like authoritie or onely that part against the Leuits if all then further matter is to be considered then either would be liked of many or tollerated of any true christiaÌ„ in the church of god If only that remaine touching the fallen Leuits and not that in the .9 verse 17.18.22 c. For gods cause shew vs some priueleadge for that mater only from the rest But deare bretherne the whole chapter considered sendeth vs to the same mind that erst we were of that is that this law was to the Iewish priesthod not to vs the shrinking subscribing hands of men most famous in the ministery rightly measured with the aboundant gifts of gods spirite to them after repentance giuen of god to seale his good like of their elected place continuance in the function of the ministery aswel to his Apostle Peter as to sundry his excelent disciples in our times giueth not a little comfort to those in that predicament notwithstanding the seuere censure of sundry zealous and learned persons I purpose not at all to fauour such popish Masse priestes whose hartes remayning without Religion haue and doe frame themselues to euery chaunge thereby to satisfy their lucring lust for these béeing onely Temporarii are not in any sort tollerable in the holy ministerie of Christes worde and sacraments neyther yet to support such Queene Maries priestes as béeinge in her darcke raigne admitted by that Popishe ennoyling do yet with the former couer their nowe Idolatrous hartes with the mantell of externe obedience But if so it be that God in his great mercy haue fully altered and to him selfe by him selfe chaunged the hartes of some of these and called the Persons as extraordynarily which may be perceiued by his giftes and Spirite in them then I sée not after their publique confession and time of tryall which were very necessary why eyther the Church should refuse to readmitte them to the ministerie of the Gospell or any the children should impugne such their godly Mothers recepte For this cause was Paule receyued to mercy that Iesus Christe should firste shewe vppon him all longe sufferinge to the example of them which in time to come should beléeue in Christ to eternall lyfe This mercy note good Reader is not ended when Paule is thereby receyued to grace but it contynueth and that for our comfortable example admittinge that persecuting Conuerte to the preaching of the Gospell And as the Gospell yéeldeth grace to this our conuert So the law is not altogether voyd of fauour the slyding Prieste Aaron as before Neyther yet doe I speake to confyrme the generall Troupe of the Idolatrous priestes admitted especially sithe they haue not turned to the LORDE vntill the mighty God hath taken from them their vaine trust and placed againe hys trewe Religion which Priestes haue continewed till the day by Lawe set in their massinge and wishe the same yet in harte in the middle of theyr ministration these wheresoeuer they be I doe lament that so they are and cannot by law as yet be remoued But I only set downe my dislike of this opinion that if once a Quéene Maries priest or King Henries and Kyng Edwardes Priest so they bée termed then can they not in any case howsoeuer beautified with spiritual giftes or conuerted in conscience be admitted to the function of the ecclesiasticall ministerie As I willingly confesse that ther may because of distrust into the most of such So yet I cannot achieue the sight of this that from all such the grace of God is so farre shortened If through repentance by his holy spirite they be purely sanctified and accompted in Gods sight for his sonne Christ in whom they beleue as if they had remained innocent Why shuld the seueritie of men in earth shut from the ministerie in his Church those whom his mercy from the heauens hath receiued as most deare to himselfe Or yet from the pastorall office such persons as the Lord accompteth innocent But it may bée sayd the Church is offended at them they therfore cannot profite the congregation I say the godly in the church doe respect the gospell which the man bringeth and not the man his messenger neither shall the wicked reprobate be holpen by the purest minister or yet the childreÌ„ of adoptton be hindered or want their promised commoditie in the weakest pastor Could the Israelites be ignorant of Aarons fal or the Apostles and Church then of Peters deniall in the iudgement hall or his eftsones infirmitie at Antioch Whose crimes were not small yet was not the one or the other for the offence of the Church through their fall abandoned the ministerie These things by occasion thus touched for thy tast and stay of conscieÌ„ce I hast to the end of these my labours with this last obseruation to whom it may concerne Christ is giuen of God his father to geue light to theÌ„ that sit in the darknes of error sinne to guide their waÌ„dring steps wide walking féete into the gospel which is the way of peace Now is the time wherein most amplie this his office is by his grace executed in this nation yet are there many which hauing in the darknes of the late persecution séene and receiued great light of the Gospell are now in cleare shine of the same either with the Moules digging and dwelling in earthly things and couet the darknes of Mammon reseruing to Christ and his word their lippes alone Or els with Julian that Apostata when they should seale vp the fulnes of their ioye in receiuing their saluation sent and obeying his kingdome present they as men all wearied of eternal life shut vp their harts from the Lord therof reiect his gospell resuse their former fayth and returne to the vomite of poperie erst cast from them To all such Christ is a stumbling stone a stone of offence but in déede to them he is a terrible iudge to pronounce the end due to their