ, that the course & reigne of sinne in our mortall bodies might be destroied, seing we are dead with Christ, as touching sinne (as our dipping in the [Page 46] water of Baptisme signifieth) but are ri­sen againe to a newnesse of life vnto God in Iesus Christ (as our taking vp againe from the same water presenteth) giuing our bodies as instruments and seruants of righteousnesse and holinesse of life, Rom. 6, 5 &c. For our Lord Iesus hath therfore redeemed vs with his most precious bloud from that dreadfull and damnable state, wherein our father Adam was, whē he fled to the trees for a vaine couert from the Lords presence in Paradise, that we now being deliuered out of the bands of Satan, and the hands of the wicked our enemies spirituall and corporall, might serue him without feare in true holinesse, and righteousnesse all our life long, Luke 1. vers. 74. 75. And not that we should If, when the Lord, who with a word of his mouth made heauen and earth, Ps. 33, 6. shall likewise with his word raise vp the dead out of their graues at the last day, Ioh. 5, 28 [...] none will thinke that they haue any po­wer in that worke to quicken them­selues: why in our spirituall rising frō sinne, wherein we were dead, Eph. 2, 1. when hee sayth vnto vs, Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead, & Christ shall giue thee light, Eph. 5, 14. Should we once dreame that we are helpers with Gods grace▪ for our sufficiencie is of God, 2 Cor. 3, 5. who worketh in vs both the will and the deed, euen of his good pleasure, Phi. 2, 13. And kee­peth vs by his po­wer through faith vnto saluation. 1 Pet. 1, 5. read Rom. 8, 30. & 9, 16. See S. Pauls conclusion, Rom. 3, 28. where he opposeth faith to the whole law, vers. 21, 12. and 4, 13, &c. Read Phil. 3. vers. 6. 9. and Gallat. 3. vers. 11, 12. Iohn, 17. Tit. 3, 5. merit any thing of our saluation by our works (as those Marchants teach) and so deny the Lord that bought vs; for whē we haue done all those things, which are commanded vs, we are vnprofitable ser­uants, and haue done but that, which was our dutie to do, Luk. 17, 10. for Iesus [Page 47] [...]hrist alone hath made vs his peculiar [...]eople, and sheepe of his pasture, and not [...]e our selues, Psal. 100, 3. And as all were [...]ead in Adams transgression, so Christ [...]ied to redeeme all, that they which liue, [...]hould not henceforth liue vnto them­ [...]elues (as they did in ignorance before [...]heir calling, Rom. 6, 19. Tit. 3. 3. 1 Pet. 1, 4) but vnto him which died for them, [...]nd rose againe, 2 Cor. 5, 15: who his own [...]elfe alone hath trodden the wine-presse of the bloodie furie of all our spirituall e­ [...]emies, Sathan, sin, hell, death &c. for the [...]escue of his church, and redemption of his people, euen by the might of his own [...]rme, without any helper, Isai. 59, 16, and 63. vers. 3, 5. Heb. 1, 3. and freely bought out our transgressions by his bitter passi­on, and purchased for vs Gods euerla­sting fauour again, and that vnspeakeably more aboundant, Ioh. 10, 10. Rom. 5, 17. and 8, 17, and more sure, 1 Pet. 1. ver. 3. 4. 5. (through the same his obedient sufferings for vs, Phil. 2, 8. Hebr. 5, 8) then euer had A­dam in his innocent roialty. Good works then serue to many excellent purposes, but cheefly to the glory of God, as our [Page 48] Lord commandeth, Mat. 5, 16. And they so testifying our faith and obedience to­wards God in the sight of men, do iusti­fie vs before men, as S. Iames witnesseth▪ Iam. 2. ver. 22. 23. 24.

Thus haue we seene that Iesus Chris [...] Act. 4, 12. & 15, 11. 1. Pet. 1, 20. 1▪ Ioh. 5, 11. Heb. 11, 2. &c. is the only, and all sufficient means ordai­ned of God, before the foundation of th [...] world, for the only saluation of the holy Patriarkes and Prophets, and of all men euen from Adam, in all ages, as wel before the comming of Christ in the flesh, as af­ter, to the worlds end: so that the saying of the Apostle is clearly verefied: Iesus Christ yesterday and to day, the same also is for euer, Heb. 13, 8. Hereby likewise we see, that their purgatorie is but thePurgatorie. Popes painted fire, and is not in the scrip­tures, as also no one point of poperie is, & therefore all sinfull. And for Purgatorie, it was deuised of the heathen Atheists long before the daies of any Pope, within the compasse of those 1864 yeres, wherin we sayd that Abraham and his posteritie were separate from the Gentiles, which space the Apostle calleth the Times-past, wherein God suffered the Gentiles to [Page 49] walke in their own waies, Act. 14, 16. And [...]herein, after a sort, the Lord hid him­ [...]lfe from them, as Isai speaketh 45, 15, as [...]ntrariwise the same Prophet foretold [...]at the Lord would discouer his holy [...]me in the sight of all the Gentiles, that [...] the ends of the world might see the sal­ [...]ation of God, 52, 10. Of those Heathen (I [...]ay) and in that time, a kind of Purgatorie [...]as inuented by their vaine Poets and [...]hilosophers (who were the diuines of [...]he Heathen) as in the writings of Plat [...] [...]nd Virgil it appeareth, from whom these [...]orthy marchants (for faile of scripture) [...]aue cosoningly gathered the dead coles [...]f their Purgatory, & blown vp the same [...]o vehemently with the boistrous belows [...]f their own hot burning breath) that they [...]aue made it nothing lesse, if not much more) terrible, for the time, then hell it self. A diuelish deuise meerly forged of these merchants, wherby (as also by their masse) they made merchandise of mens soules, as ▪ Peter and Iohn foretold vs. Yet is there a double Purgatorie, or purgation of Christians in this life: The one is, where­by we are cleansed from all our sinnes by [Page 50] the blood of Iesus christ, Heb. 1, 3. 1 Ioh. 1, 7 [...] Reuel. 1, 5 which vvas also signified vnd [...] the law by that blood offered, Leuit. 17, 11, vvhich see how the Apostle interpre­teth 1 Hebr. 10, 1 &c. For almost al thing [...] vvere by the law purged vvith blood, an [...] vvithout shedding of blood is no remissi­on, Heb. 9, 22. This our first purgation is figured also by baptisme, where our wa­shing in the vvater (or new birth, Tit. 3. 5) betokeneth our putting on of Christ, Gal. 3, 27. vvhich in the Reuelation is cal­led the vvhite raiment▪ Reuel. 3, vers. 4. 18, and is named of S. Paul, the new man, vvhich after God is created in righteous­nesse and true holinesse, Eph 4, 24, which is to mortifie the deedes of the body by the spirit, Rom. 8, 13, and to put off the sinfull body of the flesh, Col. 2, 11, that is, to crucifie our old man, that the body of sin might be destroied, that henceforth vve should not serue sin, Rom. 6, 6, for they that are Christs, haue crucified the flesh vvith the affections and lusts, Gal. 5, 24. read Col. 3, 5, and Tit. 2, vers. 11. 12 &c. Our other purgation is by the fire of af­flictions and persecutions, Dan. 12, 10, [Page 51] which all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus must indure, Psal. 34, 19. Phil. 1, 29. [...] Tim. 4, 10. 2 Tim. 3, 12. 1 Pet. 1, ver 6. 7: ‘that the triall of our fayth being much more precious then gold, that perisheth (though it be tried by fire) might be soūd vnto our praise and honour, and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ, whom wee haue not seene, and yet loue him; in whom now though we see him not, yet do we beleeue and reioice vvith ioy vn­speakeable and glorious, receauing the end of our faith, euen the saluation of our soules,’ 1 Pet. 1. ver. 7, 8▪ 9, for if we be with­out the corrections whereof all the faith­ful are partakers, then are we bastards and not sonnes, Hebr. 12, 8. And here wee may see that Bildad argued very absurdly a­gainst Iob, in reasoning thus: If thou wert righteous, God would not afflict thee, but he afflicteth thee, therefore art thou vn­righteous, Iob 8. ver. 6. 