chap. and 26 27 28 29. chap. Leviticus chap. 1. to 8. and 10.11.13.14.15.17.22.26 chap. Nombers chap. 1.2.3.4.18.19.26.33.34 chap. Deuteron chap. 14. Josua 11.12.14.15.16.17.18.19.21 2. Chronicl chap. inclusive 1. to 9. and 11.12.23.24.25.26.27.2 Chron. 3.4 Ezra 7. Nohem 3.7.11.12 Ezechiel 10. and 26. to 33. inclusive and 38. to 48. inclusive Amos 1. Nahum 3. in these the whole chapters are omitted 5. Prophesies and obscure Scriptures should bâ— read as reverently and attentively as the Apostles did heare obscure doctrine and parables out of Christs own mouth and they learned humilitie in that they would not bee wiser then Christ to make a glosse of their own upon his words but did patiently awaite untill that the Lord himself revealed the matter Gods Spirit by obscure Scriptures can also help our faith as Christ made the blinde to see with clay and spittle which otherwise maketh blinde This work of the Spirit is known when the Faithfull say in their hearts I know whatsoever you obscure words do meane it shall be foâ— my well The traditions of men whether they be obscure or plain have no such authoritie nor warrand nor power of Gods Spirit therefore they have neither title nor right in this ministration 6. If Gods Word be true which saith All Scripturs is given by divine inspiration and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of GOD may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim. 3.16 17. Then all Scriptures should bee read to make the man of GOD perfect But humaine traditions doctrine of errors and wil-worship do make the man of sin even antichrist perfect and furnished for all evill works their most charitable and pious works whereof they glory much are but evill and full of Divine-laesmajestie because they derogate from the merits of Christ in attributing merits unto creatures who before GOD have no merit of themselves so their most charitable works are most uncharitable Qu. 8. But these omitted scriptures do lesse edifie then other scripturs Ans 1. How much or little they edifie it is only known to God who by the weakest meanes effecteth the greatest works Therefore thou should only have said they seeme to edifie little 2. I suppone that they alwayes edifie lesse then other Scriptures yet the omitting of them maketh them not to edifie more but rather nothing at all which is worse We should do all things for edification 3. Their little measure of edification should not be despised but rather receaved with thanksgiving as we receive other benefites will a man pull out his infirm eye because it is more tender then the other eye Will he cut of his little finger because the other fingers are stronger Will a covetous Prelat refuse his small teynds because they are lesse gainfull then the other teynds Casteth he all away his coyne that is not gold Therefore as God abolisheth not the smallest stars in the firmament because they give not so great light as the Sun or Moone or greater stars so we should not reject the smallest lights of Gods truth albeit their shyning be not so bright as the glansing of other principles of Divinity The obscurest scriptures have some light in them and some cleer doctrine mixed with them for which cause also they should be read Qu. 9. Is not the reading of the masse book Divine service because of the passages of Divine Scriptures in it Ans There are as good passages of Scriptures in the Turks Alcoran in the Iewish Talmud and in witches charmes In these books and charmes the holy Scriptures are written to cloak and cover the deformitie and filthinesse of idolatrous superstitious and â—â—mane traditions as good wine may hid deadly poison in the same cup. Qu. 10. You do choose on t particular Scriptures to be read as fittest for the purpose in time of plagues or extraordinary blissings and you confesse that to be Divine service so in this book wee have fitted the Scriptures for diverse occasions Therefore it is Divine service to read it Ans You have fixed the Scriptures unto set times but you have not fitted them for diverse occasions you are not Prophets you foreknow not the occasions we choose no Scriptures to be read at extraordinary times untill that God make the occasions sensible to our eyes and then his word inviteth us to choose such Scriptures saying Call upon me in the day of thy trouble and I will heare thee and thou shall glorifie me Psal 50. All our reading and preaching of such Scriptures are for expressing our desires in trouble and then God when he heareth us he blesseth us and then wee thank and glorifie Him extraordinarly in his worship but not in fixed dayes of the year Thou knowest not but thy fixed dayes of fasting and prayer for averting Gods judgements or delivering thee from plagues may be the very dayes of Gods