Apostasie so relapsed hell and euerlasting damnation The lord in his great mercie kéepe vs from this fall and geue vs to apprehend his Christ our light and leader that we may dayly walke in his shining law by the conduction of his ho-spirite vntill we attaine the fruition of his eternall peace To whom with the father and the holy ghost thrée persons distinct one our eternall God be al glory â—nd power for euer Amen FINIS (a) Rom. 15.4 (b) Iac. 1.17 (c) Math. 13 5â— (a) Eph. 5.19.20 Esay 29.13 Math. 15.8 Marc. 7.17 (b) Luc. 21.2 (c) Mat. 26.24 Ier. 20. (a) 1. Cor. 3.11 Luke 1. Luke 1.68 (a) Ro. 3.29 15.12 Esa. 11.10 (b) Deut. 7.6.7 8.9.14.2.26 18. Exo. 19.5 1. Pe. 2.9 (c) Exo. 13.21 et 14.19.20 1. Sam 4.4 (d) Re. 9.4 (a) Esay 59.2.3 Ier. 5.25 Esai 5.18 (b) Es y. 4â— 12 13. â—9 1â— 1. Cor. 1.9 2. Tim. 2.13 Ro. 3.3 (a Tit. 2.11 (b) Exo. 14.30 (c) Nehe. 2. Esay 1.2.3 (d) Esay 53.5.6
the worlde to be his chosen nurse to his peculiar persecuted people So may all we her subiectes acknowledge our selues more then most bound to god for her maiestie since we vnder a mayden Prince whose person is vnapt to bodely warres are so defended that against the force of the worlds furie both our soules and bodies are conserued in much peace far aboue the nations rounde about vs The onely cause thereof is Iesus Christ our mighty Michael who himself without our fighting hands or armed bodies breaketh the Dragons force and disapointeth him of his pray The second diabolicall imphe is the domestical foe which the Church harboreth carieth in her arms to quiet make stil his wanton and wrauling cryes Dandleth him on her Mootherly Knée hoping to surpresse his brawling voyce wyth her patient compassion For shew of recompence this poysoned broode calleth her by the name of mother her spouse Christ they worship by the tittle of lord But in déede they are the bond slaues of Agar and beare a deadly hate to Sara Their mindes be set on Sina that gendreth bondage vz. rotten Rome and Hierusalem they séeke but to féede vppon to florishe in to enriche themselues vnder her And espying her liberties and preheminences they doe from time to time busie themselues to betray the same The true church of God now in Englande séeke they to betray to the handes of the wicked and by slaunders to polute the sanctuarie of the lord The engines that these enemies vse agaynst vs are scoffing speches rayling voyces and slaundering wordes Sée you not say these men what discorde sundry sectes and religious are amongest these new broched bretherne how they preach wryte dispute and euer seeke to beate downe another Is not this a marke of Sathans Sinagog And the common refuge of these euilles is to couller their cankred malice with the couert of desired obedience to Lawes whylest such for the most parte liue as though they themselues were priuileadged from all good gouernement The contempt of godly Lawes set downe in this state and present gouernement is to be wyth diligent eye and earnest care redressed And I would to GOD suche rulers Ecclesiastical ciuill were selected as would more diligently looke hereto So should the mouthes of men haue lesse cause of their great outcryes agaynst the present state For I thinke it no reason to pull downe the whole house for the weakenes of on rotten sparre or to cutte of the hande for the fault or defect of a finger or yet vtterly to subuert the state because euery parte hath some infirmitie But as concerning the contentions amongst the learned I answere I lament both the cause and the action yet here by hath the papist no warrant to Blaspheme our Religion or to condemne the Prince or Preachers and professors of the same for if contention amydde the learned and in the Church of God be a sufficient cause to refuse her to slaunder and to reuile her wyth reprochfull tearmes yea and condemne the people state and ministery of christs spoused wife this holy church then shall we finde this Churche in no age among the children of men planted frée from such sharpe censure As if we loke into the church of Israell brought from Pharao into the desert we shall sée the same often to rebell against Moises yet not all the Israelits Wherefore the Church then could not be frée from contentiō Dathan Abiram disliking the priesthood which god ouer them had set vpō Aron his line stirred vp sharpe cōtention tumultuous vprore for the same Consider her condition in the time of Saule his persecuting of Dauid behold small vnitie Saule commended of some Dauid reaping the greater praise What vnity had the church whē 400. salse prophets contended with Helias the prophet of the Lord for the idoll Baal their false god After Israel retorned from her captiuity was not the church cut into diuers sectes factiōs in outward show they professed gods law penned by Moises the Prophets but in déede truth they were seperated into diuers opinions sundrie sects euery party receiued his name according to his opiniō The holy scripture approued authors tell vs that in the Iewes church there were Pharises Saduces Esseis yet who dare say that at this presēt ther was not in the place thē gods holy church It is therfore now no strāg or new thing to haue dissēting opiniōs in amōgst mē professing one religion about some points conteined in the same The new Testamēt witnesseth the like In the time of the Apostles what sharpe contention was there betwixt Paule Peter at Antioch for cause in religiō Peter offēding against the rules therof was openly reproued by Paule Also betwixt Paule Barnabas was such vnitie that they parted asonder the one from the other about John Marke a disciple Notable is that long sharpe disputation sore cōtention which crept into the church betwixt Paule Barnabas on the one part the Pharises which were