20. Wherefore Iob confuteth this absurditie in the next chapter, vers. 21. 22. These afflictions of the faithfull were most liuely represented by the beasts diuided in the middest, in the couenant that God made with Abraham, [Page 52] where the foules fell vpon the carkases, & [...] the Lorde went betweene those diuide [...] peeces of the beastes with a smoking for­nace and firebrand, Gen. 15. verse 10. 11. 17. to teach Abraham that his posterity shuld suffer many and diuerse afflictions, to be rent and torne in peeces, & tried with fire & fagot, as the lord there in a word plain­ly expresseth, verse 13. Exod. 2, 11. Heb. [...] verse 36. 37. In the law likewise this was prefigured, where they were commanded in all their oblations to offer salt, Leuit 2, 13. which Christ himselfe thus enterpre­teth: Euerie man shall be salted with fire, and euerie sacrisice shal be salted with salt, Marke 9, 49. This sacrifice is euerie Chri­stian mans bodie, which he is bound of dutie and seruice (euen by reason Rom. 6, 19.) to giue vp, and offer holie and acceptable vnto God, Ro. 12, 1. for to this end our sauiour saith to all: If any man wil come after me, let him denie himselfe, and take vp his crosse daily, and follow me, Luke 9, 23. I am loth to be longer in this point, yet since we are come thus farre in­to the field of Christian combats, let vs at the least take a suruey of the battell: for it [Page 53] may be though we comenow but only to see the host, as Dauid did, 1 Sam. 17. vers. 17. 20. that the Lord will one day call vs forth as he did Dauid, to fight against Goliath, verse 49 &c. For howsoeuer worldlie souldiers are discharged either for infirmities, or age: yet none are ex­empted from this christian warfare, but all (euen from children, Mat. 19, 14) that feare God, must prepare thēselues to this warefare, which is not against flesh, and ‘bloud, but against principalities, against powers, against worldly gouerners, the princes of the darknesse of this world, a­gainst spiritual wickednesses,’ which are in the hie places, Eph. 6, 12. The weapons of this warfare are the verie whole armoure of god, Eph. 6, 11 &c. by which Christ our Captaine hath alreadie conquered all the power and kingdome of Sathan for vs, Isai. 59. vers. 16. 17. 18. Wherefore Saint Paule as an Heralt about to crie an Al­arme in this great host, biddeth vs to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, Eph. 6, 10. And to watch, stand fast in the faith, to quit vs like men, and be strong, 1 Cor. 10, 13. And he sheweth [Page 54] the meanes how we may so do, namelie by continuing in one spirit, and in one mind, fighting together through the faith of the Gospel, Philip. 1, 27. S. Iohn also (to comfort vs) before we haue giuen one stroke, telleth vs that we haue alreadie gotten the victorie, and ouercome the wicked one, that is the Deuil, 1 Ioh. 2, 13. This might seeme vnto vs a paradox, but that we cannot forget our grand captaine Christ, the head of his bodie the Church, Col. 1, 18. who hath spoiled the principa­lities, & powers, and triumphed ouer thē in his crosse, Col. 2, 15. and so cast out the prince of this world, Ioh. 12, 31. & ouer­come the world, Ioh. 16, 33. Thus there­fore against Satan, and his kingdome, with all our spirituall enemies, being first subdued by Christ, we are set to fight that we might be most sure of the victo­rie, seeing our Captaine hath giuen them their deaths wound. Wherefore now if we do but resist the Deuill (in a stedfast faith, as S. Peter aduiseth, 1 Pet. 5, 9) he will flie frō vs, as Saint Iames saith, Iam. 4, 7. We see then that Christ our Captain dealeth with vs in this christian fight, as [Page 55] Captaine Ioshua did with the chiefe war­ [...]iers of Israell in the Lords battell against [...]he Amorits, who causing the 5. Kings of [...]he Amorits to be brought out vnto him [...]orth of the caue at Makkedah, where for [...]eare they had hid themselues, said vnto [...]he chiefe of the men of war, which went with him: Come nere, set your feet vpon [...]he neckes of these kinges &c. feare not, [...]or be faint-hearted, but be strong: for [...]hus wil the Lord do to all your enemies, [...]gainst whom yee fight, Iosh. 10. vers 24. [...]5. And though we be able to do all [...]hings through the help of Christ, which [...]trengthneth vs, Phil. 4, 13. for it is he, [...]hat shall tread downe our enemies, Psal. [...] 8, 13. yet whatsoeuer faileth in vs to [...]erforme against our spirituall aduersa­ [...]ies, that Christ himselfe most tenderlie [...]ffecteth for vs, as good Captaine Gide­ [...]n did touching those kinges of Midia, Zebah and Zalmunna, against whom Ie­ [...]her his eldest sonne durst not draw his [...], Iud 8, 20. yea we shall walke vpon [...]he lion and the aspe, the yong lion and [...]he dragon shall we tread vnder feete, Ps. [...]1, 13. for euen like as in olde time Christ [Page 56] was the Captaine and guide vnto the Is [...] raelites to conduct them safely throug [...] the great and terrible wildernesse in th [...] borders of Moab, wherein were fier [...] serpents, & Scorpions, Deut. 8, 15. whic [...] conduction (as the Prophet noteth) ough [...] neuer to be forgotten, Iere. 2, 6. Euen s [...] Christ hath giuen vs power to treade o [...] serpents and scorpions, and ouer all th [...] power of the enemie, that nothing ma [...] hurt vs, Luk. 10, 16. Isa. 11, 6. & 65, 25. Ho [...] 2, 18. Notwithstāding thē that for Christs sake we be killed all day long, & counte [...] as sheep for the slaughter: yet in all thes [...] thinges we are more then conquerer [...] through our Captaine, that loueth vs Rom. 8. verse. 36. 37. for though we walk [...] in the flesh, yet we do not war after th [...] flesh: for the weapons of our warfare an [...] not carnall, but mightie through God to [...] cast downe holdes, casting downe the i­maginations, and euerie high thing, tha [...] is For an exāple here of see with what violence Sa­tans power falleth down at the Apo­stles preachings, Luk. 10, 18. Read act. 24, 26. where Paul a prisoner maketh Felix the presidēt to quake. exalted against the knowledge o [...] God, and bringing into captiuitie eue­rie thought to the ordinance of Christ, Cor. 10. vers. 3. 4. 5. And our Captaine is faithfull, which will not suffer vs to be [Page 57] [...]mpted aboue that we be able, but will [...]uen giue the issue with the tentation, [...]hat we may be able to beare it, 1 Cor. 10, [...]3. Therefore let vs not be afraid for any [...]errour, 1 Pet. 3, 14. But as our Captaine [...]esus, that he might sanctisie the people [...]ith his owne bloud, suffred without the gate: euen so let vs go forth out of the [...]ampe, to this fight bearing his reproch, Heb. 13. vers. 12. 13. Knowing this, that if we suffer with Christ, we shall also be glorified with him, Rom. 8, 17. & though we know, that this our strife against sin (Hebr. 12, 4) is alway in our Captaines sight, Psal. 33, vers. 18. 19. yet the more to encourage vs thereunto he telleth vs that he knoweth our tribulations. Reuel. 2, 9. for he knoweth whereof we are made, Ps. 103, 14, and is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, because his owne selfe was in all thinges tempted in like sort, Hebr. 4, 15. therefore he supporteth vs, when we faint, and saith to euerie one of vs: My grace is sufficient for thee, 2 Cor. 12, 9. feare none of those thinges, which thou shalt suffer, but be thou faithful vn­to the death, & I wil giue thee the crowne [Page 58] of life, Reuel. 2, 10.Masse.

