Gods commandements I hate him intend what I can will I not beléeue it is it not possible to make vs féele our fault and to sée our sinne in this behalfe will wee still chalenge the Lorde with our good intentes and honest meanings as wee thinke when yet his owne tongue speaketh it that if I eyther serue with him any other as saints Angels images or whatsoeuer or him alone after any other way than he prescribeth I loue him not but hate him yea euen extremely hate him and shall at his handes finde the rewarde of a deadly enemie to his glorie Nowe Christ for his mercies sake touche vs and giue vs féeling Secondly let vs marke againe in these the comparison of mercy and iudgement together how farre the one excéedeth His enemies and haters of his will he punisheth but to the thirde and fourth generation but sheweth mercie to thousandes of them that loue him and kéepe his commaundementes Who woulde not serue then and onely serue a God of such a nature Yea what heart is it that will not séeke to please according to his will so good a Lorde as powreth mercie so long after his decease vppon his ofspring and posteritie Last of all it is verie worthie obseruation howe that speaking here of his commandements he placeth loue before it saying he will shewe kindnesse to thousandes of them that loue him and kéepe his commandements As though he woulde haue vs knowe that these two cannot be separated but whosoeuer frameth himselfe to obey the Lorde he must néedes loue him before for out of that as out of his fountaine and proper head floweth the other not accepted else nor liked of if it doe not and contrariwise if wee doe loue the Lorde in déede in trueth in veritie then will wee keepe His Commaundementes marke it His Commaundementes he doeth not say then will hee deuise this thing and that thing with twentie things moe of a good minde and meaning to please GOD withall but we will then kéepe His Commandements that is wee will then séeke and search wee will then reade and heare euerie man wee will endeuour to bee instructed what GOD in his worde hath prescribed vs to doe and wee will kéepe His commaundementes Nowe then once againe euen as the bloud of Iesus Christ is deare vnto vs let our brethren of the Churche of Rome for so wee yet call them in hope of amendment looke and marke what loue of GOD is in them Héere is a note and else often repeated in the Scripture to knowe their loue by Alas they deuise lawes wayes and meanes euerie day to serue GOD withall of their owne heades but his prescribed rule in his worde they vtterly contemne and neglect Now where true loue of GOD is out of it floweth a burning constant care to kéepe His commaundementes not our owne They kéepe their owne and with fire and fagot doe reuenge the breach of them but the Lordes worde not so with abstayning from this meate and that meate this day and that day with single lyfe though most impure with prayers in an vnknowen tongue and thus often repeated ouer and ouer with crossings and créepings Paxes and Beades holie water and Creame Ashes and spittle with a thousande such things haue they deuised to worshippe the Lorde and who so breaketh these an Heretike hée is a runneaway from the Church cite him and summon him excommunicate him and imprison him burne him and hang him yea away with such a one for he is not worthie to liue vpon the earth But if he blaspheme the name of the Lord by horrible swearing Reade the L. Cobhams last examination in the beginning of it if he offende most grieuously in pride in wrath in gluttonie and couetousnesse if he be a drunken alestake a ticktack tauerner kéepe a whore or two in his owne house and moe abroade at bord with other men with a nūber such like gréeuous offences what doe they Either he is not punished at all most commonly so or if he be it is a little penance of their owne inuenting by belly or purse or to say a certaine of prayers to visit such an image in pilgrimage c. But all this deserueth neither fire nor fagot Is not this for that man of sinne to exalt himselfe against all that is called God or that is worshipped Can it be denied but that he that punisheth the breache of his owne lawes aboue the breache of Gods lawes in that preferreth himselfe before GOD Surely it cannot it is too plaine therefore once againe remember that the loue of God in man or woman draweth them to the kéeping of His commandements set downe in the worde and not of their owne constitutions deuised by themselues And thus much in briefe of this commandement The examination of the conscience Nowe if I woulde fruitefully meditate and thinke of this commandement secretely and shortly with my selfe as I did of the former then consider I that as in other so in this also little is said and much is meant part