of Chryst your earnest zeles be reproued for that ye do not well knowe your owne minde and spirite but lamentably looking vpon the scattered flocke crie and cal vnto the father of mercie and pitie that as the Lorde of the haruest he woulde send forth labourers faithful pastors godlie preachers to gather kéepe and féede the electe people lambes and children of God in the holie Churche kingdome and inheritaunce of Christ. A meditation vppon the Lordes prayer OVr Father which art in heauen We gloriously formed vnto the Image of thy diuine Maiestie created by thy gracious goodnes vnto highest honour howe be it by our owne sinfulnesse dysfigured with vilenesse deseruing damnacion and yet by Christes death redeemed and restored vnto grace to be citizens with saincts of the familie of God Nowe altogether in christen vnitie as members of one bodie we pray desire and trust to obtayne of thée our heauenly father according vnto thy gracious goodnesse mightie power and faythfull promise vnto vs that aske abundance of thy grace That thy name may be halovved That thy diuine power and glorious maiestie may bée certainely knowen and reuerently honoured That the heartes of vs men by thy worde and prayer may bee sanctified from al sinne and vanitie so that wée with all that wée haue seruing thee in holinesse and righteousnesse may so shine afore men vppon earthe that they thereby may be occasion to honour thee our father which arte in heauen Thy kingdome come Thy worde bée so fruitfully preached amongst vs thy people that we may be thorowly instructed and taughte to bridle our sensuall appetites by naturall reason and to submit our wits and reasons vnto a good godlie spirit and to trie our spirites by the true Scriptures So that within vs may raigne the kingdome of God which is neyther meate nor drink whiche is neither superstitious ceremonies voluptuous pleasures nor vayne glorie but righteousnesse peace and comforte in the holie ghoste by the which we nowe tasting of thy heauenly ioyes may be made from henceforth wearie of all worldly vanities continually looking and praying for the appearance and comming of thy eternall and euerlasting kingdome Thy vvill bee done in earth as it is in heauen In heauen the Angels of reuerent loue do thy will and commaundement with cōfortable courage and ioyfull pleasure In hell the wicked spirits through malice and enuie repining and grudging doe torment and vexe them selues whatsoeuer they bée doing And vppon earth men being subiecte vnto sinne do think it a labour and payne to be occupied in any thing that is good and godlie Wherefore we pray that the grace of thy heauenly spirit may so worke in our earthly bodies that wée beyng deliuered from sinne and vanitie may fréely delight and take pleasure to doo thy will and commandement beyng declared by thy worde to vs men vpon earth as thy glorious Angels do which be in heauen Giue vs this day our dayly bread We hauing great néede not able of our sclues to deserue any thing beséeche thée of thy fatherly goodnesse to giue fréely vnto all vs in generall So that none bée hurt nor hindered seuerally this day when as wee crie constreyned by present néede not craftily crauing for vaine care against to morrowe our dayly bread our dayly and necessary foode and reléefe both bodily and ghostly And especially so that the spirituall foode of Christes fleshe and his bloude by dayly preaching of the Gospell and administration of the Sacramentes may replenishe our hearts and mindes with continuall remembrance of Christes death and his passion dayly to bée vsed for necessary and spirituall consolation Forgiue vs our rrespasses as vve forgiue them that trespasse against vs. Giue vnto vs that féeling our owne sinfulnesse to néede and desire thy merciful forgiuenesse of our faultes and trespasses which we haue committed against thée so that we fréely forgiuing all other that haue offended vs in any thing whatsoeuer it be may bée sure that mercy springing in thée hath procéeded vnto vs and being graciously offered of thée hath bene thankfully receyued of vs and being charitably vsed of vs towardes other shall most certainly bée cōfrmed and enlarged of thée towards vs So that by frée mercie springing and proceeding from thée all faultes may bée fréely forgiuen euen as those which other haue committed agaynste vs so likewyse those which we haue done againste thée And lead vs not into temptation Suffer not the diuell by the abuse of thy benefites to leade vs captiues into deceytfull and damnable temptation drawing vs by daintie meats vnto gréedy gluttony ▪ by money and richesse vnto vnsatiable couetousnesse and by welth and prosperitie vnto pride and vaine glory and by all thy godly gracious giftes vnto euery diuelishe abhominable sinne But deliuer vs from euill Deliuer our goodes from abuse our bodies from corruption our soules from