Their Masse likewise is most flatlie a­gainstHeb. 2, 17. & 3, 1. & 4, 14 &c. & 5, 5. & 6, 20. & 7. vers. 16. 21. and 8, 1. and 9, 11. and 13, 12. the word of God: for whereas Ie­sus Christ is our onlie High-sacrificer to offer and present vs blamelesse in his own merits and righteousnesse vnto God his father, and that by offring vp his bodie on the crosse for our sinnes once for all, Heb. 9, 25 &c. and 10. 10 &c. These mar­chants haue of their owne braine deuised a strange sacrifice, and priests for the nonce, to offer it in Christs stead to God, as propitiatorie both for the quicke and dead, which contumelious blasphemie vnto Christ (besides that so they crucifie againe to themselues the sonne of God, and make a mocke of him, Heb. 6, 6) who seeth not to be wickedlie deuised of those marchants to make marchandise of Gods people for their owne filthie lucre?

And where they say as blasphemously (for all their cosoning is blasphemie, Re­uel. 13. 1) that the Iewes The Iewes falslie charged by the Papistes. haue falsified and corrupt the old Testament, and therefore that the doctrine thereof is doubtful, they speake most ignorantly and vntrulie: for we haue Christes word to the contrarie, [Page 59] who saieth: That place is otherwise taken: but the plaine wordes of the text wash this crime away. Verilie I say vnto you, till heauen and earth perish, one iot, or one title of the law shall not scape, Mat. 5, 18. Of all the The prickes which now are v­sed for vowels in reading that tongue, were in­uēted 400. yeares after by the Mas­sorites. Hebrew letters of the Iewes, their jod was the least, which (after the Greeke) is called a jote, and (for the lit­tlenesse) a little: whereby our Lord, to signifie the integritie of the old Testa­ment, here warranteth vnder an oth that not euen so litle of the law shall faile. Be­sides, our Sauiour rectifying the false in­terpretationsMat. 5, 21 &c. & 15, 4 &c. of the law by the Scribes & Pharisies, neuer chargeth them of alte­ring anie text thereof: yea rather he cō ­firmeth the puritie of the law, by sending the people to the diligent reading of Mo­ses and the Prophets, Mat. 23, 1 &c. Luk. 10, 26. & 16, 29. Iohn. 5. 39. And there is no one point of doctrine conteined in the new Testament, that is not also confir­med, and approued by the old, Luk, 24, 44. Act. 17. vers. 2. 3. & 26, 22. 1 Cor. 15. vers. 3. 4. And the new Testament is the accomplishing and fulfilling of the olde, Mat. 5, 17. Rom. 10, 4. But as these Mar­chants haue most falslie belied the Iewes for the old testament, so they themselues [Page 60] haue verie despitefullie The Papistes blasphemouslie miscall the holie scriptures, & why. blasphemed the new testament, and holie scriptures (and all because they tell vs how these iugling marchantes cosen the world) terming thē a nose of waxe: a shipmans hose: an yn­ken gospel: to be of no better authoritie then Aesopes fables: and most wickedlie censuring the holie Ghost, the compo­ser of Dauids Psalms, with that prophane verse:

This is that Torch-blasing-star worm­wood, which infecteth the pure waters of Gods word with his bitter blasphemies, whereof they die that drinke it, Reuel. 8, 11. refusing the waters of life, Iohn. 4, 10. Therefore turne away from such, saith the holie ghost, 2 Tim. 3, 5. And, go out of her, my people, that you be not par­takers in her sinnes, and that yee receiue not of her plagues, Reuel. 18, 4.