is put for the whole and in the negatiue the affirmatiue is implyed Therefore thus doe I take the commaundement as if it were saide Thou shalt not worship me with any carnall earthly superstitious or outward deuised worship by thy selfe namely not by images but in heart in spirite in truth as is commaunded in my worde Which when I knowe if I would at any time rip vp this heart of mine and disclose vnto my selfe my secrete guilt and sinne herein against my God I carefully consider and as I can in minde beholde howe I haue euer serued the Lorde or thought in iudgement that he might be serued And peraduenture I finde that liuing in the daies of superstition and blindnesse ignorant of God and his truth for feare weakenesse with others I haue bowed my knée to Baall worshipped stockes and stones or as I thought GOD in them euen béene polluted with grosse and grieuous idolatrie For which if it so haue béene what can I say Shall ignoraunce excuse mée Did I labour then and euer by all meanes possible to attaine to knowledge Or liued I rather carelesly as others did thinking it good that many followed and hauing or séeking no better grounde for my conscience than the practise of my forefathers kings and gouernours If of this latter my heart condemne me how should my ignorance excuse me since it was so plainely wilfull Shall good intent or my good meaning stand for warrant before my God Ah howe shall he that gaue me in charge expresselie that I should not doe what séemeth good in mine owne eyes but what he commanded accept for excuse my wilfull and stubborne disobedience Neyther ignoraunce therefore nor intent may warraunt so witles walking before the Lorde but onely pardon in Christ Iesus my Sauiour But if eyther age which then was young or other prouidence of the Lorde haue freed mee alwayes from so grosse idolatrie yet séeke
heauen doth defend féede thée cōfort blesse thée is contented but in one day especially to be regarded vow with thy self in request of strength to kéepe it that to the Lord that one day shall be consecrated of thée obserued according to his will Que. These things thē thus passed ouer I pray you are these words Six days shalt thou labour c. a commaundement so that we sinne if we labour not on them al Ans No they are no commandement but a permission or a remission rather of so much right of the Lords For euer hath the Church vpon occasions separated some of the wéeke days also to the seruice of the Lord rested from their labors Which they neuer wold haue presumd to do if the Lord had commaunded to the contrary And euen now our holy daies commanded by publike order are not all to be misliked if to the glory of GOD and sanctification of his name they be bestowed as they are intended Therefore a commaundement I say they are not but a remitting of the Lords right who in déede might chalenge all Que. And for the 7. day it selfe may wee not in case doe any thing thereon because the words here are so in it thou shalt doe no maner of worke c Ans I haue said before if you remēber that the precise strict rest of the Iewes on this day was ceremoniall therfore now by Christ taken away that it bindeth not vs. And therefore touching your question and our estate in these daies vnder the Gospell very certaine it is that not euen in the seuenth day we stand so bound to rest but that in it also we may worke if either necessitie so vrgently requireth or the déede doone be greatly to the glorie of God Examples of the first are Dauid eating the shewebread 1. Kings 22. and the Disciples gathering and rubbing the eares of corne Of the second Christ himselfe healing on the sabaoth day many which yet the Iewes thought to be vnlawful The discourse of Christ touching this point in the Gospell is very woorthy noting wherein he flatly and strongly refuteth this superstitious conceit of the sabaoth in the Pharisees and all other by diuerse argumentes as first by the example of Dauid aboue named Secondly of their lawfull practise they circumcised children and slewe their sacrifices c. on the Sabaoth Thirdly by the testimonie of Osce I will rather haue mercie than sacrifice That is loue to our brethren than outward seruice Fourthly from the lesse to the greater it is lawfull on the Sabaoth day to pull out a brute beast that is fallen into a pit or is in such like danger as néeds it must be helped or else it perisheth therfore much more a man c. By all which you sée that man is not made for the Sabaoth but the Sabaoth for man And euen in the right of our Christ wee also are in some sort Lordes of the Sabaoth as in it to doe what vrgent cause constraineth in déede and may not conueniently be differred Que. Here is named in the wordes of the commandement the straunger that is within the