cōuerted to the gospell at Antioch on the other about iustification whether it came by faith alone or that circūcision the law were of necessitie to be ioined thereto This strife was such that it could not nor was otherwise abandoned the church then by that Apostolicall councell holden at Hierusalem About this time and shortly after the Apostles there arose out of the church sundry sectaries as the Corinthiani Martionisti Gnostici and Carpocratiani The Gentilles then as some papistes doe now sayde the christians are troublesome and contentious they cannot agrée about their christ and his religion but we holde one vnitie in our profession therefore they offer vs more then great cause to haue in suspence our hast to subscribe to their professed Gospel Yet all this their friuolous speches set a part both the Apostles and others wyth them at that presēt ioyning in the sinceritie of the professed trueth were of the true church of god Also that church whereout these wicked Sectories Heritykes came was that and the best beloued Wyfe the Church of Iesus Christ notwithstanding such contentions and variable mindes as then that state caryed to the posteritie And euen so is our church now holding fast the substance of Doctrine geuen by the scriptures and the administration of the Sacraments according to his worde Lykewise in substance though in some matter accidentreth there arise question the same yet offe-no ioy to the professed papist for as they contende so doe both sides striue to be far from popish affects This our Church also I say of and in England is the true church of God the reuerend fathers the Bishops with others the preachers of his holy word in this our nation now gouernment abiding in the truth of doctrine though ther be amids their harmony in the
substance of our religiō some little iarring crochet in lesse matters out of musicke her concorde are to be accompted as members of that musicall body whereof Christ is the head and worthy buylders of that spirituall house of which Iesus our Lord is the chiefe corner stone If I should stand to reherse the contentions of the Church since the first Church till this present I should passe the limits of a large booke farsed with onely testimonies to that end As for example the contention among the learned and Godly fathers in the East and west churches for the time and day wherein the Easter day should be kept was great and perilous a cutting asunder of the said church and an absolute breache of perfect vnity till Nicene councell ended the cause but salued not the whole sore For the hygh authoritye of places and men Ecclesiasticall it is a worlde to reade and sée how Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople began and the Romane Gregory encountering him Prophecied his Romish seate to be prepared for the same Antechristianisme after his dayes which Boniface the worker of euill enthronised in his full pompe which contention I feare will not be banished till the spirit of the Lords mouth consume the authors fautors thereof This sore how in those better dayes more pure times it hath festered into the harts of Godly learned men then most famous by this little taste ye may at the first perceiue But let vs as ye would haue it O ye fawning papists graunt ye that some Heresies doe bréed in our English church at this day shall ye therefore accuse the same to be estraunged from God shall you wyth wylye subtletie to that ye may deface the Churche our Spirituall Moother and carye the names of her Sonnes and Children and louers of our gracious Nurse ELIZABETH Naye rather ought ye to lyke of our Religion that manifesteth suche Heresies and confesse that where the Lorde hath fyrst sowne Wheate there the Enemie comming after hath in the same chosen Lande sowed Tares And ye ought to know that the Lordes will is to haue both for a season to grow together that the blade of the Tare might the better make knowne the eare of the good wheat So is it good reader the wisdome of Gods purpose that Heresies springing vp with true doctrine the veritie should more clearly appeare and the sowers of truth should more diligently study to refell the false opinions of the wicked by the forcible power of that first sowne truth the word of god Let not the wicked therefore perswade thée that our Church and Religion is euill false because of scismes Heresies which some wicked not yet by the sentence of the Church fully cut of percase do hold for it begā in the Apostles time that Heritykes and Seismatykes should frō the true church haue their procéedinge and of the same their first place to be trayned vp in trueth that their Iudgement should be the greater And Rome it selfe which is now wrapped in horrible heresie and manifold scismes though they yet boast of vnitie came out of Gods church and hath made manifest Apostacie there from as if you set the Religion in Rome now professed wyth the Doctrine which the same dyd holde what tyme Paule wrot his Epistle to them you shall most playnely sée that the Romanistes are gone out of Gods Churche great and Huge Herityques Came not Arius that pestiferous man who hath by his Bookes denyed Christes Eternitie wyth the Father onely acknowledging him to be made as a Creature Oh myghty and Monstrous Blasphemie came he not out I say of the Churche of GOD at Alexandria where he was first a Scholemaster and after an admitted Preacher dyd he not of malice agaynst Alexander the good Bishop there first broche forth his Heresies Where had Agelius ▪ his place to spred his Heresie which was of the sect of Nouatus that Heretike hatched vp in the Church at Rome and was the Father of the Heretykes called Katharoi but euen where the christian Chrisostom was chiefe Pastour and Bishop and in his Church at