dānation deliuer vs by Christ Iesu from the bondage of sinne vnto the liberty of the Gospell so that from all daunger of diuelishe temptation trayning and entycing men towardes damnation we may be deliuered to serue thee in holinesse and righteousnesse al the dais of our life with most certaine and sure hope of euerlasting saluation through Christ Iesu in whome our hope and thy promis is most certayne that is to say Amen Youre tyme is shorte your daungers bee greate you are vvell vvarned by Gods vvord vvritten Mark. xiij Take heede watche and praye Take heede that your hearts and myndes bee not made heauie harde and dull vvith meates and drinkes vaine pleasures or worldly cares VVatch with diligence to doo youre owne duties in destrous looking for Christes comming Pray that yee may escape all dangers and stande in grace and fauour afore the face of Christ at his comming APOCAL. 22. Behold I come soone Printed by Henrie Bynneman for George Byshop 1575.
So Adam in Paradise by the abuse of the fruite of one trée contrary vnto Gods commaundement shewed suche a sinfull minde as was disobedient vnto God paysoned by the Diuell to preferre a fantasie of false persuasion vnto all the profits and pleasures in Paradise of Gods gracious gifte and prouision So commonly in all realmes and countries and notably in England they whiche receiue great honours possessiōs dignities and offices to be well vsed vnto the honor of God and to the profite of all men Yet for the imagination of priuate pleasure or profit in the abuse of some little things doe deserue death and damnation vnto themselues with losse of al things that is theirs The Israelites placed by Gods prouision in the Lande of promisse by their owne craft and crueltie plucking some parts and parcels one from an other did at lengthe deserue the losse of all together both lands and goodes and themselues to bée taken of strangers and vsed as captiues For the vncharitable getting and kéeping one from an other is the iuste cause of cruell spoyle and losse of all together So Achab in getting a vineyard did lose a kingdome when as he negligently abusing the policie of Iesabel did abhominably sinne in sheading Nabothes bloud Take héede O England for no man can vse more gentle words and liberall promises vnto thée for the inheritaunce of thy croune thā Achab did vnto Naboth for his vineyard and yet by the policie of Iesabel with the consent of the rulers and elders of Iezrael was Naboth spoiled cruelly bothe of his life and of his enheritance and so Achab ioyned the vnrighteous possession of a vineyarde vnto his kingdome not of malice willing the crueltie of Naboths death but of couetousnesse taking the profite of Iesabels policie which was a woman rather encouraged than corrected chastised by the King the countrey to expulse and persecute Gods Prophets for the fauoure shée bare vnto Baals priests And these things then neglected of the king the rulers the cōmons and the countrey as small trifles were soone after rewarded and plagued of God with greate and gréeuous vengeance O Lorde when and with what wilte thou rewarde them that haue more vncharitable gaines than righteous possessions that haue conueyed by couetousnesse pretie portions of a kingdome vnto little or nothing of their owne enheritance that can be content to take profite of other mennes euill policies and also themselues to deuise and practise craftie cruelnesse that haue burned and banished the preachers of the gospel of Christ to receiue and set vp sayers and singers of a ceremonious masse I write not these things to stirre vp cankred stomakes vnto enuie against other but to moue charitable men of pitie to pray vnto God for their countrey O England if that thou dost think that superstitious ceremonies worldly vanities and craftily cloked couetousnesse and ambition be but smal trifles yet shouldest thou be well assured that God will sometimes remember such smal trifles and not long delay the ful reward of more abhominable abuses in greater matters It is a great mater when as any things of great goodnesse either by Gods creation or institutiō be in any wise abused through mannes imagination So was woman created and commended of God vnto mā as a helper vnto comfort and natural séede giuen to the increase of mankinde being both together sanctified in matrimony vnto Gods glory and vnto mannes continuance comforte and commoditie But the floude in Noes time whiche drouned the whole worlde and fire with Brimstone which destroyed Sodome and Gomor did witnesse by vengeance how great and greuous a matter the abhominable sin of thē was whiche did mistake vnto themselues wiues for bodily beautie onely or otherwise misuse themselues in satisfying of their filthy lasts vnnaturally Also the Israelites in the lande of promisse did loue and take in mariage many straunge women hating and forsaking their