gates I pray you therefore howe farre thinke you this bindeth vs Ans I doe willingly still tell you my opinion in euerie thing my selfe and you also I trust readie to yéeld to better aduise when we shall heare it For my part I sée not how we may aunswere it to the Lorde if being priuate men and householders we suffer within our gate to lurke and lie hid and that refuseth to obey the Lord in the sanctifying of this day as is commaunded to the glorie of his name after that such meanes haue béene vsed for the reforming of them as possiblie we can And the more I wey with my selfe that most straite law of the Lorde for execution of them that should séek to estrange any from the true God Deut. 13. the more I am confirmed by the verie end equitie and meaning of it in this opinion against al affection of kindred aliance friendship or whatsoeuer Reade the words mark the zeale which God requireth in al men towards him when as no meanes will reforme our friends but they stil peraduēture tempt vs. And then by the way let it not passe vnmarked I pray you howe straitely all masters and mistresses stand bound to sée that the Lorde be honoured not onely in themselues but by manseruaunt and maide seruant olde and young in their houses of discretion of the Sabaoth day séeing God of purpose nameth them And sée againe how this naming of the straunger doubleth the bond more vpon vs. For by comparison if we stand charged with our stranger and guest much more with our daily seruauntes children c. it must néedes be and indéede wey it well Que. I am then thus I thinke satisfied in euery point of this commaundement neither doe I remember what further to aske you herein Ans The commandements of the Lord saith Dauid are exceeding broad neyther in déede is any man able so to laie open any one of them but iudgement by the gift of God increased more may be séene and espied in them but thus much nowe shall suffice for my measure this only added that this reason drawen for the Lordes owne example who rested from his worke on this day ought greatly to mooue vs to the carefull kéeping of it as euen the very first worde also of the Lawe for if you marke it he doeth not say Kéepe holie the Sabaoth day but Remember to keepe it holie that is haue an earnest care of it and in any case forget it not but remember to kéepe it holie And thus much of this Commaundement The examination of the conscience The profitable vse and application of this commandement is to wey and duely consider that it is the Lawe of no man but of God the chiefest lawegiuer the wisest most righteous and most able to reuenge instituted of purpose by him for these and such like ends First that we should wholy consecrate as that day ourselues vnto the Lord his seruice hearing reading meditating those things which might lay before vs the goodnesse of almightie God toward vs and our great ingratitude to him againe with all other sinnes whereby we haue prouoked him to wrath stirring vp our hearts to true repentaunce for them and amendement of the same Secondly for the ease of seruants cattell which otherwise by the vnmerciful gréedinesse and crueltie of some might happily be abused Lastly to expresse and lay before vs some shew of that spirituall and eternal rest in heauen which we all so looke and long for Then these thinges considered to call to minde howe often and grieuously wee haue offended against euery one of these as against the first by absenting ourselues from the Church What it is to be absent from Church and place of common prayer and place of common méeting when wee might haue béene present if
hurte mee with speaking to mee not that her wordes doe it but some pestilent thing of an infectiue operation helde in her téeth deliuered her of her diuell to such vse Danaeus out of Augustine as some of them at death haue confessed Que. What then is your conclusion touching charmers southsayers and such like Ans Truely this in such things as I can be assured by mine owne true vnderstanding or others counsell they doe by true naturall cause and meanes in reason effectuall to such an end I may lawfully vse the benefite of the knowledge giuen them of God and séeke their helpe But where I shall knowe the want of these meanes or but in mine owne heart suspect it surely there I may not there I cannot with a good conscience vse them or séeke vnto them for the lawe that willeth a witch should die being broken of me by vsing such a meanes shall bring greater death to me without repentance Que. Howe yet further is Gods name taken in vaine Ans By rash and vngodly vowes either made or kept Que. Whether might the Iewes vow what they would or no Ans No indéede But first they had a warrant to vowe and then also euen the thing that they did vowe was warranted