greatest bountie in giving unto thee many spirituall and bodily blessings and then if thou keep thy humiliation foresaid thou art a mocker of God and lyest against him in pretending a plague when he blesseth thee and â—hus thou art unthankfull in not praising God solemnâ—y for these blessings The like mocking and lying against God are effected in thy fixed dayes of thanksgiving for his spirituall and bodily blessings when 〈◊〉 his anger God multiplieth his plagues Thus the antichristian Clergie are false prophets seeming to foretell by these fixed dayes of fasting and thanksgiving that God hath fixed His blessings and plagues unto the same dayes which God never intended 2. To read and hear divine service out of the canon of Scriptures which Gods Spirit hath authorized and sealed to be the rule of our faith and holy life and to be the register of Gods revealed will towards his kirk To read them I say out of this canon it is not divine service more then to read a witches charme which is full of Scriptures also But it is devilish service to obtrud the reading of them for divine service when they are incorporat into one treatise with humaine and devilish doctrine to beautifie and procure credit to the doctrine of devils The Scriptures are out of the authorized canon not when they are lying in louse sheets of paper or bound in severall books by themselves or when they are bound only with other books nor yet when they are made use of in sound doctrine of Divinitie for all these times they losse not their spirituall union and cohesion with the true canon But when they are incorporate into one treatise with humaine and profane doctrine with which they can have no spirituall union nor agreement of Divine veritie whereby they losse their dignitie more then if they were burnt in the fire for the burning of them procureth no credit to errors and lies as when they are incorporate into one treatise with errors and lies 3. The morall sentences of Philosophers containe many things which aâ—e in Gods word shall
apparitions and visions we have need therefore of greater abundance of the evidency of his revealed will in the Old and New Testament Qu. 19. But now neither the reading nor the preaching of the Scriptures profiteth the people They loath the word as an unsavory thing They live without zeale without faith repentance Therefore they will make better use of humaine traditions Ans Thou should have said also that GODS word doth no good unto the preachers else they would not have beene so presumptuous as to have thralled GODS kirk with humaine traditions and carnall instructions 2. I confesse that wesps will make more use of poison then of hony The children of darknesse love rather the night then the day yea GODS people when 〈◊〉 spirituall graces decayed liked better of the flesh 〈◊〉 of Egypt then of the heavenlie Manna 3. Humaine traditions may work in men blinde zeale a temporarie faith a Pharisaicall repentance but no saving grace for God will rather blesse his own ordinances then humaine traditions If he do not so he will give no blessing of saving grace at all If GOD forsake Saul the Prophet Samuel can do him no good albeit he honour him before the people much lesse shall witches and devils help him in his distresse The waters of Damascus shall not cure Naaman of his leprosie if the waters of Jordan GODS ordinance do it not If God make not effectuall the ordinary meanes of his word it is time to fast and pray that GOD may turne back his spirituall iudgements least He plague us with finall desertion Qu. 20. Do not the prayers in this book witnesse that there is great humilitie in the Clergy and prelates Ans 1. The ambitious obtruders thereof upon GODS kirk for establishing their bastard orders have declared their greatest pride in the exercise of prayer wherein should be seene greatest humilitie for first because they dare not do otherwise in the Letany used on Sundayes Wedinsdayes and Fridayes they have a forme of prayer for the King the Queene and their children next for the prelats Bishops and elders of the clergy Thirdly for the Nobility then for the rulers and Magistrats lastly for the people So they must come before God as they ride in Parliament usurping place before the Nobility and magistrats They stand 〈◊〉 for off like the Publicane They who humble not themselves like little children shall not enter into the kingdom◠〈◊〉 heaven Also in the same Litany there are 3. particâ—â—â—â— prayers one for the King an other for the Queene their children the third for the Bishops and clergy but no prayer for the Nobility Magistrats and people 2. Neither can they hide their covetousnesse in their religious service wherein they should be most charitable for this book commandeth the halfe of the almes