own lawfull wiues yea they did offer their séede vnto Moloch sacrifising their children vnto Idols and with these euill abuses of these good things they so infected and poysoned the lande that it did euen vomit and spue out them as most vile filthinesse afore the face of God and man. Let all men take héede whiche knowe that God hath created man and woman and sanctified wedlocke vnto their necessary and comfortable felowship that they do nothing contrary vnto Gods ordinance either refusing suche comfortable helpe as they need of one wife or else abusing many women or worse wayes deuised taught by the Deuil to satisfie their filthy lusts that vnder pretence of honest loue to make godly matrimonie there be no craftely couered couetousnesse to commit abhominable ivolatrie Take héede all parentes and you that haue Wardes that yee offer not your séede vnto Moloch that ye sacrifice not your children vnto Idols ioyning them togither by your couetousnesse which is Idolatrie when as there is none suche loue in them as may make godly matrimony Yea all men ought to beware that they cloke not their gréedie couetousnesse and filthie lustes vnder the pretence of any godly purpose For when as Sichem Emors sonne being the head man of the citie of Sichem sought to satisfy his carnal lust with Dina Iacobs daughter persuaded the citizēs of Sichem through couetousnesse of gains to be had of other mens goods to take circumcision appéere in outward profession like vnto the Israelites in religion then that deuilishe purpose couered vnder that godly pretence prouoked vengeance to the vtter destruction of Sichem and all those citizēs Matrimony of gods institution circumcision as a sacrament to seale the profession of gods pure religion were good things according vnto gods ordinance but the abuse of them was a greate euill and a hainous sinne contrary vnto Gods commaundement and therfore is the plage and vengeance which fell vpon them written to be a warning that vengeance from God will fall vppon all Cities and countreys in the which suche hypocrites by suche abuses of Gods ordinances and sacraments do sore slander the true profession of Gods pure religion O England beware least that thou be found still to kéepe and flatter filthie lecherie couetousnesse and ambition cloked vnder the pretence of honestie religion and godlinesse Beware also of the false hearts of such flatterers as easily gaue any honor or authoritie from Christ and the king vnto the Pope to kéepe lands and goods from the crowne the Churche and the common wealth vnto themselues Englande demaunde of them that haue graunted vnto the Pope all authoritie why they do denie him his purgatorie and if they thinke that there is purgatorie wheras séely soules lie to be reléeued by saying masse why do not they restore and bestow al their lands and goods to maintein many masses for to ease and deliuer séely soules out of so great forments and miseries And if they do know that there can be no purgation for sinneful soules but onely Christes bloud
purchase man fauour with God but onely Chrystes precyous bloud And they onely bée redemed and restored vnto Gods fauour by Iesu Christes bloud whiche faythfully receyue Chrystes Gospell Therefore to séeke or looke for remission of any sins for any gracious gifts or for any good thing of any other than of God or by any other mean than by faith in Christ according to the gospel of christ is an vnthākfull refusing of the liuing god of his gracious goodnesse and of sauing health in Christe to deserue by so doyng vengeance with the worlde damnation with diuels For they that will forsake mercy shall not escape vengeaunce they that will not come vnto Christe shall goe vnto the Deuill For as there is no other way vnto the father but by him so what other way so euer any man taketh hée falleth into the handes of the deuill from him CHAP. IX A perillous path of perdition to followe the moste part to obey rather man than God to resist authoritie vnlawfully to wishe vengeance and to lay faults and blames vpon other vncharitably MAny mē lacking grace and good wyll to searche the scriptures so as they might fynde sée and folowe this way of saluation in Christ vnto God take that waye which commeth into their imagination by cōmon custome followe the most parte of men which cōmonly kéepe the worste way and furthest from god For commonly in mans imagination is suche a false fayned fashion of Christe and his kingdome as is most vnlike and cōtrary vnto the true face and fourme of Christ and his holy Church ▪ as is nothing agréeable vnto that whiche is clearely and comfortably reuealed vnto suche as searche and sée the same in holy scripture And therfore they that take Christe and the Churche as commeth by custome into mannes imagination doo forsake the foundation of the prophets the Apostles Christ beyng the hed corner stone doe