to the frée spirit of Christ which inspireth heauenly giftes where he wil. In which libertie also the consideration of vowes is put Those things that were moste fréely vowed in the lawe were not perpetuall but all suche as might be redéemed when they lusted But ye vowe vowes without the woorde of God and not contented therewith yée promisse the same to be perpetuall both without the lawe and without examples of Gods law But if thou be not able to liue chaste studie that thou doe no violence by thy vowes to this woorde of creation sowne in nature It is not good for man to be alone And also to this It is better to marrie than to burne But thou shalt not bring it to passe the imbecillitie and weakenesse of the fleshe declareth that plainely which thou alwayes ouercommest not endeuor thy self thervnto neuer so much by the feare of God which feare we deny not to be in some of them whom this lacke of knowledge detaineth and holdeth captiue to make vowes partly by the obstinate desire of some men which can by no coloure be defended or that I speake not of more greuous things for my mind is before God to couet the winning of many to Christe by wryting this and not to hurt by my wil any man Therfore as in the lawe were vowed mysticall vowes after the rule of Gods lawe and not rashly all things what so euer they were and after euery sort and in euery place according to Deutronomie and Leuiticus euen so in the state of the gospel vowes ought to be enformed after the example and disposition of the heauenly woord frée from al externe habite or shape of things vnder the sunne which vowes the faith of regeneration may inwardly gouerne and not thine owne presumption guided without the woorde of god And let them be suche vowes as may chaunge the affections which may guid consciences and not bring an externe visure well answering before God but not apparel not meat not shauing of heads not oyles halles golde and stones Al which by the very abuse of an euil handled conscience and with this vaine world waxe olde vanishe away and come to naught Therefore as Salomon sayeth a man must vow and pay his vow But in such order that thou bothe vowe and paie after the prescript of Gods woorde heard in the Temple and not after the doctrines of men which doctrines God speaketh not by his Prophets for suche in déede is the condition and state of man that he only depende vppon the worde of the liuing God his maker that he neither adde nor take away from it according to Deutronomie For as in this visible world that heauenly moouing is a constante and firme rule into all times of all mutations which chaunce in these lowe things and as some knowne and certaine quantitie measureth the other quantities of vncertaine greatnesse and as in the very mindes that are made the generall anticipations and principall guides measure like faithfull rules the other cogitations euen so the only woorde of God is farre the most constant measure rule sure knowledge by which thou maist direct thine own conscience in those things which pertaine to eternall life So that as men from rules neither adde nor diminishe least they may deceiue a man like Lesbies rules euen so by Moses ought nothing to be either added or diminished from the inflexible woord of God which thing let them likewise obserue whome mennes decrées holde yet as captiue If therfore thou makest a vow and hast not the word of God to lead thee to the same binding thy conscience where it ought to be frée making a lawe to thy selfe where as is no lawe of God appointing an obseruation of creatures where as the kingdom of Christ admitteth none who is that king of heauen the iudge sitting vpon the throne of God the father before whome men ought to be well ware and do reuerently that vowe of thine which thou thus makest dwelling sinnefully vppon the earth shall be none voide is it therefore and friuolous and ought not in any wise to be fulfilled but to be broken of thée Thus farre of the vowes of religious men and priestes touching their diuersitie of apparell and the shauing of their heades with such other vaine vowes and obseruances Of the Olde man and the Newe which be compared togither by Martinus Cellarius vpon the seuenth of the Preacher otherwise called Ecclesiastes OF THE OLDE MAN. THe Olde man is made of the earth and fashioned into a liuing soule according to this text And man was made to be a liuing soule In animam viuentem 2 This strengthe is it which doth the works of nature as are to engender to nourishe vp to féele and to iudge of things agréeing or repugning to nature as we read in the firste of Genesis Encrease yée and be yée multiplied 3 In this parte the liuing soule which the Gréekes call Psichin