And if they went further than their commission were their intent neuer so good it was reiected Sometimes they vowed in aduersitie to the ende that if it pleased the Lorde to deliuer them they might not onely in generall but euen in speciall shewe their gratefull heart to the Lorde for the same Thus vowed Iacob at his going to Padan Haran and manie moe in their seuerall distresses And this they did to preuent and staie in some manner the mutabilitie of their will and frailtie of their nature which in any griefe easily promiseth to the Lorde but béeing once freed and set at libertie soone forgetteth that swéete féeling and all spéeches that procéeded from the same Sometime in prosperitie they vsed to vowe for seuerall endes As for the amplification of that outwarde seruice of sacrifices which then the Lorde required Leuit. 7.22 and this was warranted vnto them to doe First fruites and tithes warranted also Deut. 12. Exod. 25. goulde and siluer to the building of the temple warranted also Sometimes they vowed abstinencie for the subduing of the bodie Numb 30. warranted also Sometimes men vowed themselues vnto the Lord as Hanna her sonne Samuell Numb 6. and this her and their déede was allowed of the Lorde But if once they came without a warrant we sée their seruice reiected were their heart and meaning neuer so good Example is Dauid promising to builde the Lorde an house with manie others So euer hath the Lord kept man vnder his hande and direction touching religion hating the bouldnesse of man presuming to inuent any seruice of himselfe I answere you therefore I say and you sée it that the Iewes might not vowe what they listed and what they meant well in but what the worde of the Lorde gaue them leaue to vowe Que. Were they bound euer to keepe their vowe if once they had passed it out of their mouth Ans No in déede But it is maruelous worthy noting the excéeding care that the Lorde had least their vowes should become snares to their consciences Therefore he would not the wiues vow to stand vnlesse her husband heard and allowed it nor the daughters without the fathers cōsent And if they vowed a wicked thing he would not haue it perfourmed as we sée Deutro 23. If an vncleane thing were vowed it might be redéemed And which is especially to be noted if a poore man vowed a vowe aboue his abilitie being decayed betwixt the time of his vow the perfourmance at the priests discretion he was released Leuit. 27. not snared with the word that had passed him once For all which you sée a great libertie granted to mans infirmitie least by any meanes his mouth might cause his fleshe to sinne and howe it neuer pleased the Lorde that drewe sinne with it in the other hande as the vnchaste vowes doe of chastitie in the Church of Rome with such like But in déede if they vowed a thing lawefull and warranted and in their powers without inconuenience to perfourme then were the Iewes verie straitlie bound to perfourme their vowes and not otherwise Que. What say you then to the argument of the Papists The Iewes vowed and the Lord accepted them Therefore we may doe the like Ans I answere it is a senselesse conclusion for they had warrant wee haue none so to doe the thinges they vowed were warranted we vowe pilgrimages to this Saint that to this Idoll and that we vowe to be Monkes Friers Nunnes to weare this apparrell and that to liue single to absteine from this meate and that with a number such inuentions of our owne no where warranted Lastly they were released if anie inconuenience grewe our vowes must stande though bodie and soule perishe for it Therefore to reason from the Iewes vowe euerie way warranted to the alowance of popish and rashe vowes no waie warranted is absurde Que. How yet further is Gods name abused Ans Gods name is yet further abused whensoeuer it is prefixed before anie wicked instrumentes as the Popes bulles and pardons which commonly beginne thus In the name of God Amen So did the sentences of condemnation against Gods children in Quéene Maries daies pronounced by those bloudie Bishoppes beginne also with such other diuilishe instrumentes before which to set the name of GOD as though he were author and approouer of such actes can not be but a fearefull pollution of the name of GOD and a breach of this commandement Againe to speake of the name of GOD lightly and without any dewe regarde thereof in sportes playes and pastimes when my conscience telleth mee I not once thinke of God neither is that a right vse of prayer Also to vse the phrases and sentences of scripture in iest in dirision in mirth vnreuerently as a number doe most fearefully Sure it is a gréeuous breach of this commaundement Que. And what say you of banning and cursing which the booke heere nameth and yet is it vsuall with Dauid as it seemeth Ans Euen this also in some circumstance is a great euill and forbidden by this lawe For thus we are to weigh this question the matter either is the Lordes or mine owne If it be mine owne in no case euer should I curse and wish any euill but patiently abide the Lordes good time to sée to it If it be the Lordes then is the partie either corrigible or incorrigible and past all hope of amendment in mans eyes If he be corrigible not euen in the Lordes cause should I curse my brother but if he be past hope in mans iudgement then conditionally may wee pray the Lorde either to turne him or to remooue him that no longer he may resist his glorie And to this head