Constantinople Shall the contentions in the Apostles age in Christes Church then or the controuersies amongest the learned in the Christian Churches since cut the one or the other from being the Church of God God forbid Yea if from the church of the Apostles there procéeded scismes Heresies by the wicked amongst them if since in all times as the Eccl. histories tell vs Satan hath so troubled the good corne with counterfait cockle why shal we thinke it strange to haue the same tentations now which our fathers before vs our childrē after our departure shal be assalted with ▪ yea your holy mother of Rome ye papists hath nursed vp such wicked children her selfe in whom whose popes alone ye repose your whole trust as may bear the bel before the deuill the patron of your religion for their great heresies And they are sundry in number As Liberius Anastatius Honorius Siluester and the mery monster Iohn the B. aboue others more notable Adhere to al the rest in that sea since Antechrists possession first thereof taken Albeit ye cannot deny the premises or kéep frō our sight your many sundry iarring opiniōs yet ye wold that your sinagog of Rome should be accōpted the holy monarch mother church of the world that notwithstanding the procreation of such a pestilent poysoning brood why should ye then abridge vs of the lyke libertie which ye chalenge to your selues that séeing we doe with all might séeke to repreffe the opinions of them that be wicked wyth the power of the Gospell and to mayneteyne vnitye in Godlynesse to all our powers Herein you doe but poure out your much malice striuing to hinder vs You haue exhibited against your willes much lyke to your graundsire Caiphas to our side and with vs the Testimonye of trueth So mightie is God our defender that he draweth wyth violence out of your wicked mouthes to your greater condemnation if ye repent not the vouch of verity But to conclude this poynt Christian reader take and taste this Antidotum here confected to thy vse agaynst their venomous speaches and it shall not onely comfort thy afflicted minde which God graunt for his Sonnes sake but also shall kéepe thée stedfast vntill the Lorde performe the promise long syth by his holy Prophetes solempnely made to his Churche for euer As first in Micah thus Thou wylt perfourme thy trueth to Jacob and mercye to Abraham as thou haste Sworne to our Fathers in olde tyme. And agayne in Esay wholy and specially from eleuenth verse to the ende of the same which Chapter is most comfortable agaynst these our subtill dayes Oh thou afflicted and tossed wyth Tempestes sayth the Prophete to Goddes Churche thou that hast no comfort behold I wil lay thy
elect This Christes church where this horne is erected is builded not by mans wisedome nor mayntained by popish policie and diuelish diuinitie but the chiefe builder hereof is Christ himselfe and by his commission his Prophets before him which by his spirite word builded the harts of the fathers to the fayth in his erected sonne And euer since his Apostles Euangelists Pastours Doctors and preachers which receiue of his holy Gospel and therewith edifie the church are likewise builders of this holy temple and house of our heauenly Dauid Of which house Christ is the head and chiefe corner stone The familie and building of this house are such ▪ as by the Apostolical and Euangelicall Doctrine are brought to the rules which are therein set by the Lord herein erected of him also to the same end they haue their name eate of his bread and worke as hée is by calling in such good workes as are of the same Lord for them prepared euen from the time of calling till the last houre of the penies receite The continual building of this Dauids house is by preaching the word of truth not by popish pressing in of false Doctrine by geuing the sacraments of the Lord to the people as they themselues haue of the Lord receiued them And not without commission and against the word to take the same from the people and offer them vp to the Lord as doe the Papistes Also to kéepe the house in order by ciuil and ecclesiasticall gouernment with the lawe of Christ our Dauid By this and such like building where so euer the Church is thus set vp the same is true Dauids house And where the power of this horne is in the hartes of the people by the worke of Gods spirite surely setled and through the instrument and organ of preaching the same Christ is naked and without corruption in Doctrine described simplie and depaynted so plaine wyth the pensell of the Scriptures that hee is to them manifested as hée is of the Father geuen the onely promised Christ crucified our saluation redemption iustification that Prophet the onely Priest and our Kyng and that all men by such meanes are drawen alone to the Father by hym there maye wée assure our selues that that Church and Nation is Dauids house and therein is Christ to be found erected for our saluation Against this building the gates of Hell shall not preuayle For as many as beleue in him shall not perish wyth the serpent Sathans sting but by this holy serpent voyd of poyson Christ Iesus shal haue eternall life Agaynst this church and to the subuersition of his house the old enemie hath set him selfe wyth his whole power continually to persecute the same and hath so preuayled in the eyes of men that this house hath eftsones séemed a forsaken cottage in the Lords vineyard and the familie destroyed But euen when it séemed of least value then from the handes of such strength the mightie God hath valiantly taken of that number such as shoulde cōtinue his house elswhere And wheras the wicked seketh the destructiō of this house God by his might vseth the same another way that to two principall ends First to teach other natiōs into the