which the communicants give to the poore shall be given to the presbyter that celebrateth the coÌ„munion That which is given to the poore is given to God for they are the members of Christ If the clergy rob the sacred almes from Christs members they will not have it called sacriledge but if a superstitious portion be taking from them when they have more then sufficient that is called sacriledge when as the antichristian clergy and all that teach errors and idolatrie live only upon sacriledge for God as he alloweth neither false nor idolatrous doctrine so neither alloweth he meanes for sustaining false teachers though he permit the same This book appointeth them also to have an accustomed duety at mariages what will they do at baptisme at the kirking of women and at the making of testaments when they are so shamelesse at the Lords supper and at marriages Ambition covetousnesse idlenesse cause them praise this book highly in their pulpits Qu. 21. If wee correct this book and take away the faults of it may it not then be read for Divine service in Gods kirk Ans 1. That is Repugnantia in adjecto a speech contradictory to it self for if you take all the blemishes away this book can have no being for it is 〈◊〉 it blemish because it usurpeth the place of Gods word and it layeth bands on Gods Spirit in that if God would give as excellent gifts unto his servants as ever he did unto my Prophets or Apostles they may not exercise these gifts being hindered by the formes of this book and albeit the Scriptures contained in this book are in themselves good yet as they are placed in this book they are but a blemish as a gold chaine is an ornament about the neck a of queen but it is a blemish about the neck of a sow for how much so ever these Scriptures do procure credit and respect to this book and to the superstitions thereof so much they procure discredit and contempt to the rest of the Scriptures as when Dinah was defiled with Sechem it was a shame to the whole family of Jacob and if the son of a Prince become a theefe he shameth all his kinred If any wold glew the nose and lugs of a man to the face of an ox or the nose lugs of an ox to the face of a man both these wayes it is a disgrace unto man So the glorious banner of Gods word is disgraced whither it be incorporat and sewed together with the dishclouâ—s of humaine traditions and errors or whether they be incorporat with Gods sacred word 2. They make choose of some Scriptures to be insert in this book as if the rest of the Scriptures were but babling and not beseeming the wisdome of God and as if God unadvisedly had sent them unto his kirk 3. If nothing were in his book but these few Scriptures the clouting and clamping of them together is a despising of the order wherein God Spirit placed them as if he were not a God of order And it is a restraining of Gods Spirit by the continuall reading of them to hinder the free passage of the reâ—â— as an herald receiving many ordinances from his king by the oft repitition of one or two of them he leaveth no time to promulgat the rest In the Kalendar they ordeine the Psalmes to be read twelve times in the year They appoint not the rest of the Scriptures to be read six times in the year and 122. chapters of the scripture are never appointed to be read 4. They miscall some Scriptures is a historie in Act. 10. vers 34. which is read on Munday in Easter week and Act 7.55 c. read on S. Stevens day Joel 4.12 c. read on the first day of Lenâ— Revel 7.2 on all Saints day these and such other places are niknamed Epistles Qu. 22. In what order do they minister the communion Ans Their pride is seene also in this for all bishops presbyters and deacons must alwayes first receive the coÌ„munion before others they say it is done that the clergie may help to distribute the elements but they do it when there is no need of help
Gelasius brought in the respondes and the collects to be said at mateins Durandus 11. Pope Damasus appointed this sentence Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the holy Ghost as it was in c. to be said at the end of every Psalme and at the mass He other Popes caused these words of praising God to be said frequently that thereby the idolatrous worship might seeme a very holy and religious thing having such holy sentences in it This hideth the sacrilegious wayes whereby they rob God of his glory see Volateranus This Pope appointed also what prayers and how many Psalmes shall be said every day of the week Gulielmus Durandus He also ordeined that the Priest before the altar should say the confession standing and that the people should say Misereatur vestri and thereafter the Priest should pronounce the Absolution before he go to the altar Platina Polidorus 12. Pope Stephanus the 1. ordeined