And here because we are come to S. Iohns Reuelation, which contemeth a ge­nerall prophecie of all the afflictions (ge­nerall and particular) that the Church of [Page 61] Christ shall endure till the last day, and by most euidēt tokens pointeth at Rome, frō whence those euils should issue: let vs giue the Catholiks a tast of that their fil­thie cage, Reuel. 18, 2) by viewing the in­tercourse of Gods scourge among theRome. wicked. The Nimrod, Chās nephew, built Ba­bylon, and Nini­ve of the Assyriās, by which two countries Gods church of the Iewes indured manie times most cruell tyrannie, & at length misera­ble captiuitie: Israel by the Assy­riās, anno mundi. 3264. 2 King. 17, 6. and 122. yeares after Iudah by the Ba­bylonians, ibid. 24. 10 &c. Ier 50, 17. wherefore the Lord assureth his church to be es­peciallie reuēged of these two, Mic. 5, 6. Babylonians, the most an­cient afflicters of the church of God, Gē. 10. verse 8, 10) hauing a long time tiran­nized in the world, at length, by the pro­uidence of God, grew to such an head, that they ouercame manie and mightie nations, Ierem. 25 & 27) in so much that they presumed, and preuailed against the Lords people, leading them away cap­tiues, and destroying their citie and tem­ple, in reuenge whereof, they were van­quished of the Medes and Persians, Iere. 50, 28. & 51, 11. Dan. 5, vers. 30. 31. The Macedonians subdued the Medes & Per­sians, Dan. 7, 6. and 8. vers. 5. 6. 7. 20. 21. The Seleucians, or Asians, suppressed the Macedonians, Dan. 7, 7. The Romanes foiled the Seleucians, Dan. 11. vers. 30. 44. Finallie, the Romanes by litle and litle through mutuall dissention and ciuil dis­cord hauing altered and diminished their [Page 62] owne state, first begin to persecute Christ in his swadlings & infancie, forcing him to be layd in a manger, Luke 2, 7. Second­ly, they most vniustly exacted Tribute of him being the great kings sonne, and therefore free, Matth. 17, 24 &c. Third­ly, they condemned him to death, Matth. 20, 19. Iohn. 11, 48 & 18, 35. & 19, 15. Act. 4, 27. Reuel. 11, 8. And lastly, they This notable de­struction and de­solatiō by the Ro­manes, as well for the auncient pro­phecie so long be­fore, as for some future & straunge euent, our Lord him selfe aduiseth vs euerie one to consider, Mat. 24, 15. destroyed the Citie and Temple, Dan. 9. 26. Luke 21, 20, as the Babylonians had done before, and why shall they not haue the Babylonians reward, euē vtter destru­ction for the same? Read Zech. 14. ve. 1. 2. 3. The holy Ghost calleth this ougly cage and cursed citie Rome, for the filthinesse thereof, Sodome: and for her crueltie to Christs Saints, Egypt: and in respect of Pilate the Roman Deputie that deliuered Christ to death, Ioh. 19. vers. 15. 16, he cal­leth it the place where our Lord was cru­cified, Reu. 11, 8. And euen like as the for­mer Babilō, in the East parts of the world most cruelly afflicted Gods people the Iewes, Isa. 47, 6. Ier. 50, 17: so this Citie in the West S. Iohn calleth Babylon, Reu. 16, 19. & 18, 2 &c. which (by the spirit of pro­phecie) [Page 63] he saw should no lesse cruelly per­secute the Saints & seruāts of Christ. And for this similitude of Rome with Babylō, S. Iohn calleth Rome, or rather Antichrist the king of that Antichristian vsurpatiō,Isa. 21, 2. Iere. 51, 25. by the Hebrue word abaddon (destroyer, Reu. 9, 11) as the prophets Isay & Ieremy had many hundred years before called old Babylon, & the king therof. And because John wrot to the Greek churches of This was Asia minor, where Ia­phets sons inhabi­ted, among whom S. Paule had long before this time planted the Gos­pell, Act. 19. vers. r. 10. 26. & 20, 18 &c And were thus through pietie perswaded to dwel in the Tents of Sem. Gen. 9, 29. as like­wise for pollicie they were perswa­ded 500 years be­fore to dwell, and confederate with Sem against Ba­bylon, Isai. 21, 2. Gen. 10. vers. 2. 22. Antichrists cha­racterie name. Asia, Re [...], 4 he interpreteth the hebrue in their own tong, Apollyon (destroyer) as S. Paule likewise calleth him the son of perdition, or destruction, 2 Thes. 2, 3. And S. Peter respecting their whole corporation, na­meth them, priuy-inbringers of the here­sies of destruction, 2. Pet. 2, 1. Wherefore Irenaeus, or some graue father in that age, haue wisely (as the holy Ghost aduised, Reu. 13, 18) gathered his characterie name of the Greeke [...], and, [...], both which exactly containe that number ( [...]) 666, the Beastes name: the former noting Rome, the Citie, and language of Antichrist; the lat­ter, Italie, his peculiar Church and countreye. VVhich Citie, the Angell telleth Iohn is built vpon seuen moun­taines [Page 64] Reuel. 17. vers. 9. 18. As also Virgil, Georg. 2. 1 Trist. El. 4 & 3, 7. and most plainly Ouid (more then once) doth witnesse Rome to be:

This Romish Babylon, & papall cor­poration S. Iohn calleth not a Virgin (as yet the Prophet Isai named old Babylon, Isai. 47, 1) but an abhominable who­rish woman, who, for her filthie Because Anti­christ must sit in the tēple of God, (i. presume autho­ritie ouer matters of Christian faith & religion, 2 Thes. 2, 4) And haue a shew of godlines, 2 Tim. 3, 5. the ho­lie spirit, to helpe our infirmities, speaking euidētly (as S. Paul testifi­eth, 1 Tim. 4, 1. which S. Iohn cal­leth spirituallie, Reuel. 11, 8) lay­eth out in open & plaine termes the name, Mysterie, written in the forehead of Anti­christ, calling it Great Babylon, the mother of whoredomes and abominations of the earth. Re. 17. 5 forni­cations and whoredomes, far more im­pure then Babylon, was far vnfit for so puer a name. Reuel. 17. vers. 3. 5. He descri­eth her coulers to be purple and The Pope can be content to weare Christes ska [...]let robe, be­cause (howsoeuer it was put vpon Christ in mocke­rie) it represented a kinglie maiesty, Mat 27, 28. but yet he will haue it also adorned with golde, precious [...]ones, & pearles, that so it may be the true liuerie of Antichrist. Reuel. 17, 4. skar­let, as the Pope himselfe, and his Cardi­nals euen at this day vse to weare, Reuel. 17, 4. And finallie, to remoue all doubt of that cruell citie, the Angel certifieth Iohn that it is that great citie which ruleth o­uer the kings of the earth, which then, [Page 65] when S. Iohn wrote that Reuellation, was Rome, Reu. 17, 18. And that in it (that is, within the far & wide vsurped power & iurisdiction thereof) was found the bloud of all the Prophets and Saintes, that were slaine vpon the earth, Reuel. 18, 24. No maruell then, if the Romanes, beginning so cruellie with Christ, and ioining with the Iewes to crucifie the Lord of glorie, hold on stil in all impious and superstiti­ous rage against the true christians: and, being absurde and reprobate in doctrine concerning the faith, be derided, and de­tested of all good men, whom Christs ser­uants shall at length vanquish most glo­riouslie, and reward them double accor­ding to their workes. The spirit of God hath commaunded so, and we are sure it will be so, and haue good hope to see it so Reuel. 18, 6. for their great city (that is, their former large vsurped power ouer manie countries and nations) is alreadie diuided into three partes, Reuel. 16, 19: for of that large Romish corporation some nations are become true Christian prote­stants, as, England, Scotland, Germa­nie, Denmarke &c. some hold still the [Page 66] Romish religion, as: Italie, Spaine, and the countries vnder their tyrannie; some are neither, as the kingdomes and coun­tries won from Antichrist by the Turke, Reuel. 9, verse 14. 15. 20. with all other Atheists & Sectaries among the two for­mer sorts. The Lord hath graciously be­gun their ruine in diuerse of those tenne kingdomes, which sometime wholly bent their power to assist the Beast, Reue. 17. verse 12. 13: but now a good part of them forsake and hate the Beast, Reu. 17. verse 16. 17. And, as we haue heard that those deuillish spirits are gone forth vnto the kings of the earth to gather them (in their holy League, as they call it) to the battell of the great day (for their vsuall speech is, that they hope for a day, but the holy Ghost saith) of God almighty: so we looke when they shal be gathered (as bles­sed be God, we saw a faire beginning in the yeare 1588, when they compassed the With such glo­rious t [...]tles it plea­seth the Lord to beautifie the professors of his word as Da. 7, 18 & 8. v. 10. 24. & P [...]. 105, 15. Tents of the Saints about, & the beloued Citie, Reuel. 20, 9) at S. Iohn setting down Ar [...]naged­don, addeth with­all, that it is so cal­led in Hebrewe, wherby he would haue vs to search the old Testamēt for the true sense & meaning of the storie: & so much also he meant by Abaddon before, in which word he expresseth the Prophets therun­to alledged, para­phrastically, the more to stir vp our desire in seeking out the truth. Ar-mageddon, Reuelat. 16, 16. For Saint Iohn alluding to Magiddon, or Mageddon, which was a region in Iudaea towards the mediter­rane [Page 67] sea in the tribe of Manasses, calleth it Ar-mageddon (the mountaine of the slaine) and of purpose addeth Ar (moun­taine) to Mageddon, because of mount Tabor, which being strongly enuironed with other neare mountaines, Ier. 46, 18, was within the coast of Mageddon, wher­on Barak and Debora, with their armie, expecting the comming of Sisera, most wonderfully discomfited king Iabin, and his complices, the maine Reliques of the Canaanites, and most despitefull enemies of Gods Church, Iudg. 4. verse 6. 12. 15. & 5. verse 18. 19. Psal. 83. verse 9. 10.