which they are dispersed that heauenly doctrine which els they had not known And secōdly that at their returne they might bring with them againe not only his word law but therwith many mo children begottē in that time by the persecuted gospel eftsones to the enlarging of the borders of that late nobled church Go and kill sayth raging Saule the priestes of the Lord which were the remnant of Elie for their hand is with Dauid they haue not bewrayed him to me At whose commandement that cursed Doeg did kill of them 85. priestes of the Lord that were the lynnin Ephod Their Citie Nob also hee destroyed from the most to the least some and all for the hate he bare to them that fauoured Dauid What then Did he herewith kil the church No surely In this sharpe persecution Abimeleck his sonne called Autathar one of these priests escaping fled to Dauid which was him selfe also from the furie of the sayde Saule fled to Achish the Kyng of Gath a heathen prince where both hée had succour and Auiathar continued with him to the continuall encrease of Gods Church Note here with me good Reader that God by his prouidence doth vse the bloudie hand of Saule whose purpose was to destroy by his kingly power both priest and people in Gods Church to an other end for he made him his instrument therby to spreade the same his church among the gentiles that not only in that place their harts might haue experiment of his power but that also his Church of Iesus then to the comfort of the same nowe might behold his secret work far passing al their expectations which was to foster for a season in such flight such two principal persons as after should erect that persequuted cause and people in the same persequuted Nation and that by no lesse meane then whereby for a time the same was repressed nor in any other place then in Saules seate that is to say Dauid hys faithfull fostred king and Auiathar his good preserued prest When cruel Athalia the Mother of Ahasia King of Ierusalem sought to extirpe the kings séede that she might vsurpe the kingdome shée murthering the rest did she destroy the house No Joash one of his sonnes was from her hand of slaughter saued that by the hand of a maid his Sister till the time that the Lord had appointed for the said Ioashe the true King to enter into his realme and so to render recompence by iust pay of deserued death to that wicked vsurper Athalia which after Seuen yeares he brought to passe setting this reserued Ioash in his fathers seate Herod also séeking by the death of the innocentes to kill the Messias not only failed of his pray but was himselfe deuoured of GODS Iustice And although the Papistes followe these and such other their forefathers in like murthering crueltie as lately in Englande and since in Fraunce yet will the LORDE and hath the LORDE set vppe as he hath promised by the mouthe of all his Prophetes since the worlde began his Christe to bee his strength in spite of them Who yéelding as it were for the tyme doth thereby nothing loose but lesse ableth the aduersarye While by Sathans furie the Churche is else where gone as before is saide to bringe foorth by her Christe in a more quiet place many moe Children At whose returne the losse of her former are restored with infinite moe her borders enlarged her honoure encreased and her fame spred ouer all For the LORD her strength hath and will confounding her ennemies and treading them in the mire geue her the
stones with Carbuncle lay thy foundations with Saphire I wil make thy windows of Emraudes thy gates shining stones all thy borders of pleasant stones and all thy Children shal be taught of God and much peace shal be vnto thy Children in righteousnesse shalt thou be established and be farre from oppression for thou shalt not feare it and from feare for it shall not come nie thée Beholde the Enemye shall gather himselfe but wythout me whosoeuer shall gather hymselfe in thée agaynst thée shall fall Beholde I haue made the Smyth that bloweth the Coales in the Fyre and him that bringeth forth an Instrument for his worke and I haue Created the Destroyer to destroy but all the Weapons that are made agaynst thée shall not prosper And euery Tongue that shall aryse vp against thée in Iudgement thou shalt Condemne Thys is the Lordes Heritage and their ryghteousnesse is of mée sayth the LORDE Thus farre the Prophete speaketh to teache thée good Reader great cause of comfort and courage agaynst dispayre though England which is Gods church haue now many enemies risen vp against her her religion yea though her owne skirtes doe carie suche as insult agaynst her she is Promised that theyr Weapons and the smith that framed them shal not prosper Their lybelling bookes which séeke to persecute her though they come from the house of counsell and séeme to procede from the seate of learnings iudgement yet shal this church of God be set a Iudge ouer their wearie trauels and toyling spite and shall condemne them Let that worthy Jewel of famous memory the holy confessor and Saint of and by Iesus Christ treasured vp in the Lapydarie of the heauens for the glory of our God let his excellent workes I say stand for an ample warrant hereto to this age to her posteritie for euer And let others whether at home or abroade looke for the same end of their molesting troubles which they cast into this our age and Church But thou wilt say why doth the Lord suffer so long our weake consciences to be troubled with these contending strifes What art thou O man that wilt dispute with God These troubles to vs yet in respect of the Schismes of old are but as an entring into the first moment of the day Waite thou the lords leysure and be still learne thy song framed by firme hope in truth which Micah hath taught the church of God