mislyke such example doctrine of Christ and his Churche as is by the Scripture taught vnto the faithfull For they flée from the poore little flocke and crosse of Christe as from perillous heretikes and mischeuous plagues they follow regard and reuerence the gretest multitude of priestes and prelates with moste solemne shewes and ceremonies as though the kingdom of Christ were a thing full of worldly glory outwarde holines So leauing the scriptures and folowing custome in blinde imagination of Christe and the Church they run vnto the diuell and damnation in Antichristes kingdome They imagin that in folowing the most they shall escape dānation when as in leauing the best they forsake saluation Many were drouned in the floude when as fewe entred with Noe to be saued in the shippe Many taried and perisht in the fire when as fewe followed Lot out of Sodome and Gomor Many in all places did continue in idolatrie when as Abraham was called did go to serue God in a straunge countrey Of the Israelits which came out of Egipt many deserued to die in wildernesse and fewe did enter into the lande of promise Tenne tribes fell from the kingdome of Dauid into idolatry vnder Ieroboam whē as a few in comparison went from thence to kéepe the lawe and ordinaunce of God at Hierusalem Many euer finde and take the broade way which leadeth vnto perdition when as fewe enter in at the narrow gate vnto saluation Many be called and few be chosen yea God doth choose those whiche the world doth refuse So that it is the plaine path vnto perdition which the greatest nūber and those that haue the moste solemne and séemlie shew afore the face of the worlde keepe by common custome contrary vnto Gods commaundement Many do imagin that if God work wondersly to set vp any in high authoritie then whatsoeuer such a one doth commaund is good and godly It was a wonderfull work of God to set vp Ieroboam and make hym king of Israell and yet moste vngodly dyd hée cause his people to commit idolatrie in Dan and Bethell And when as he was made a king by the wonderful working of God and caused the people whiche hée was king ouer abhominably to committe idolatry agaynste God yet euen then in so doing did hée say and commaunde euery thing in the name of God as the true honour and seruice of god But neyther the wonderful worke of God in making him king nor his owne saying or meaning to establishe that kingdome coulde make or proue that to be the honor and seruice of Go◠whiche was contrary vnto the worde and cōmandement of god O Englande beware and take good héede that thou neyther resist authoritie nor yet committe idolatrie For if thou folowing mans imagination take eyther of these two ways then doest thou perillously procéede towardes perdition contrary vnto the commaundement of God in the worde of god For the woorde of God teacheth neuer to resist authoritie but euer to pray for al men and especially for suche as be in authoritie and yet if any thing bée taught and commaūded cōtrary vnto Gods word and wil then rather to obéy god than man how high in authoritie soeuer they be which take vpon them so to teache or commaunde Therefore if thou féele authoritie heauie and greuous vnto thée which surely is Gods ordinance for mans comforte and commoditie doe not repine murmure against Gods ordinaunce but repent and amend thine owne faults whiche doe cause God to scourge beat thée with that rod of authoritie whiche when thou of curst hart by wishing woord or déed woldst snap and pull out of Gods handes then didst thou deserue and cause God to take from thée that rod of his fatherly correction poure vppon thée plagues of intollerable vengeance So the Israelites impaciently refusing the correction of seueritie vnder Roboam were plagued with idolatrie vnder Ieroboam But when as the childe that is corrected or the people that is plaged doth humbly submit himself vnder the hande of God his heauenly lord Father then will God of fatherly affection cherish his child spare his people and caste the rod into the fire eyther as he did graciously change the hart and mollifie the minde of Manasses or else as hée did righteously remoue and destroy the power and person of Nabuchodonosor of Saul and of suche other Take ye héede and bee warned as well princes as peoples as wel ye that be in authoritie as you that bée vnder authoritie for when as the one is punished by the fautes of the other then cōmonly the vngodlinesse of them that doo suffer is the cause of the faulte in the other When as the people in Israell kindled the fury of God fiercely agaynst thēselues then Satan had power to persuade Dauid their King to cōmit a great faulte in numbryng the people for the whiche GOD did greuously plage them Whē as Dauid had gréeuousely synned agaynste God in abominable murder and adultery then the sinfull sedition of the people stirred vp by ambitious Absalon