the Preists at Divine service to use no other but hallowed garments Sabellicus 13. Pope Silvester the 1. commanded the Priest at the masse to we are no silk nor coloured clothing but a white linnen alb only for Christ saith he was buried in a fine white linnen cloath Platina 14. Pope Adrian the 1. ruling it was deâ—â—â— in a popish councell at Frankford that every man shoâ—â—â— weare a surplice upon his back at service time Mossaeus 15. Pope Anacletus put to the masse this salutation Dominus vobiscum The Lord be with you and this answere of the people cum Spiritu tuo and with thy Spirit Some say it was Pope Sotherus Gratianuus de consecrat distinct 1. can Hoc quoque c. Ioannes Laziardus writâ—tâ—h That Dominus vobiscum was taken out of the book of Ruth I know not saith he by whom And cum Spiritu tuo was brought saith he by the councell of Arles 16. Pope Gregorie the 1. ordeined the Kyrie Eleison That is Lord have mercie upon us and that it should bee sung nine times openly of the Clergie onely at the masse Which Pope Silvester before commanded the Clergie and the people to sing together Durandus Platina 17. Pope Gregorie the 1. added to the masse the Alleluia That is Praise ye the Lord Platina 18. Pope Marcus ordeined the Clergie and the people to sing the Creed together with a loud voice to confirme their faith Platina this loud voice then is as good as a sacrament 19. Pope Pelagius the 1. ordeined funerall exequies or dirigies with masses of requiem to be sung or said for the dead Platina Gratianus This booke also hath funerall devotion and service 20. Pope Pius the 1. ordeined the keeping of Easter holy on the Sunday 21. Pope Gregorie the 1. appointed the feast of Trinitie Durandus 22. Pope Gregorie the 9. appointed the feast of the nativitie of S. John Baptist called Midsomer Chronica Germanica 23. Pope Silvester the 1. ordeined the feast of Lammes called ad vincula Petri Gratianus Polidorus 24. Pope Felix the 3. ordeined the feast of the archangel Michael lib. conciliorum 25. Pope Gregorie the 4. ordeined the feast of all Sancts on the first of November Platina 26. Pope Sergius ordeined candlemasse day feast called the Purification of Marie Sigebertus 27. Pope Boniface the 8. ordeined the feasts of the four Evangelists Matthew Mark c. 28. Pope Innocent bearing rule it was ordeined in a Popish councell at Lyons what holy dayes in the year should be specially observed viz. All Sundayes The feast of the Nativitie of Christ Of S. Steven Of S. Iohn the Evangelist Of the Innocents Of Silvester Of the Circumcision Of the Epiphany Of Easter with the whole weeks that goe before and after Of the Rogation dayes Of the Ascension of Christ Of Whitsuntide with the two dayes following Of S. Iohn Baptist Of the twelve Apostles Of S. Laurence Of blessed Mary Of the dedication of the Temple Of all Sancts Of S. Martine Of all such canonized Sancts as every Bishop of his Diocesse with consent of the Clergie and people appoint to keep holy Polidorus Durandus 29. Durandus saith after the minde of S. Gregorie de consecrat dist 5. Lent is counted to begin on the first Sunday in Lent and to end on Easter even which is 42 dayes of which taking away the six Sundayes there remaines only 36. dayes Therefore that the number of 40. dayes that Christ fasted might be perfected this Pope Gregorie added to Lent foure dayes of the week that go before viz. Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Durand in rational divinâ—â— offic Pope Telesphorus first ordeined Lent to be fasted and that more by the Priests then by laicks for they should be holier show more abstinence then others 30. Pope Silvester the 1. ordeined the Wedinsday Friday and Saterday should be fasted every week thorow the whole year Bergomensis 31. Pope Gregorie the 1. ordeined neither flesh nor other thing that hath affinitie with flesh as chiese milk egges c. should be eaten in such dayes as are appointed to bee fasted Polidorus Gratianus There is not a dog in the kitchin but it can keep these holy fasts as precisely as the Papists do if they can get their bellies filled with fishes bread and sweet meats and sauces and such delicats as Papists use in Lent But when will the Papists bee as abstinent in their fasts as horses are who are content neither to eat fish nor flesh all their lifetime The papists doe brag that they keep Christs fast when they can not reach to the fasting of horses no not in Lent 32. Pope Gregorie the first devised the anthems and made the tune or song unto them Guilielmus Durandus Ioan. laziardus Yet some write that in the time of pope Euaristus anthemes were brought into the kirk by Ignatius the disciple of Iohn the Evangelist Phil. Bergomensis Tripartita histor 33. Pope Damasus foresaid ordeined the order of