of winde or breathe is common to man with other beastes and with all things that liue as it is also wrytten of them Let the earthe bring forthe Animam viuentem liuing soule in his kinde Reading in both places both about the making of man and beastes one selfe same worde in the Hebrue which is Naphshekeijah and signifieth winde or breth 4 So that this soule is the breth of life by which the naturall body and not the spirituall the earthly and not the heauenly is animated and liueth By which the grosse bodie hath life but not that body which is transformed to be glorified according to the Apostle in the firste to the Corinthes the fiftienth Chapter 5 In which conferment it must be diligently séene what it is that the firste man was made of the earthe and what also the seconde which commeth from heauen Further what it is that the first was made into a natural soule or life and the second into a quickening spirite and what the soule of the first Adam is and what the quickening spirite is and what his function is in the seconde 6 But aboue the degrée of liuing soule the vitall strength of man aduaunceth it selfe by the meanes of the minde to thinges inuisible and to principles vniuersal by which part he is farre discrepant from the rest of liuing things both by nature and operation 7 In which parte also the firste Adam was dipped with the feare of God aboue and besides the nature created by which feare he might haue his Creator in reuerence To which feare all other things that were in him obeyed bothe body sense and minde for he was soundly and rightly created In whom rightnesse was put of which rightnesse Salomon speaketh when he sayth Onely this I founde that God made man right c. 8 Therfore when we call the first Adam olde and earthly olde and earthly is not here put to contrary that which is iuste that is innocente but agaynst that which is to be renued into a better condition In which
Their heart is vayne But how is it vayne bicause they lacke the spirite of god Which spirite if a man haue he hath life and light If he haue him not there is darknesse and death And what is more friuolous or vayne than these things wherfore God is in all poynts the saâ—â—â—â— that hâ— commaundeth For he is the highest god which ought to be loued aboue all things He commaundeth loue which loue he is according to this God is loue He commaundeth truth iustice and clemencie all these things he is Ergo he commaundeth him selfe to all creatures endued with reason as to them who are onely able to receiue him And agayne he onely forbiddeth that which he is not namely the loue of our selfe and of creatures that a man reste not nor put his truste in them and that of the ineuitable order of his wisedome In which order onely the perfecter things haue power to bring another thing to passe And that which is not perfect to doo that which is worse and not that which is perfecter And as the bodies of men liuing hauing life of the soule holde their state righte euen so the reasonable creaturs gouerned by the spirite of Chryst defendeth the degrée of iustice and integritie But béeing destitute of this spirite all things are contrary Rom. 8. Iere. 31. Deut. 30. 30 So that the olde man was called man after his fall by contempt béeing voyde of this spirite of rightnesse that they may know that they be but men that is vanitie Esay lykewise when he would shew Egipt to be of no weight he saith Egypt is a man and no god And Pylate sayde of Chryst Beholde the man hauing respecte to the contented formes of Chryst drawen out of our sinne which formes he bare in his flesh Likewise the Psalme hath What is man And afore Salomon sayth I sayde in mine heart of the children of men why should God chose them 31 All men through vayne desires embracing earth not heauen carnall things not spirituall things the loue of them selues and not the loue of God. 32 And when wée be suche a worthy sentence is giuen vppon the earthly man Of earth thou arte and into earth thou shalte returne Gene. 3. as before in the same Chapter and after in the .13 33 Béeing of equall condition with all men least any man should boast him selfe forasmuche as we be all the dust of the earth all flesh a like all alike in daunger to sinne and to the wrath of God as parteyning to the olde birth 34 Which thyng Chrystes finger writing vppon the ground noted signifieth the earthy stocke of which we come which should infect all men without exception and cleareth no man of sinne 35 Not only the body corrupted with earthy concupiscence béeing counted in the tale for flesh but also the best parte of man namely the mynd which they cal the principal part 36 Not that it is not a good creature a naturall light that séeth the truthe and falsitie good and badde which argueth the consciences of sinne and giueth testimonie of the righteousnesse of God but for that that this light also béeing infected with originall sinne is darkened to many things and not of efficacie to transforme the mindes of them in whom it shineth 37 Whose senses the Scripture adioyneth to the olde man and to the flesh when the minde is not yet borne a new by the spirite of God as parteyning to motions and incitations corrupted 38 Taking for flesh what soeuer is not of the holy ghost and borne a new from aboue that is the whole man with body and minde not yet béeing borne a new by the spirite of God Iohn 3. Rom. 8. 