In that Mageddon also at the brooke Kishon Elias slue the idolatrous Prophets of Baal, 1. King. 18, 40. The holy Ghost therefore, leading vs to that place and vi­ctorie, would put vs in most certaine hope and expectation of the like, and ve­rie rare victories of the idolatrous Pa­pistes, the sworne aduersaries of the true Church of Christ. And, for confirmation of this Truth, Debora, by the power of the spirit, winding in all Gods aduer­saries together on an heape, concludeth her Epinice or song of her triumph with [Page 68] this acclamation: so let all thine enemies perish, ô Lord. Amen. read Psalm. 83.

Thus haue we brieflie seene how the Lord God, being before all beginning, &Psal. 90, 2. from euerlasting hath by his wonderful [...] workmanship of the world, declared his eternall power and Godhead vnto men, creating all things for the benefit of mā, and man himselfe to feare and loue the Lord: who, being created in holie inno­cencie, and made the soueraigne of all earthlie creatures, wittingly, and wilful­lie transgressed the commaundement of his Lord, whereby he most iustlie procu­red eternall death to himselfe, and to all his posteritie. But the Lord vnspeakably rich in mercie, found out a Redeemer, e­uen of the seede of the woman, the Man Iesus Christ the righteous, the verie son of God, who, after manie promises of his comming in sundrie ages, when the ful­nesse of time was come, being miraculous­lie conceiued by the holie Ghost, in the wombe of a virgin, became man, to suffer for man▪ that death, which all man-kind had rightly deserued, and so both freeing vs from the punishment of sinne, and [Page 69] clearing vs from the guiltinesse thereof, hath set vs at peace againe with God, and purchased an inheritance immortall and vndefiled, and that fadeth not away, re­serued for vs in heauen, and not commit­ted anie more to our owne keeping (as it was to Adams) for the Lord himselfe su­staineth our lot, Psal. 16, 5. and keepeth vs by his power through faith vnto sal­uation, which is prepared to be shewed in the last time, 1. Pet. 1, 4. requiring of vs that we should not nowe liue vnto our selues, but vnto him, that died for vs, and rose againe, that we likewise should rise to a newnesse of life in holinesse, righ­teousnesse and Christian sobrietie in this present world, looking for the blessed This is the true marke of all the godly and faithful generally, both vnder the old Testa­ment & the new, a secure hope and expectation of the last iudgement in the second com­ming of Christ, Luc. 12, 36. & 21, 28. Phil. 3, 20. 1 Th. 1. ver. 3. 10. 2 Thes. 3, 5. H [...]b. 9, 28. and 11, 3. Iam. 5, 8. Re, 22, 20. hope, and appearance of our Sauiour Iesus Christ, to euerlasting life.

Resolue now thy selfe, Christian Rea­der, resigne all earthly Christiās ought by the counsell of the holy Ghost, to examine & proue them selues whe­ther they be in the faith, & feele the spirite of Christ working in them, 2 Cor. 13, 5: for by Christs spirit of a­doption (which is a witnesse in our hearts that we are the childrē of god 1 Ioh. 5, 10. Rom, 8. ve. 9. 15. Eph. 1, 13) we delight in the law of God, & take no pleasure in sin, Heb. 11. 25. but are grieued with sin, 2. Pet. 2, 8. and say with S. Paul: I do not the good thing, which I would but the euil, which I would not, Rom. 8, 19. And euery one, whose heart and conscience can truly thus perswade him, is vndoubtedly the elected child of God. Where contrarily, the reprobate delite in sin, because they are of the world, Ioh. 8, 23. & therfore loue the world, Ioh. 15, 19. & the things of the world, as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and pride of life. 1 Ioh. 2. v. 15. 16. And shal receiue the wages of vnrighteousnesse, as they which count it pleasure to liue delitiously for a season, 2 Pet. 2, 13. affections, Col. 3, [Page 70] 2. and consult no longer with flesh and blood, but enter into counsell with thine owne soule for the apprehending of this eternall life: which life, for the maruel­lous excellencie thereof (being that hid treasure, that precious pearle, Matth. 13. verse 44. 46) can not be sufficiently ex­pressed by all the glory of the world. The holy Ghost chusing out the most preci­ous things that nature can affoord, to de­scribe vnto vs the heauenly Ierusalem, our euerlasting citie, saith thus: The citie was ‘pure gold, like cleare glasse, the founda­tions of the wall thereof were garnished with all maner of precious stones, the gates of perle, the streets of pure gold &c. It needeth neither Sunne, nor Moone to shine in it, for the glorie of God did light it. The people which are saued shal walk in the light of it, & the kings of the earth shall bring their glorie and honour vnto it,’ Reu. 21, 18 &c. O how excellent things are spoken of thee, thou citie of God, Psa. 87, 2. The eye hath not seene, nor the eare heard, neither came into mans heart the glorious things, which God hath prepa­red for them that loue him, 1. Cor. 2, 9. [Page 71] These maruellous things (as Saint Peter saith) the Angels desired to prie into, 1 Pet. 1, 12. For, indeede, the Angels recei­ued first knowledge of Gods eternal wis­dome and purpose in Christ, concerning these things, by the Church, Ephs. 3, 10. And euery creature with feruent desire wayteth when the sonnes of God shall be reuealed, Rom. 8, 19, & shine as the sunne, in the kingdome of their father. Mat. 13, 43. For although we be now the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus, Gal. 3, 26: yet doth it not now appeare what we shal be, 1 Ioh. 3, 2. because that through Chri­stian mortification, 2 Cor. 4. verse 10. 