the Queer that the Queer being divided into two parts they should sing one verse of the psalmes on the one side and an other on the other side Durandus Polidorus 34. Pope Gregorie the 1. appointed this service book which is now used and keept in Europe but â—ope Damasus first began the book when as the service book made by Ambrose was first more used in kirks but Charles the Great with the Popes in his time caused the service book of Gregorie to be made common through Europe and the book of Ambrose to be only used at Millaine where Ambrose was Bishop Of this writeth Iacobus de voragine In vita Gregorii primie Guilielmus Durandus 25. Pope Nicolas the third decreed that the Bread and Wine which are set upon the Altar are not onelie after the consecration the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ but they are also the very selfe same body and blood of the LORD Jesus Christ that was born of the virgin so that his very body is truely handled with the Priests
hands and turne in peeces with the teeth of the faithfull de Consecrat Dist 2. Ego Berengarius c. This service book craftilie includeth in it the same thing in the prayer at the coÌ„munion praying That God would so blesse the bread and wine that they may be the body bloud of Christ 36. Pope Innocent the 3. ordeined that the Sacrament of the altar should be keept and reserved in Churches continuallie under lock and key to be in readinesse at all times least the sick persones want spirituall confort in the time of death This book also hath a reservation of the Sacrament 37. Pope Vitalian is said to have brought the Organs into the Churches Platina Volateran This doth accompanie both the compleat and incompleat masse books Q 6. Are not the omitted Scriptures left out of the masse book and also not suffered to be read in the Church because they are obscure and hard for the people that understand them 〈◊〉 Ans 1. Then the Preachers should instruct them for it is the chief part of their callings to interpret the Scriptures as Philip did to the Eunuch Act. 9. and Christ to the two men going to Emmaus 2. By taking away or omitting any part of GODS word they professe the Spirit of GOD to be imprudent and rash in dyting such Scriptures as their Antichristian wisedome thinketh needlesse and have omitted Item they show their owne ignorance and presumption in taking the calling of the ministrie when they understand not these omitted Scriptures at the least in a generall sense and their own unfaithfulnesse if they can and will not interpret them 3. The people should read even obscure Scriptures and glorifie GOD 1. By confessing their ignorance 2. and that if they shall ever understand his word this knowledge commeth not of themselves but it is the gift of God 3. They shall also glorifie God by seeking the understanding of his word 4. By waiting upon God untill he reveale it which in his owne time Hee will do either in generals or particulars as is fittest for His glory and their well It is good service done unto God if they read these obscure Scriptures with such a disposition and God will be glorified all these wayes Christs sheep will hear his voice speak what he pleaseth John 10. John 5. They are bid Search the Scriptures This searching is also a service done unto GOD for it showeth a love of his word consequentlie a love of himself because he is found in his word Great searching showeth great love little or no searching little or no love But if no Scriptures were obscure there should be no â—â—ed of searching 5. The LORD alloweth his Apostles to heare many things of himself which they understood not untill after his resurrection neither understood they many things written by Moses and the Prophets untill after his resurrection see Luke 24 vers 25.27 and vers 6.44 45 46. Mark 9. vers 10. Act. 1. vers 16.20 and chap. 2. vers 25.30.34 Act. 3. vers 22 24 25. and sundry other places He willeth also that we should heare and read all his word albeit we understand not many things in it untill the resurection of his mysticall body at his second coming As GODS kirk in the Old Testament understood not many things in the Prophets before his first coming notwithstanding the Prophets were dayly read in the synagogues And when GODS people in due time shall understand these things clearly then they shall magnifie the LORD in that they see his Al-seing Majestie doeth nothing and speaketh nothing rashly and ignorantly but knoweth and foreseeth all things before the foundation of the world and this thing shall teach them humilitie in that neither learning nor long experience shall make them know the secret things of the LORD untill himself reveale them These things foresaid do also convince the Papists who forbid the people to read privatly the