39 Examples are all the wysest of the Gentiles in the light naturall and the Phariseis most righteous in the law whose sinne the Lorde witnesseth to remayne bicause they sayd them selues to sée when in déede they were yet blind 40 But they saw with that parte which was the best part in them namely with the minde yet by which they should héere this who so is without fault among you cast the first stone at hir And this of the Apostle Knowledge maketh a man proude 41 not that the minde of hir substaunce is flesh and of earthly nature for she is a spirite 1. Corinth 1. and to the Rom. 8. approching next to the Deitie no better worke created commyng betwéene Genesis 1. but shee is fleshe for so muche as she is viciated with contagion of the affections of the corrupted body of sinne 42 In the reprobate besides this contagion and infection the minde béeing voyde of the grace of Election addeth of hir owne the neglect of the veritie knowen that is she nourisheth the sinne agaynst the holy ghoste which she carieth with hir into the other world neuer to be forgiuen 43 And so Abel and Cayne Dauid and Iudas that is that they be accursed with the serpent and the blessed electe by the grace of predestination in Chryst before the foundations of the worlde were layde are bothe by nature the olde man aswell the one as the other the children of wrath and of darkenesse The difference is in the election But forasmuche as it pertayneth to the grace of the new man and not to the nature of the olde man it pertaineth not to this place which treateth here of the disposition and nature of the corrupted and earthly man. 44 Now suche is the first Adam with all his posteritie sprong of the séede of the corrupted flesh And suche also is the worlde with his desires made of naughte and gooing to naughte 45 He therefore is damned with his wisedome and foolishnesse with his righteousnesse and vnrighteousnesse in his children with their father Sathan which hath inuented al these euils bringing in that which Salomon so often abhorreth in this booke the vanitie of sinne and death Of the new Man. NOw the matter is otherwise of the new man and seconde Adam Chryst Iesus the blessed sonne of God is he not taken out of the earth but sent downe from heauen 47 And so not made into a liuing soule which thing perteineth to conception but made of his father into a quickening spirite as the Apostle witnesseth in the .1 to the Corinth 15. 48 This spirite viuifieth that is to say maketh vs aliue not with life naturall but spirituall And therefore he dothe not the naturall functions which are to engender and to beget children of the flesh c. for suche worke hath no place in heauen as he béeing man declareth in Marke .12 when he sayth But they are lyke the Aungels which be in heauen by their Resurrection 49 It is therefore the breath of lyfe from aboue whiche God firste bloweth into the seconde Adam and by him into his members whereof is this Take yée the holy Ghoste c. and that with a spirituall breath not with an earthly By which the body is transfigured into an heauenly habite
Lawe Further fayth is conceiued in the hart of man not by the experience of outward things but only by godly Sermons and preachings of the true Apostles of Christ that is fayth is not conceyued by the eyes but by the eares the office of which conueyeth the preachings and godly exhortations into the obedient and lowly harte of man Now therefore sith the light of the Gospell is declared throughout all the worlde and the name of Chryst preached to euery body what meaneth it then that so fewe of the Iewes doo beléeue in him Can they excuse them selues say that they haue not heard of Chryst yea verily the same thing is now already fulfilled which the Prophete Dauid did Prophesie Throughout the whole earth wente foorth the sounde of them and their wordes vnto the endes of the earth Wherfore in as much as Chryst hath bene promised before times by the mouth of so many Prophets and now preached also of the Apostles his very true