11. and 5, 15. wee are in this world as dead, and our life is hid with Christ in God: but when Christ, which is our life, shall appeare, then shall we also appeare with him in glorie, Col. 3, 3 &c. For the Lord Iesus Christ shall chaunge our vile bodie, that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie, Phil. 3, 21. and then we shall see him as he is, 1 Ioh. 3, 2. Moses vpō mount Horeb sawe but some glimse of the shadowed maiestie of God (for else no man hath seene God in his essentiall glo­rie [Page 72] at anie time, Ioh. 1, 18) and the skin of his face so shone withall, that neither the Israelites, nor Aaron him selfe, were able to looke vpon him, vntil he had put a vi­sour ouer his face, Exod. 34, 29 &c. Elias also vpon the same mount, at Gods visi­ble presence, couered his face with his mantell, 1 King. 19. verse 8. 13. And of all other Moses was once so hardie, that he desired the Lord to shew him his very di­uine maiestie, but that request obtained would haue cost him his life, and in mer­cie therefore it was denied him, Exod. 33, 18 &c. But what speake we of mans disa­bilitie in this behalfe? Neither the Angels them selues are able to behold the Lord in his full maiestie, nor men to endure euen the sight of an angel, as we see prefigured by the face and feeet-couering in Isayes vision, Isa. 6, 2. Seeing then, after this life, we shall alway haue the fruition of this excellent and heauenly glorie, which now neither men, nor Angels can sustaine, not vpon an earthly mountaine in a material Tabernacle with Peter, Mat. 17, 4: but in Heauen, in that precious and heauenly Ierusalem, Heb. 12, 22. with God the Fa­ther, [Page 73] the Sonne, and the holy Spirit, that most blessed and glorious Trinitie, in whose presence is the fulnesse of ioy, and at whose right hand there are pleasures for euermore, Psal. 16, 11. together with all the goodly companie of Angels, Zech. 3, 7. Heb. 12, 22. and holy Saintes, Mat. 8, 11. seeing (I say) we looke for new hea­uens and a new earth, according to his promise, wherein dwelleth righteousnes, 2. Pet. 3, 13. and for such a kingdome, Luk. 12, 32. for he is faithfull that hath promi­sed, Hebr. 10, 23. what manner persons ought we to be in holy conuersation and godlinesse, looking for, and hasting vnto the cōming of the great day of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ to iudgement, giuing diligence that we may be found in him in peace without spot and blameles? 2. Pet. 3, 11 &c. And in the meane time, let Moses shewe vs the shortnes of this life, Psal. 90, 10. And that couetous foole in S. Luke▪ teach vs that the incerteinty ther­of is more daungerous then the shortnes, Luk. 12, 20. let vs vse this world as though we vsed it not, 1. Cor. 7, 31, for the fashion thereof is as chaungable as our garment, [Page 74] Psal. 102, 26. Let the holy ghost perswade vs to carie our selues without couetous­nes, and to be content with those thinges,Reade Mat. 6, 25 &c. and Psal. 37. which we haue: for he hath said, I will ‘not faile thee, neither forsake thee, so that we may boldly say, The Lord is my hel­per, neither will I feare what man can do vnto me,’ Heb. 13. verse 5. 6. And for our continuall & assured hope of the glorious life to come, let vs reioyce in the Lord al­way, Philip. 4, 4. ‘Let vs cast away euery thing that presseth downe, and the sinne, that hangeth so fast on: let vs runne with pacience the race that is set before vs, loo­king vnto Iesus the author & finisher of our faith, who for the ioy, that was set before him, endured the crosse, despised shame, and is set at the right hand of the throne of God, Hebr. 12. verse 1. 2.’ This Iesus, being the fore-runner for vs, is en­tred into heauen, Hebr. 6, 20. and gone to prepare a place for vs, Ioh. 14, 2. where we haue alreadie an interest by Christ our head, as hauing our conuersation with him in heauen, from whence we looke for the sauiour, euen our Lord Iesus Christ, Phil. 3, 20. Who shall then separate vs frō [Page 75] the loue of Christ? shal tribulation, or an­guish, or persecution, or famine, or na­kednesse, or perill, or sword? much lesse (I hope) shall the loue of the world, wife, children, friends, honour, &c. remoue vs from this our eternall glorie: perswaded that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor things present, nor things to come, nor any creature shall be able to separate vs frō the loue of God, which is in Christ Iesus our Lord, Rom▪ 8, 35 &c.

To conclude, courteous Reader, if thou beest affected to the Romish religion (as haply thou mightest through the decei­uable shew of these marchants counterfet godlinesse) I charge thee before God, and his elect Angels, that thou dearely tender the saluation of thy soule, which Christ hath purchased with his owne blood, and that thou settle and ground the certainty of thy saluation vpon the written word of God (and not on the vncertaine Tra­ditions of those crafty marchants) with full assurance of faith firmely stayed in Gods promises through hope, as the sure anker of the soule: for so the Scriptures plentifully teach, Psal. 56, 11. Ro, 8, 38 &c. [Page 76] Col. 2, 2. Heb. 6, 19. and 1 [...]. verse 22. 23.