alwayes in her trouble to sing thou shalt be relieued though thy enemies yet séeke to triumph ouer thée Reioyce not against me O my enemie saith the church there for though I fal I shal arise when I shal sit in darknes the Lord shall be a light vnto me I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him vntil he plead my cause and execute iudgement for me then wil he bring me forth to the light I shal sée his righteousnes Then she that is my enemie shall looke vpon it shame shall couer her which said vnto me Where is the Lord thy God my eyes shall behold her now shal she be troden downe as the myre of the stréets c. Thus much forth of the prophet Micah where thou maist learn to accuse thy self for thy sinne as Dauid did séeing the people afflicted not with Achab to charge the Lord or his profession Prophets whē troubles plagues arise in the church but to turne thy eyes into thy owne conscience sée the booke of thy iniquities there written to confesse before god man that thy sinne is the cause of such trouble plague brought into the church people by Satan his malice the pollicie of these his wicked impes Last of all discourage not at the romish scoffes taunting reproches nor yet despaire in the bottome of her darke dungeons sharpe persecutions for the lord wil comfort thée in them if thou rest vpon his laysure remaine constant in the end deliuering thée wil stampe thy enemie into dirt make thée beautiful in the sight of al men that thou maist serue him thy god thus deliuered frō feare in new holines deuoid of hypocrisie in iustice righteous dealing to with al men in the place of thy abode traffike els where amōgst men in earth And euer respect thy deliuerāce frō sinne regard thy state so that Satan eftsones pul thée not to thy former sinne which cōpelleth his erst bondage for the end of such as so fal is worse then the beginning And thus much for the first part of this Hymne in which I haue bene more prolixe then first I purposed but I trust that the profite which may rise vppon the attentiue reading of the matter simply set downe wil coūteruaile the tedious sight of so much blotted paper sith my willing trauayles hath forced me to dwell in comfortable spéech with the lesse learned some thing the longer because they of themselues can not conceiue such profitable matter as this our text doth exhibite to the serching eye assuredly perswaded that the better so godly learned will vouchsafe soueraigne Censure to this my vnpolished pen. And wherein I erre from the truth if by the same I may heare louingly therof as I hope I haue geuen no poyson to the Church so I wil be glad to reforme that and those thinges which godly reasons with learned truth shall require at my hands The Lord graunt continuance of his gospell in this Nation preseruation to her Maiestie with encrease of Gods knowledge and zeale to his holy name and to vs and his whole Church from all heresies Scismes and ciuill dissentions if it stand with his good wil and pleasure once full deliuerance that we may serue the Lord our god in sinceritie of hart and integritie of life in his sight by his holy spirite all the dayes of our life to whom by and with Christ our Lord to that deitie in the trinal vnitie be al praise power glory for euer Amen Vers 9 And thou child shalt be called the Prophet of the most high for thou shalt goe before the face of the Lord to prepare his wayes As the sacred Priest before had declared Gods great benefites and faithfulnes in performing his louing promises to the redemption of his elect So now he returneth to this present action and vsing the person of an interpreter expoundeth the Oracle of God declaring his sonne this child to be the same preacher and Doctor which erst by the Prophet Malachy was promised to precede Christ By whose trauel in Doctrine the way should be prepared for the Lordes comming his and our Messias Which office this babe in his appoynted time executed right wel with sinceritie of hart ▪ sparing no person place time or people or omitted any occasiō when he might most aptly performe such his calling This Baptistes voyce was euer crying against the sinnes of all exhibiting the remedie
his throne of grace as deare children adopted in Christ to their best beloued father They loue to labour in godly workes as by his word they are commaunded They séeke to liue by faith in Christ as by the Scriptures they are taught They ioy to suffer and beare his crosse and aspiring by lowlinesse of mind they pray his aide and helpe there in with comfort continuing vnder the same They appoynt no time for their release but paciently abide his lotted leysure They looke not on the present troubles but weigh their sinnes his decréed purpose and place as opposite to their aspect the ioye that is set before them They runne with patience the race for them appointed and despising the present shame they still endure the crosse alwayes looking to Iesus christ the authour finisher of their life They blesse those that curse them they loue their enemies and do good to all but their chiefe delight is to ioyne with the houshold of faith They challenge to themselues by nature confusion for sinne and shame for their infirmities and to God the father in Christ our Lord by the instinct of his holy spirit they attribute all honour and glory and forgetting their workes past assay to go forwards to the price set before them expressing thēselues by their good workes to be the Lords building who hath made them an holy habitation and a royall priesthode In hym they offer vp themselues for a spirituall sacrifice dayly yéelding forth the fruites of holy lippes to his priest and willing obedience to his holy will. They by the spirite desire not to followe but defie and kill the lustes of