Christ made of the same god redeemed with the same price subiect to the same hell if they doe not c. Charitie requireth that we should haue a féeling of the paines of our seruants Deutro 5. Chap. 15. Thankfulnesse would acknowlege the mercy of god in making me master him seruāt whē he could haue don otherwise if it had pleased him And to cōclude if this rest we denie either to seruant or cattle we shewe there is no regard of nature in vs no pietie no charitie no thankfulnesse to God for our estate but the contraries of all these I woulde to God men woulde carefully thinke of this who vpon euery occasion can finde in their heart to sende horse and men cart and cariage too and fro on the Lordes day most wickedly Assuredly it will haue a smarting recompence in the end Que. The third and last end of the Sabaoth yet remaineth touching rest and exercises required I pray you what rest are we bound vnto and what special exercises on this day Ans Concerning the former it hath bin said before that there is required of vs this day a resting from our proper labors in our calling as your booke saith so farre as they are hinderances to that sanctifying of the Sabaoth that is required of vs. For in it thou shalt doe no maner of worke c. That is no maner of worke that thou canst not doe and attende also to the exercises commaunded for the Sabaoth as the artificer cannot worke in his shop and goe to Church to pray and heare the countrey man cannot both serue the Lord with his neighbours at home as he ought serue to his chapmen his solde Corne in the wéeke dayes also c. Therfore from these we must abstaine Now for the second thing namely the exercises demaunded at our hands many they are and hard of me or any to be either named or espied so large is the lawe of the Lorde But as I can I will lay before you some of them And first to begin withall forasmuch as without knowledge of God there is no loue of God without loue no faith without faith no saluation by God therefore it is a worke or exercise of the Sabaoth a duetie that we are straitely bound vnto in that day to attend to the knowledge of God by assembling our selues together into one place and there with feare and reuerence to heare marke and lay vp in our hearts the worde of God read or preached vnto vs. Que. How prooue you this Ans Doe you not remember the spéech of the Shunamites husband to her when her child being dead 2. Reg. 4.23 she desired an Asse to be sadled that she might go to the man of God What wilt thou do with him to day saieth he since it is neither newe Moone nor Sabaoth day Whereby you may plainly sée that on those holy daies they carefully resorted to the Prophets to be instructed in the will of the Lord. In the Acts of the Apostles againe thus we reade that The first day of the week Actes 20.7 that is on the Sabaoth day the Disciples being come together to breake breade Paul preached vnto them ready to depart on the morow and continued preaching till midnight In another place Actes 13.16 Reade Luk. 4.16 c. to the 21. verse After the lecture of the law the Prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent vnto them saying ye mē and brethren if ye haue any exhortation for the people say on with a number mo such places Whereby euidētly we sée the manner of kéeping holy the Sabaoth in those dayes Yet is not the going to the Church outward hearing of the word all but they are The good ground that heare the worde and vnderstande it Matth. 13.23 bearing fruite and bringing foorth some an hundred folde some sixtie and some thirtie Que. These places are plaine touching the custome of Gods children in times past and beside these very reason would teach vs that if God hath of set purpose in great wisedome appointed one day generally of all men and women to bee obserued surely he would haue on that day none to lurke at home in an hole withdrawing themselues from GOD from his worde from their brethren and from all commaunded exercises on this day and therefore in my opinion our recusantes as wee call them that is our refusing Papists to come to Church doe greatly offende I pray you what thinke you Ans I settle no sentence of them but what the dreadfull voyce of the eternall Iudge shall pronounce vppon them in his generall day to the horror of bodie and soule euerlastingly in the boyling heate of vnquenchable fire vnlesse they repent sée and amende their intollerable obstinacie against the Lorde For can it bee that the Lorde shoulde pronounce accursed all them that kéepe not euerie tittle of his Lawe Deutr. 