witnesses in all nations and regions of the worlde can the Iewes then excuse them selues and say that they heard not of him No verily for they haue séene the light of the worlde yet their malice hath blinded their eyes They haue heard the Gospell but their enuie hath stopped their eares For they had rather be enuiers of the Gentiles which are called to saluation than to folow their fayth And of both these two things did Moyses and Esaias heretofore prophesie that is that the Iewes would caste the Gospell away from them and that the Gentiles woulde receiue it And Moyses in Deuteronomij prophecied of the same wheras he speaketh of the person of God as offended with the vnbeléefe of the Iewes and sayth I will prouoke you to enuie and by a foolish nation I will anger you which hitherto in comparison of you was not taken nor counted for any nation And you which doo séeme in your selues to bée wise I will anger you through the same foolish and beastly nation and cause your anger to be a great deale the more hotte in you And Esaias folowing Moyses doubted not to testifie that the obedience of the Gentiles was much more acceptable to God than the pertinacie and stubbornesse of the Iewes for thus he speaketh in the person of Chryst I am founde of them that sought me not and haue appeared vnto them that asked not after me Lo what a worthy witnesse Chryst him selfe here recordeth of the Gentiles fayth But agayne the children of Israell whom it dyd specially become to embrace Chryst and his Gospell hearken here what Esay sayth All the day long sayth he haue I stretched foorth mine hande vnto a people that beleeueth not but speaketh agaynst me For which cause Chryst sayth by the same I haue sent prophetes vnto the Iewes which they haue all slayne and put to death and by the multitude of miracles done amongst them I haue stirred and prouoked them but in stéede of the thanks which they should haue giuen me for them they say that I had the diuell within me and that with the helpe and power of Béelzebub the prince of the Diuels I wrought all the sayde miracles And euen thus they despised all humilitie and obedience and misconstrued to euill parte the great vertue and power of almightie God. The .xj. Chapter All the Iewes are not caste away therefore Paule warneth the Gentiles that be called not to be high minded nor to despise the Iewes for the iudgements of God are deepe and secret BVt what of al this that we haue here spoken or for what purpose is it thus vttered It is to declare that the Gentiles are adopted and taken to God for their faythe 's sake though before they were all straungers from him and that all the chosen and peculiar people of God are now cast off and vtterly put away from him for their vnbeléefes sake No surely it were not conuenient that the same people shoulde be vtterly reiected and caste away from God which hitherto he hath alwayes taken and made an account of them to be his owne deare dearlings and creatures Certesse if God had caste all hys owne people away from hym then shoulde not I now haue preached Chryst foras muche as I am by birthe a very Iewe descending from the stocke of Abraham which appertayneth to the Trybe of Beniamin Whiche also thoughe I dyd moste cruelly persecute the godly and well dysposed people towardes God yet for all that I am now called to preache the Gospell of his deare Sonne Chryste Also I doo not doubte but yée very well remember what is written in the thirde Booke of Kinges where Helias the Prophete speaketh vnto GOD by accusation and complaynte vnto hym of the Iewes vngodlynesse and sayth Lorde they haue slayne thy Prophetes they haue ouerturned thyne Altares and I am lefte alone behynde and they lay also in wayte for me to take my lyfe from me Wherein also mée thinketh that God mighte iustely vppon this greate vnkindenesse and incredulitie of the Iewes haue caste them vtterly from him and neuer afterwards haue looked towardes them But yet for all this marke what aunswere was made of God vnto Helias I haue reserued sayth he vnto my selfe seuen thousande men which haue not bowed their knees vnto Baal Which thing as it dyd chaunce in the dayes of Helias that God woulde not then altogither renounce his people but of an infinite number of sinners reserued some a few of them to him selfe euen so doothe the same thyng chaunce vnto them at this tyme For God hathe not suffered all the whole Nation to perish and to caste them selues away neither suffreth he all men of any other Nation to continue alwayes in their sinnes and to dye in them Of bothe whiche though there be but a few that do beléeue in comparison of them that doo not beléeue yet God for his benignities sake reserued some of