the flesh They fight against Sathan and his impes continually They beare an vnfained hate to alsuperstitious vanities They contemne and despise the beggerly ordinances of the wicked world disdayning to become bondslaues to sinne any more They reioyce in their deliuerance walke in the way of the lord with a sincere hart single mind Though slide they may eftsones by frayltie yet neuer flatte fall they by falshode from the Lord their god Lo these are they of whom our Zacharie speaketh and the Angell poynteth Joseph vnto whē he affirmeth Iesus to saue his people from their sinnes And all if these haue so many fraylties be of such weaknes that they cannot as they would or do as they should perfectly walke before the Lord Yet shall they not feare for his Christ is theirs with him they haue in him iustificatiō sanctification redemption and perfect wisedome By whose vertues and merites they are euer presented before God as a iust and holy people peculiar to the lord To these can come no condemnation or any accusation shal be admitted against thē nor any gilt procure sentence to their losse For it is the Lord that doth iustifie them Finally no power shall or can conuenting conuince them For they haue in their hartes the word which is Gods power to saluation And God him selfe standeth on their side for their defence So that it is more possible for light to become darknes good euill and euill good which neuer shall come to passe then that the Lordes people should not be deliuered from death or yet want the knowledge of their saluation Which knowledge teacheth them to féele in hart and find by truth that the same sauing health consisteth not in their remuneration but commeth of god for his Christs sake by full remission of and from all their sinnes The Lord graunt vs to labour so in his vineyarde which professe his name that we may be not called only but appeare in déede his chosen people Then shall we be sure of our deliuerance in Christ our Sauiour And thus much for these wordes his people in this present verse mentioned The third last branch of this verse is to consider by what meanes his people are brought to féel perceiue that their saluatiō doth consist in the remission geuen of god Namely by this that the same is made knowne to their consciences by the ministerie of the word preached vnto them For all if the price of Christes bloud bée they most soueraigne salue for mās sinne as by the which it is wholy washed away Yet onlesse the Church of God haue sence and perfect féeling hereof in her inward partes and depenesse of hart the same shall nothing profite her For the which cause Christ promiseth being once lift vp as the serpent in the wildernesse was to draw all men to looke and come to him by the instrument of fayth and to his heauenly father in that his most comfortable prayer a little before his death for the comfort of his elect he witnesseth that life eternall consisteth in the knowledge of God the father and Christ his Sonne Also reprouing the Iewes for their rebellion he chargeth their ignorance to bée the cause therof as also shewing his Disciples of their persecuted state perils to death affirmeth ignorance to be the forcing meane hereto This shal they do saith he because they neither know the father nor yet me Paule the Apostle testifieth this to be the meane to apprehend saluation euen to come to the knowledge of the truth Thereto he ioyneth it to the branch preceding saying God will haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth Lo a thing most incident to saluation is to haue knowledge of the truth To conclude who are they which are taught of god but his people And what are they taught of him but the truth of his word Which he writeth with his finger in their hartes as the scripture saith that they may be a knowing people and not ignorant as the Papistes teach but falsely the same to be the mother of deuotion But Christ sayth that ignorance is the mother of error which leadeth to damnation Behold now the scope of this Baptists office was to prepare the Iewish harts by the knowledge of their sinnes and repentance for the same to preuent Gods Iustice by fruitefull acceptation of the Gospell by Christ presently preached to haue him for there God and by him saluation and full deliuerance from their sinnes For the which cause the Angell also before to Zacharie adorned him with noble titles and not to him only doe they belong but to all the true preachers of God with him wherefore they are here of thée deare Reader the better to bée weighed as wordes that doe import the glory of his heauenly Embassage to thine earthly hart Hée is first sayd to bée full of the holy Ghost a thing most necessarie to bée in the true preacher of the word as without the same he can neither preach much lesse profite the people of the Lord. The Apostles from christ therfore receiued the fulnes of his spirit by portion to their aptnes power to execute their