27. vlt. and yet not punishe them that prophane his Sabaoth by withholding themselues from the Congregation refusing appointed dueties by GOD himselfe and at home or abroade in this corner and that vnder this hedge and that patter to themselues what God knowes they vnderstande not and therefore consequently what the Lorde detesteth and will assuredly charge them withall as sinne in that day of his Howe can wee heare these examples of Gods children purposely set downe in his woorde to teache vs and our selues perfourming no such duetie yet boldely presume of mercie What the best of them with all their learning coulde say for defence of this their follie haue wee not heard and may wee not reade Too childish and friuolous are their reasons to iustifie so great impietie I referre you to the reading of them your selues together with the answers made vnto them by the godly This onely my selfe I say that if I were a Papist and had to this day refused to come to the Churche to receiue the sacrament c. yet I assure you now séeing the weake grounds of these doctors for mo thā one had their heads about them though one beare the name I should begin to looke better about me and neuer pin my euerlasting estate in paine or blisse vpon so slender vngodly perswasions of peruerse men But what should we speake of reason which truly they haue not of their denial God and many a conscience of theirs knowe full wel that it is not any impietie which they are able to charge our prayer or preachings withall but a secret sworne or promised obedience to the forren Antichristian power of Rome without knowledge what they doe blindly consenting to do as others doe haue done for vaine glory and worldly spéeche amongst a fewe of their owne packe that maketh them obstinate against the Lord despisers of his Sabaoth rebellious against their lawfull and most gracious Prince her lawes vnkind cōtemners of the counsell of their dearest friendes breakers of their heartes whose liues they ought to loue increasers
wée woulde a very horrible thing if we could duely regarde and thinke of it For what is it but to contemne GOD and his wisedome to striue and fight against the Spirite teaching and conuerting men by the ministerie of the worde and euen in effect to say I am as wise and godlie as either hee can make mee or shall make mee I will none of his grace What is it but to giue a grieuous offence to others for the which the liuing God hangeth a woe ouer our heads saying Woe be to him by whom offence commeth it were better for that person to haue a milstone tyed about his neck and to be cast into the bottome of the Sea And againe It were good for that man if he had neuer beene borne What is it but to féede the deuils humor and to doe that thing that most highly pleaseth him Againe to consider howe we haue offended when we were present at Church by negligent and colde performaunce of that thing which time place and duetie required at our handes Haue we neuer come to the hearing of the worde but with reuerence with willing desire preparing our hearts before vnto it by some secrete prayer within our selues to the Lorde that he would blesse the speaker that hee may speake to our heartes and blesse vs that we may attentiuely hearken profitably féele and thankefully taking whatsoeuer is spoken increase in obedience to it Haue wee neuer come to the Sacramentes when we could and neuer without such examination and other circumstances as are straitly required of a Christian Haue we spent the Sabaoth in godly conference meditation powring out thanks from a féeling soule for the Lords goodnes euer to vs namely the wéeke passed Haue we visited or thought vpon the sick sore diseased imprisoned banished or any way suffring for a good cause to our power comforted them Haue we studied how either to procure or continue or increase amongst our selues or our neighbours the meanes of saluatiō as the preaching of the word such like O beloued we haue not we haue not we know it must néeds confesse it if there be any trueth in vs. Too much haue we neglected all these yea euen diuerse of them it is greatly to bee feared haue litle or neuer at all troubled our heads but for their contraries in most ful measure we haue wallowed in them and with gréedinesse euer