The word of God is the only rule of a Christians life, Psal. 119, 9. There will no­thing else sted vs at the last day, when we must all appeare before the tribunal seate of Christ, 2 Cor. 5, 10) but Gods own word & promise. He wil allow of nothing, but that which himself hath cōmanded, Deut. 12, 32. for all other things (be they neuer so glorious in the sight of men) the Lord will answer, Who required this at your hands, Isa. 1, 12. Ier. 7. vers. 22. 23. Seek ther­fore in the Bible, & booke of the Lord, & reade Isa. 34, 16: for, Blessed is he that rea­deth, & they that heare the word of God, and keepe it, Luke 11, 28. Reu. 1, 3. You know whither Abraham sent the richmās brethren: namely to Albeit the Law of Moses, and the Prophetes were red euery sabbath day in the Iewes synagoges, yet did they not vnder­stand them, act. 13, 27. & that because they did not be­leeue them, Ioh. 5, 46. which their vn­beleefe see how S. Paule saith was foreshadowed by Moses vaile, 2. Co. 3. 13 &c. read Heb. 4, 2. reade Moses & the Prophets, that so they might be warned to auoid hel flames, Luke 16, 27 &c. Our Lord told those Pharisies, that in vaine they worshipped God, teaching for do­ctrines, mens precepts, Mat. 15, 9. He told those Sadduces also that they were decei­ued, because they knew not the scriptures, Mat. 22, 29. Remember Saint Paules war­ning, Let no man deceiue you with vaine [Page 77] words: for through such things commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience, be not therefore compani­ons with them, Ephes. 5, 6 &c. And that fierce wrath of god, in punishing the neg­lect of his word, the Apostle declareth to be, in sending to the disobedient strong Saint Iohn, as it were in a map, purtrayeth the ve­rie picture of this foolish worlde made starke mad by the strength of this delusion. and he sheweth it vs (as he might well do) for the great wonders of Anti­christ: for cā there be anie greater wonder, then that the inhabitants of the earth should so generally be [...] deceiued? Reu. 13 vers. 8. 12. 13. 14. delusion to beleeue lyes, 2 Thes. 2. vers. 10. 11. as we see in our obstinate Romish Ca­tholickes, whose consciences are so caute­rized (as the holy Ghost foretold, 1 Tim. 4. 2) that neither feare of God, obedience to their Prince, loue of their countrey, perswasion of friends regard of posterity, nor care of their owne soules, can either disswade them from their damnable opi­nions, or yet reclaime them from their deuillish attemptes, But of this their in­credible obstinacy our Sauiour hath fore­warned vs, saying: that the time should come, that whosoeuer killeth his Disci­ples & professors of his word, will thinke that he doth God seruice, Ioh. 16, 2. Saint Iohn would seeme to yeeld a reason of this their vnreasonable obstinacie: they (saith he, speaking of Antichristian tea­chers) are of the world, therefore speake [...] [Page 80] yeares, yet the holy Scripturs affirme nei­ther the one nor the other: but rather in­ferre the contrarie, Rom. 15, 20 &c. Gal. 2. verse 1. 2. 8. 9. 2 Tim. 4, 16. Yes (say they) in that salutation (The church which is at Babylon saluteth you, 1 Pet. 5. 13) S. Peter put Babilon for Rome. Yea what wil they not allow, so that they might proue that S. Peter was at Rome? But briefly, for the disproofe of their Charter, our Lord ha­uing asked his disciples whō they thought him to be, Mat. 16, 15. Peter (as he was euer very forward in speech) answereth in the name of the rest: Thou art the Christ, the sonne of the liuing God. Wherefore our Sauiour approuing Peters answer & con­fession, being built vpon the head corner stone Iesus Christ, Act. 4, 11. 1 Cor. 3, 11, and alluding to his name Peter, which sig­nifieth a stone or rocke, saith to Peter, and in him to the rest; for as Peter answered for all (for they all beleeued and confessed the same, Ioh. 6, 69) so all were answered againe in Peter: Thou art Peter, & vpon this rocke (meaning, like a wise builder, a sure foundation of a spirituall building, Mat. 7, 24. 1 Cor. 10. 4. & not, as those foo­lish [Page 81] dawbers, Ezech. 13, 10 &c. vpon the flitting sands, Mat, 7, 26) will I build my Church, against which no strength of Sa­than shall preuaile. By the keyes is meant authoritie and power, Isa. 22, 22. Reu. 3, 7. And here marke well the wordes of their pretenced charter: Christ saith, I wil giue vnto thee the keyes &c. he saith not, I do giue: for notwithstanding this true con­fession of Peter, Peters Peter was then as vnsit to receiue the keyes, as he was vnable at Christs passion to followe Christ in sufferings, which thing yet after­ward he must do. Ioh. 13, 36. and 21, 19. 2 Pet. 1, 14. vnfitnesse then to receiue the keyes was such, that within foure verses after in the same Chapter, Christes verie next wordes to Peter are these: Get thee behind me Sathan: Thou art an offence vnto me, because thou vn­derstādest not the things that are of God, but the things that are of men, Mat. 16, 23. And Peter only of al the Apostles, a good space after this, denied with an oth, & that at the instance of a silly gerle, that euer he had any acquaintance with Christ, Mat. 26, 74. we see therfore that thogh they wil haue here their Charter ingrost, yet was it thē neither deliuered, nor vnder seale: but both were don after Christs resurrectiō, & at the time of sealing & deliuering, Christ deliuered these keys of binding & loosing [Page 82] sinnes, aswel to all the other Disciples, as to S. Peter, Ioh. 20. vers. 22. 23. As likewise they haue euer bene in the church of God Iude ver. 14. 2 Pet. 2, 7. Ier. 1, 10. And There are then no keyes for the pope, but that one keye of the bot­tomlesse pit. Reu. 9, 1 &c. are in all the iust ministers of Gods word, & alway shalbe, Mat. 18. verse 17. 18. 1 Cor. 5, 4 &c. 2 Cor. 2. verse 7. 15. and 10, 4. 1. Tim. 5. verse 20. 24. Iud. vers. 22. 23. Yea, though their priuiledge were good (as we see it counterfet and common) yet must it ei­ther be personal, or locall, or mixt of both. If it be personal, it perished with Peter: if locall, what place shall euer be of so great priuiledge & prerogatiues, as was mount Sion, Ierusalem? what special couenants?Sions preroga­tiues. what excellent promises had she? ‘God hath layd his foundations among the ho­ly mountaines: the Lord loued the gates of Sion aboue all the habitations of Iacob. Of Sion it shall be said, many are borne in her, and the Most-high shall stablish her &c. Psal. 87, 1 &c. For the Lord hath chosen Sion, and loued to dwell in it, say­ing: This is my rest for euer, here will I dwell,’ for I haue a delight therein, &c. Psal. 132, 13 &c. And the Iewes were not a litle proud hereof, Ier. 7, 3 &c. but Gods [Page 83] promises to Ierusalem were conditionall: if thy sonnes keepe my couenant &c. Psa. 132, 12. for else it should be serued as Shi­lo was, Ierem. 7, 14. Ierusalem should be counted as Sodome, Ezech. 16. verse 48. 53.Reade 2 King. 23, 27. and Sion for their sake, should be plowed as a field, and Ierusalem become as heaps, Micah 3, 12. And touching local worship, our Sauiour hath taught vs in his com­munication to the woman of Samaria, that the true worshippers of God should looke for none, Ioh. 4. verse 20. 21. 23. for men may, and must, pray in euery place, listing vp pure hands without wrath and Mat. 21. verse 21 22. Iames 1, 6. doubting, 1 Tim. 2, 8. 