Scriptures they labour to perswade the people that the Pope can not erre that thereby all his doctrine and traditions may be received by all men and so they exalt the Pope above GOD whose holy word they spoile from the people importing no lesse then that GOD should bee in error and not the Pope Qu. 7. The book of Leviticus edifieth not containâ—â— but rites and ceremonies the Chapters of Genealogies containe names only the Canticles and sundrie prophesies are obscure should they then be read publictly Ans All should be read for all edifie 1. The book of Leviticus prophesieth of Christs suffrings and first coming in the flesh for as the audible word read and preached taught the same unto the ears of men so the ceremonies sacrifices and Sacraments as a visible word foretold the same unto their eyes When preachers now do read and interpret this book it edifieth us and serveth for the strengthning of our faith in that by this book we see that the doctrine of Christ is no new thing invented of men but GOD taught by his Prophets in the Old Testament Also it showeth that Christ is of great dignity and Majesty whose coming was foretold so many wayes and that his suffrings have great vertue and merite being prefigured by so many types 2. The chapters of Genealogies do also edifie showing what care GOD taketh of men and of their children and seeing that these are written for us it showeth that God taketh notise as well of all others whose names are not written in the Scriptures and that the names of his own are written in the book of life and that his care and providence reacheth unto every person in the world And also the chief scope of many Genealogies was to point forth Christs Genealogie that men might know Hee was 〈◊〉 a false Christ nor a false prophet coming into 〈◊〉 kirk without warrand of God but that God â—â—d chosen him only to be the Saviour of the world 3. The Canticles are most fit to be read for no scriptures do more edifie because none are fitter to set forth that most comfortable doctrine of the mutuall love between Christ and his Kirk Therefore the Holy Ghost calleth the song of Salomon the most excellent song 4. There are 19. chapters of the Revelation left out and not read neither in the Sabboth nor week dayes viz. from the 2. to the 18. and the 20.21 chapters because they are most dangerous for the false kirk discovering the antichrist and his persecution of true kirk and the fall of antichrist Some do alleadge that satan liketh not to hear tell of his first falling and ruine from God so the Kingdome of Babylon liketh not to hear tell of their last falling and ruine and they hide from the people the light of Gods word least it discover their filthinesse which if it were discovered men would abhor them and destroy their Kingdome The other Scriptures which they never read all the book of the Canticles Genesis chap. 10. Exod. chap. 2. 4 6 7 8. the 25. to 31.
obeyed 3. Men now have more meanes of learning but they are more doted then the infancy of the Jewish kirk who were coÌ„tent of the rites that were commanded of God but now men without warrand of God dote both upon Jewish and heathen rites 4. If they be more learned they have lesse need of the rudiments of this world which were fitter for the unlearned Qu. 37. We can not cast away all rites no religion consisteth without rites Ans â— Christ and his Apostles were religious above all men without wil-worship and idolatrous rites Qu. 38. If we eschew to do all things that idolaters and Pagans de we cannot live nor worship God at all Ans 1. We need not eschew things wherein they are like true professors but the things that make us conforme to idolaters and pagans Qu. 39. Why do you who kneele not to the Sacraments depart from our communions Are we not all under one Head Christ though we have a blemish A brunt and wounded finger is a member of that body which hath whole members should the whole members be cut off from the sore should you excommunicate your selves from us Ans 1. A man cutteth not the whole fingers from the sore â—â—beit he neither burn nor wouâ—d his whole fingers that they may be conforme to the sore so we excommunicate not our selves from you though we hurt not our consciences with your blemish for we hear the same word and are baptized with you and we converse together 2. If a sore member refuse to be healed it rather excommunicats it self from the whole so you refuse spirituall health c. 3. Wee separate our selves not from you but from your idolatrous blemish for we should not countenance such contempt of God then heale your sore and we shall communicate with you 4. We communicate with the whole kirk of God if we take the sacraments publictly with any members thereof 5. All the pariâ—hes in the earth are not