his owne people to him selfe not bicause they were Iewes borne or bicause they obserued the Law of Moyses but onely bicause he chose them out from all the reste to bestow vpon them his good graces blessings and benefites in as muche as it came by the election and the benefite of God and not of any their deseruings least they should extoll the largenesse of their owne will and power or glory in the beautie of their owne workes for the goodnesse that is bestowed vppon men for their well dooing is properly to be called a rewarde and not a benefite That is truely to be called a benefite whiche of good will is employed vnto them that doo not deserue it But if a man should heape vp all his good works and seruice togyther and lay them agaynst the benefite and for their sakes to chalenge the same then the benefite loseth the name of a benefite and becommeth playnely a iuste rewarde And why did it thus happen vnto the Iewes verily bicause they attayned not to that thing which
euery man according to the measure of the giuing of Christ the head agréeing to this For God giueth not the spirit to him by measure And as pertaining to the donation we read this For he shall receyue of mine and shall declare it vnto you In like sorte to the Ephesians 4. But grace is giuen to euery one of vs according to the measure of the gift of Christe 64 And so only the sainctes are partakers of spiritual perfection of part and from member to member of which Christ is fully in possession whome the kingly annoynting of the fathers power glory and maiestie annoynteth without measure to all perfection of God the father Whereunto also this of the Apostle pertaineth you are Christes and Christe is Gods. You I say are Christes as the membres of the head but Christe is Gods as the heade of the vniuersall diuinitie For that perfection of the body which is poured out throughout all the members the same resteth whole in Christe the head Esay 11. 65 This is it which the Apostle calleth corporally and héereunto also pertaineth that woorde the fulnesse or complement whereupon the Psalme sayth of Christ The Lord sayd vnto my lord And an other Psalme sayth of the Sainctes I haue sayd yée are Gods. And Peter sayth ye are partakers of the diuine nature 66 Which places are truely to be vnderstanded as the new borne are truely called the children of god For as there is a true regeneration euen so there is a true participation and possession of the diuine nature and of the diuine lighte wisedome and rightuousnesse This is our hope and vocation in Christ the head of the participation of the substāce of God and of the nature of the father by that we be borne a newe of the spirite of Christ Iohn 3. 1. Pet. 1. Rom. 8. Gal. 4. 67 But we speake héere of Christe as the treating of him pertaineth to the cause of regeneration which commeth of the spirite For what the scripture speaketh of the eternall word we holily woorship and will speake thereof in an other place 68 Therfore we be not called the sonnes of God newe men after the same sort that Christ is For he is the naturall sonne of God and the newe man bothe within and wythout But we be the sonnes of God by adoption and new men only inwardly in this world He is borne the sonne of God and the newe man We are begotten the children of death and of sinne by the first Adam and we are borne the sonnes of God and a newe creature by the second Adam For of the earth we be earthie and in Christ the heauenly man we are taken to grace and to the enheritance of sonnes by newe birth which shall in the day of resurrection put on newe fleshe vppon vs euen of the fleshe of Christe 69 So that héer being renued while we liue in this world we consist of two men of an outwarde and inwarde man of a body corrupted with concupiscence and of a minde repaired with the spirite of the newe couenaunt 70 The body once corrupted is not restored in this world for it is all earthie tending to the earth of his owne will and waight And therefore he also returneth vnto it bicause of the sentence once giuen vppon it when the temprament of this worldes elements is dissolued of which it is made as Salomon oft teacheth in this sermon And is now and then mortified that it folowe not the desires to which he is inclined that firie spirit of the heauenly new birth quite burning them vp 71 The inner man therefore that is the minde which is put into this body to rule it is only renued in this life to the felowship of the diuine light 72 Wherefore they that be regenerate in this fraile life cary men about with them as cōtrary the one to the other as are light and darkenesse death and life and as farre dissident as heauen and earth The outwarde and olde man is visible