wholy chiefely and for lyfe they ought to séeke the same in sinceritie of harte wythout Hypocrisie Thus my deare Bretherne we ought in my Iudgement to teache the Lordes flocke to kill Satan and beate downe sinne and not wyth bitternesse of penne and carping speache in Pulpits through byting one an other to bring that promise or iuste threat vpon vs you shall be deuoured one of another The LORDE amend this euill and graunt vs more carefull ouer his Heritage for his names sake Wheresoeuer the Preacher findeth the people voide of these effectes as wher is not this ragged desert There ought hee to prepare a path by the doctrine of the worde which is of power to conuerte the loste childe of Israell To preach the comfortable causes in Christ to allure vs and to shewe vs the horrible state of our own corrupted nature and the gréedie desire that sathan hath of our destruction Can men thinke with doublenesse of harte to please the Lorde Can they serue God by halfes Or go towards him as far as the lawes of men leade or compell them and no further and yet of God be well accepted If God be God follow him if Baal be he go after him If Nicodemus whose weake cōming many make to thē selues a sinister refug had not proceded to more perfection hee had not aduentured to aunswer in Christes behalfe to the counsel or yet of so great a tiran as Pilate was durst he haue begged the body of Iesus or againste the malice of so many cruell ennemies haue ioyned with noble Joseph in so hard a sute The luke warme persons that be neyther hote nor colde are as a burden and surffet to the Lordes stomack which he hath promised to vomit out of his mouth Loue the Prince and liue in and vnder her gracious gouernement ye Papists and Atheistes and Hipocrites also for the Lordes sake Let his holy Lawe force you as a moste absolute Iniunction to her godly Lawes and not as you say pollitiquely but popishly to leane to his law because of her graces iniunctions Neither halve before God to refuse your obedience to religion Gods Sacraments and deuine seruice in the Churche nowe godly set downe vsing your clawing coolour because some and suche do not obserue the saide Iniunctions For it is more then sene to al that a nūber of you make those Iniunctions which at the firste were set downe to bring you forwarde a presente let to your obedience a cloke for your maliciousnesse The actes and wordes of such as molest the godly quiet and desired peace of the church I wil not or may defende I lamente the cause and praye God to cease the action to his glory the peace of his Church and the extirpation of the serpent and all his at his good appointed time But you dissembling Hipocrites are lyke vnto the wicked persons in the dayes of Darius who fearinge leaste Daniel with his religion should be preferred sought by all meanes to claspe that holy Prophet vnder the Kinges Iniunction to his destruction So it is not the loue ye haue to our godly Elizabeth whom ye wish to giue place to your Darius but the Lord wil doth laughe your deuises to scorn his name be praised therfore and her graces good Lawes but the hate which you haue conceaued againste Daniel the e Prophetes of the Lord because they séeke to enstruct you the right way to make you prepared for the Lord and to reclaime you from popery to the professed trueth many of you hauinge blinde eyes voyde of sight by the reason of hardnesse of your hartes the which cannot repent pray ayd at the same law which your selues most deadly hate No doubt concerning the ministers and preachers admitte they be good protestants they be al of like accompt in your audite as well the trew and faithfull pastours which obserue the appointed order as such other their godly Brethren which wading no further vnwilling were to vse the same not contemptuously refusing because of the precept but moderatly by petition regardinge theyr peoples quiet or hurt with humblenesse of harte pray God and craue at the Gods a in earth by his power placed ouer vs as foloweth Mercifully vouchsafe O ye godly Princes of the Lorde that as Timothie may not refuse circumcision where Paule séeth the infirmities of the Iewes to require the same and the Chuche her néede of such a teacher So let not Titus be compelled thervnto where as false Brethren priuily créepe in to bring into bondage the children of the lord No place wold Paule admit to such though elswher he consideringe the weakenesse of the Iewes refused not to asociate the Nazarets at Jerusalem with the shauing of hys head according to the lawe though amid the gentils hee reproued Peter for the like Iewish obseruation And when it shal please thee O Lord graunt our gracious Princes hart further prepared to scoure the Lordes pathe by godly aduise of her noble councellers that by her publike authority and not our priuate affectes all such matter may bee remoued as worke no way the profit of his church And to vs ministers and men her graces subiectes prayer and trewe patient obedience regarding more the loue and quiet of the Churche then our owne lyke or priuate desiers No lesse praise deserueth the good Emperour Theodosius in destroying the idolatrous temples then godly Constantine in shutting vp theyr gates Faithfull Josias in his reformation thought it best to breaketh Aulters and cast the duste of them into the brooke Kedron and the Scripture saith to his commendation that before him there was no such king that turned to the Lord with all his harte and all his soule and with all his might according to the lawe of Moises neither after him arose there any such This example saith one learned writer is written to teach vs to ouerthrowe and vtterly destroy all Idolles and euery entisment of superstition that no parte of such monumentes be lefte t◠admonish the posterity Musculus vpon the sentence by God giuen to the serpent the instrument wherwith the Serpent deceyued Heua and brought Adam to sinne asketh a question whether the sentence were iust since the serpent was not the author but the organ wherwith nothing priuie to Sathans purpose or wisshing hurt but was sorced by Sathan therto He also answereth yea not onely because it procéeded from the iust God but geuing reason for the same saith it is very right that to the greater detestation of sathans malice fraud and disceit not only himself but all his instruments wherewith hee worketh his malice become subiect and receiue like iudgement with him For like as saith he euery such instrument wherewith any good thing or felicitie is brought to passe deserueth and is worthely beloued and had in estimation So by