excommunicate every one from another though they communicat not all in one assembly Qu. 40. There is a double danger If I preach not the Ghospell God will punish me If I preach the Ghospell I must admit idolatrous rites and wo is me if I preach not the Ghospell 1 Cor. 9.16 Ans If thou preach admitting idolatrous rites and ceremonies God will punish thee If thou preach and do not admit them man will puniâ—h thee take now thy choose 2. If man punish thee deposing thee from thy place for not admitting these rites this hindereth thee not to preach for by suffering thou preaches more effectually then when thou did proclame GODS word in a publict place all the power in the world can not hinder faithfull preachers to preach either by publict speaking or by a holy life or by suffering for Christs honour Romanus the martyr in the dayes of Galerius the Emperor when Asclepiades the tyran was sent from the Emperour to persecute him after he had caused his body to be sore wounded in many parts Romanus still confessed Christ therefore Asclepiades caused the tormentor to smite him on the mouth Then Romanus said I thank thee for thou hast opened many mouths to me he esteemed every wound a mouth whereby hee confessed and preached Christ Qu. 41. Is it not better that I yeelde to same abuses rather then to leave my place and then a woulfe or a theefe shall enter in my place Ans It is better that a wolf or a thief shall enter into thy place then that thou remaining in the place shall turne into a wolf or thief by yeelding to these abuses c. 42. What outward meanes are best to be used for conserving the knowledge and practise of true religion among men that they be not suddenly turned into apostasie by every winde of corrupt doctrine Ans 1. If Pastors and Preachers would preach and continually catechize the people in the orthodoxe points of religion and at meetings cause some of themselves catechize one another and help them with their own questions and cause some of them say a conceived prayer or a set forme as they may best have it This shall cause them make conscience of praying to God at home in the fields albeit they could say no more but the Lords prayer upon their knees 2. If Pastors with the Magistrats and Elders cause masters of families catechize their domestiks and the domestiks to catechize one another and every one rehearse a prayer their time about 3. If schoolmasters would do the like with their disciples in catechizing and prayer and if after the master hath said his prayer then one of the disciples their day about say a prayer and if any disciples come into the schoole after the time of prayer let him pray privatly in a quiet place before he enter to his studies and let them do the like if they must go home before the evening prayers men of a good conscience will finde many wayes to make their disciples to be also Christ disciples Some of the grossest things are omitted in this book untill the people be confirmed in the errors thereof and therâ— they â—â—all receive the compleat masse book or bible of the whore These locusts deale so subtilly that they draw meâ— unto their kingdome unawars that they shall be citizens oâ— spirituall babylon before they know themselves to have departed from Gods truth and from the sanctuary of Sion If the iniquity of the false kirk had not beene covered with the shew of wisedome wil-worship and humility Coloss 2.23 Then Paul had never called it The mistery of iniquity for the antichristian vultures do pull out the eyes of heavenly knowledge of Gods word from people that they can not discerne error from truth and that they can not see to save their souls from hell their bodies from persecution and their estates from spoliation The lawfulnesse of renewing the Covenant with God and of the Confession of the Faith practised by the Kirk of Scotland ANNO 1638. and answers to some scruples FOR our subscription and our renewing of the Confession of Faith we are well warranted for if we look to God we have his Commandment MATH 11. Come unto me all ye that are wearie and heavie loaden and I shall case you take my yoak on you and learn of me c. we are now burdeined not only with our personall sins and infirmities but also with the heavie yoak of antichristian traditions and errors the least of these is too heavy a burden for pressing down our consciences If we look to the Godly in old we have their approven practise In the Old Testament GODS kirk fell oftimes into idolatrie and therefore then they renewed their covenant by repentance and GOD delivered them If we look to the kirk we have the authority of her assemblies if to the authoritie we have the declaration both of King and Counsel in the acts of Counsell if to our progenitors we have the laudible example of our