the inward and new man is inuisible The outwarde man is earthly and the inwarde man is heauenly The outward man is conceiued of carnal seede and the inward man is strengthened with the spiritual séede of the word of the liuing god The outward man is fed with meats that will perish but the inward man groweth with eternal foode The one is made flesh of the flesh of man the other is made a spirit of the spirit of God. 73 The outwarde man is euer polluted and sinneth but the inward and new man neuer neither cannot it sinne as it cannot die 74 And no maruel for as much as thou shalt finde contrary lawes in them The one of sinne which holdeth vs downe to the ground persuading earthy and carnal desires the other calleth vs vpwarde burning in desires of heauenly things where a man may sée the maruellous coniunction of bothe men set together for experience of so great things not without the maruellous councels of the diuine prouidence 75 Further the olde man is created of God and therefore made of nothing the newe man is borne of God so of something namely of his spirite Wherof he neuer dieth he neuer waxeth olde And these are the things which Christ disputeth of the life eternal which true faith bringeth that is to say the spirit of Gods light Vppon this poynt standeth the hope and consolation of Sainctes 76 By this faith the outwarde man obtaineth pardone if the spirite of the inwarde man remurmur against him while we dwel in this life For faithe staide vp with the rightuousnesse of an other that is with Christe which being innocent died for offenders deliuereth the faithfull from dampnatorie sentence of death and sinne and draweth backe the desires of the olde man that he do them not the bridle of the spirit caste in his téethe For it is not obtained that they haue no being in vs and that they wholely be destroyed in this worlde as long as this flesh liueth the resurrection giueth that in which both the body it selfe shall be also raised vp out of the duste of the earth from deathe vnto life to fulfill the body of Christe which as the head to the body went before being the first begotten sonne of the newe creature and the vnspotted firste frutes of the kingdome of the fathers maiestie 77 For what life shal the head haue without the body or the body without the members 78 And the fall of the first man so repaired and amended we shal be restored to that from whence we fel that is to wit to rightuousnesse and innocencie but in a far better state and condition for in this innocencie the earthy life shal be chāged for an heauenly mortalitie for immortalitie and after sinne fall shall be changed for resurrection and the ignomie of the crosse for glory So great is the goodnesse and wisdom of God which thus farre and this way must be reuealed 79
that it séemed as though the whole world should haue béene vtterly ouerturned and altered Wée haue also séene in our tyme many and great myseries since the Gospell of Chryst by his will first began to bée spred abroade euen vnto this day so that euery man complayneth nowe and say that wée bée in a worlde moste myserable and vnhappie And to say the truthe there are nowe very fewe which féeleth not the sharpe strokes and waightie burthens thereof Neuerthelesse in féeling now suche pinchings and paynefull blowes wée oughte to consider and well regarde the hande of hym that thus striketh vs and to thinke also wherefore it is that he in suche wyse is moued and to make vs féele hys sharpe scourge of correction is not very darke or harde to bée vnderstanded of vs for wée knowe that his heauenly woorde by the which he will kéepe vs in health is an inestimable treasure And wée also know by our good embracing thereof what maner of recompence is duely to bée receiued of vs I would disobedience and contempt were not in our consciences to condemne vs Wherefore séeing then that we estéeme not muche that thing which is so necessarie and a Iewell so precious to be spoken of It is reason also that he then take vengeaunce of our ingratitude Wée also héere that Iesus Chryst sayde the seruaunt knowing the will of his maister and doth it not is worthy of double chastisement for that he sheweth himself to be but slouthfull and a sluggish seruaunt in obeying the will of our Lorde God which hath bene declared vnto vs more than thousandes of times heretofore And if we consider our case well we ought not to counte it straunge if he be now more sharpely angry with vs séeing wée be the more inexcusable inasmuch as wée cause not the good séede to encrease and profite in vs Is it not reason then that the thistles I say and thornes of Sathan doo rise vp to pricke and tormente vs bicause wée giue not to our onely God