1 Cor. 1, 2. To come then to their Church, how is their church the Church of Christ, seeing they reiect the word of God, as they do? Our Saui­our reasoneth thus against the Iewes: He that is of God, heareth Gods wordes, ye therefore heare them not, because ye are not of God, Ioh. 8, 47. If all men be bound to allow this reason (as vpon pain of dam­nation they are) howe is the Church of This is meant of their visible & out ward Church, for else there are a­mong them many (no doubt) who fearing God and embracing his word, abhorre the Beast, & detest his religiō, as were in that corrupt time of Ahab, 1 king. 19 ver. 10. 18. Rom. 11 ver. 3. 4. And good Obadia, a chiefe officer in Ahabs Court, 1 king. 18, [...] and in S. Paules time, they of Ne­ros houshold at Rome, Phil. 4, 22. Rome a member of the Church of God, sith it refuseth to heare his woord? as wee see by practise in their [Page 84] Recusants are to bee compelled to come & heare the word of God, Lu. 14, 23. by these examples, Iosh. 24 23 &c. 2 Chro. 34, 33. Ezra 7, 26. Ne. 10. ve. 1. 28 &c. And by these warrants, Exod. 22, 20. Nom. 9, 13. Deut. 13, 12 &c. & 17, 2 &c. Isa 8, 20. Zec. 13, 2 &c. for like as by their refusing to heare Gods word, they shew them selues not to be of God, as our Lord testi­fieth Ioh. 8, 47: euē so, through the same refusall, their prayer and diuine seruice is abhomi­nable in Gods sight, as the holy Ghost witnesseth, Prou. 28, 9. And euen to wor­ship the liuing God otherwise then he prescribeth in his word, is all one thing vnto him, as to serue Idoles, and strange gods onely, as we may see, Exod. 32. ve. 1. 4 &c. and 1 king. 12, 28. and 2 king. 17. verse 28. 29. 32 &c. where those calfe­worshippers, in shew of the Calfe, pretended the worship of the true God, as plainly appeareth by Aarons Holy-day to the Lord, Exod. 32, 5. and by Ierobo­ams craftie tendering the peoples farre iourneyes to worship God at Ierusalem 1 king. 12, 28. Also in Ezech. 43. verse 7. 8. and Zephan. 1, 5. they mingled their image-worship with Gods seruice. And therefore Act. 7. verse 43. 44. Gods Ta­bernacle is called the Tabernacle of Moloch, because the Iewes in the wilder­nesse worshipped God with Moloch, the Idoll of the Ammonites, Leuit. 20, 2 &c. Amos 5, 25. for what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idoles? 2 Cor. 6, 16. And because our Recusants are Idolaters, and Image-seruers, and therefore can spiritually neither see, nor vnderstand, as the holy Ghost testi­fieth, Isa. 44, 18. Psalm. 115, 8. 2 Thes. 2, 10 &c. they are the more to be constrai­ned, and pitied by compulsion, 2 Tim. 2. verse 25. 26. Iude verse 23. Recusants, & in other open contempts. Which thing doubtlesse they do, because the word is not marked with the marke, name and image of their Beast, and, the number, and print of his name, Reuel. 13. verse 16. 17. and 14, 11. which is, to be read in Latin: to carrie the priuate exposition of their Church: to be mingled with the wormwoodish and bitter waters of their Church-traditions &c. Reu. 8, 10 &c. And because also that they take their Church to be aboue Gods word: for the holie Scriptures lie vnder the checke (forsooth) of their Church. But the word of God shall iudge them in the last day, Ioh. 12, 48. dare they then controll their iudge? Exo. [Page 85] 22, 28. Againe, how may their Church o­uer rule the holy Scripturs, sith it is Gods word that must either approue it the Church of Christ, or conuince it the syna­gogue of Satan? Ioh. 7, 17. Rom. 6, 17. 1 Io. 4, 1. 2 Ioh, verse 10. And we haue seene, in the beginning of this Treatise, that the time was, and that since mans Creation, when there was no Church at all. viz. whē Adam and Eue, being Satans bondslaues, were hid in the bushes: and til they heard the word of the promise of redemption, they were no members of Gods Church. But by faith onely in that word of God, they were regenerate into the Church of Christ, as Saint Peter speaketh, 1 Pet. 1, 23 Therefore the doctrine of the Catholikes is most absurd to teach that the Church, being begotten by the immortall seed of Gods word, may after dare (like a mala­pert impe) to controll, or infringe the au­thoritie of that word, and to presume to ouer rule it. But we sillie soules cannot see that their The Papists pre­tend Christs pro­mise for this spirit, Ioh. 14, 26 but our Lord promiseth, that the holy Ghost should sug­gest onely that, which himself had taught (reade the place) now Christ and his Apostles taught nothing but out of the law and the Prophets, Luk. 24, 44. Act. 26 22. Therfore their spirit teaching o­therwise, is a coso­ning counterfet. priui-prōpt-spirit instructeth their Church of higher, and more excel­lent things, then the holy Scriptures a­uouch: among which (I trowe) are these: [Page 86] That their Pope cannot erre: That the Virgine Marie, and Saints departed this life, must be prayed vnto: That images (not Idoles) must be worshipped, That a Catholike is not bound to keepe faith, & truce with an hereticke (for so it pleaseth them to cal the professors of Gods word) &c. which absurd assertions, & all other their priuate doctrines taught vnder the title of that spirit, by the authority of their church, they hold and maintaine with no better reason, or more sure ground, then the Iewes do the Traditions of their Cabal is the I [...]wes mysticall doctrin, deliuered from one to ano­ther by tradition, which (as they af­firme) was not cō ­mitted to writing, as was Gods Law: but deliuered by Moses to their forefathers by word of mouth. Ca­bal, or Mahomet the ceremonies of his Alcoran is a booke containing the law, & religiō of Mahomet, with out the knowlege wherof the Turks teach that mē are but childrē in vn­derstanding con­cerning religion. Alcoran. And as it were hard for man to deeme which of these three abomina­tions haue sent mo millions of soules to hell-fire: so were it as vneth to say, which of the three be more hatefull in Gods sight, were it not that the Pope hath grea­ter light to his heauier iudgement at the last day. And when our Papists, maintai­ning these, and more grosse opinions, and crossing the word of God, be the true mē ­bers of Christes Church: then shall those Iewes be the children of Abraham, who yet bare no resemblance of Abrahams [Page 87] faith, and therefore our Lord told them, that they were of their father the Deuill, Ioh. 8. verse 39. 44. Wherefore we wil end with this fearefull Caueat to them all,A Caueat to the Catholikes. That the state of a resolute and perfect Papist, not repenting his religion, but dying so insected and possessed with the poyson of Papistrie, is vndoubtedly a ru­led case in the holy Scriptures, and stan­deth damnable by their censure, as these, and such like places of the new Testamēt giue manifest euidence, 2 Thes. 2, 3 &c. 1 Tim 4, 1 &c. 2 Tim. 3, 1 &c. 2 Pet. 2, 1 &c. Reu. 13, 8. & 14. verse 9. 10. & 15, 2. & 20. verse 4. 5. Seeing then their case is so pe­rillous, let vs heare once againe the triple testimonie of Gods spirit thus mercifullyEphes. 5, 7. forewarning vs: Be not therfore compa­nions with them. Turne away therefore2 Tim. 3, 5. from such. And, by a voice from heauen: Go out of her, my people, that ye be notReuel. 18, 4. partakers in her sinnes, and that ye receiue not of her plagues.

Amen. He that hath eares to heare let him heare, Pro. 20, 12. Ezech. 12, 2. Mat. 11, 15.