and creator the obedience that is due vnto him It is no maruell in déede that men thus ryseth agaynst vs As I vnderstande my Lorde you haue in Englande two kinds of mutenies which be risen agaynst the king and the state of the Realme The one sorte are fantasticall men which vnder the colour of the Gospell woulde put all into confusion The other be wilfull and obstinate people in the vayne superstitions of the Romishe Antechryst Altogither deserueth with Gods good consente to be well punished by the sworde that is committed vnto you seeing that they quarell not onely agaynst the king but also agaynst God which hath placed him in the seate Royal and hath committed vnto you aswell the protection of his person as also the state of his maiesty But the principal meane is in considering the great charge dutie of your grace for the prayse of God quietnes of the Realme to doo as muche as in you shall lye possible to cause them which sauor the swéete doctrine of the Gospel to sticke and rleaue vnfaynedly to it with vpright holy conuersation and at all times to receiue it with suche reuerence and feare that they forsaking themselues and flying from all humaine affectes may encorage other to receiue the Gospell of Chryst fréely and with glad good wil and desire and to forsake also them selues with sathans whole pack of collusions for the true and most pure seruice of god And all men ought to thinke that God for the tender loues sake that he beareth to his people in Chryst haue and will reueale all to the end that they shall without fayning profite more now in his holy word than they haue commonly doone long time before These mad folkes which would that the world should returne into a confuse disordinate libertie be suborned by Sathan for to slaunder hinder the true state of the Gospell as that it should not béeing published but engender strife rebellion agaynst the princes and al disorder amōg the people Wherfore al the faithful seruants of God ought greatly to lament and be sorowfull The Papistes willing to mayntayne the filthinesse and abhominations of their Romane Idoll shew them selues open enimies of the grace of Iesus Chryst and of all his holy ordinances The same also ought not a little to gréeue the hartes of all them which haue possessed the séede of grace who ought to thinke this truely of them that they be altogither the scourges of God that for vnthankfulnesse sake he hathe iustly sente vnto them and bicause that they make not due account of the doctrine of health and saluation as they oughte to doo In consideration whereof the principall remedie for the appeasement of such seditions is that they which doo professe the Gospell doo truely repaire to the image of God for to shew that our christianitie causeth not dissention in the humayne life and to giue God proofe and tryall by their sobernesse and temperancie that we being gouerned by the worde of god be not men vnruled and without a brydle and by their good and holy life to stoppe the mouthes of al euil and slaunderous persons For by this meane God in his wrath béeing appeased shall retire his hande and in the place that this day he punisheth the slaunderers for the contemning of his worde he shall blesse their obedience in all prosperitie Likewise that al the Nobilitie and Lawiers of this Realme gouerne them selues rightely and in all humilitie to the obedience of this greate and mightie King Iesus Chryst making holy homage vnto him without fayning of soule and body and all that they haue to the ende that he may refourme and abate the arrogancie and follie of them which woulde ryse vp agaynst them Lo noble Prince this is the meane how kings and princes of the earth ought to reigne in seruing Iesus Chryst to the ende that he may haue soueraigne authoritie and quietly to rule by his word among all estates both great and small Wherefore my Lorde séeing ye be raysed vp I say of God to so high princely trust and dignitie and to haue the state of the kings Maiestie your deare Nephew in highe price and great recommendation as appeareth very well I pray you in the name of God here to employ your principall care and vigilancie that the doctrine of God may be preached with strength and vertue for to bring foorth his fruite and leaue not for any respect to follow a full and an entire reformatition of the Churche of Chryst And to declare better my minde vnto you I will deuide the whole into thrée poynts The firste meane shall be that the people be vniuersally well instructed The seconde shall be in taking away the lothsome abuses that hath crepte into the Churche of Chryst and hath long continued in the same The thirde meane shall be to be diligent in correcting vyces and to