accomplished thē Where is the minister whose negligence hath not made his people to pollute the Sabaoth Where is the people whose consciences awaked may not iustly condemne them for vngodly gadding on this day to Churchales to weddings to drinkings to bākets to fairs markets to stage plaies to bearebaytings summer games and such like Where is that master that hath had a conscience to restrain his seruants from this impietie or the seruant againe that hath either brideled himselfe for the Lords cause or else wel accepted his master or mistres restraint being made vnto him and which hath not rather burst out into vngodly disobedient spéeches murmuring that because he hath wrought all the wéeke therfore he should haue libertie to do what he list on the Sabaoth not considering that this commandement bindeth not only the master himselfe to honor God on this day but to sée to his family so much as he can that they also do it Nay I would to God the masters in many places were not ringleaders to their owne al other mens people to prophane this Sabaoth of the Lord and that euen such maisters as in respect of their calling office and credite in the countrey should farre otherwise doe When doeth a gentleman to name no higher estates appoint a shooting a bowling a cocking or a drunken swearing ale for the helpe as they say of some poore one but vppon the Sabaoth And if he be at the Church in the forenoone for the after noone it is no matter he hath béene verie liberall to God in giuing him so much What day in the wéeke vsually doeth he giue so euill an example of vnmeasurable sotting in bed as on the Sabaoth But O filthie sauour that ariseth out of this lothsome chanell thus raked vp into the nostrels of the Lorde I spare to speake I shame to sée I rew to knowe what I fully knowe against our soules in this respect Let euerie man and woman more particularly view thēselues and lay open vnto the Lorde their sinne in sorowe for it by this occasion thinke what is commaunded looke what wee haue done the Lorde make our sinfull hearts to sée sigh for so great offence against our God What should I say of the second end of the institution of the Sabaoth namely for the rest of seruant cattell But euen in an word woe to the man whom God shall iudge according to his guiltinesse herein For it is too vsual with al estates to be a meanes to robbe their seruauntes of the blessing due to the kéepers of this law and to pull vppon them the plague for the contrarie by making them ride and run post and away vpon euerie occasion that commeth in their heads when in truth if they would but euen look into it the matter may be done wel without such hast O happie is that man whose heart thinketh howe his seruant is bound to this commandement of kéeping holy the Sabaoth as well as hée hath a soule to loose or saue as well as he to be nourished with the foode of the word as well as he and therefore thereon concludeth he will neither sinne himselfe nor make his seruant sinne in breach of this or any other commandement The third end of the Sabaoth we heard it was that hereby might bee resembled in some sort our spirituall rest in heauen wee ceasing from our owne workes dooing the will of God But are we able to say wee haue this doone O miserable men ten thousand times if in this we should haue our desertes for wherein or howe crucifie we the fleshe more on this day than any other bridle the frowarde desires of the heart restrayne our owne nature and doe the will of God more on this day than any other Alas our owne consciences crie vnto vs we doe nothing lesse wee drinke wée eate wée surfet wee sweare we play we daunce we whore we walke and talke idlely vainely vncleanely and vngodlily these are our workes on the Sabaoth more commonly than any day in the wéeke else and if this bee to resemble a spirituall rest then in déede wee doe it not otherwise Thus stand wee therefore guiltie and gréeuously guiltie of this commaundement So that if we had not a Sauiour who in our flesh had fulfilled this lawe and euerie one for vs and appeased the wrath of God his father iustly conceiued against our sinnes neuer should we haue looked within his kingdome And howe shall we bée better for all which he hath doone but by séeing our passed sinne and
it wee may first sée that if we haue that thing which our neighbour woulde borowe and wee able without our hurt well to spare it him we are bound to do it or els we sinne against this law of God we euen steale from our brother that which in right is his For GOD woulde not euer haue made a lawe for recompence of the lender if his thing lent receyue anie harme vnlesse it had béene a necessarie duetie of loue to lende when wee may Therefore this narownesse of heart and vnkinde disposition to grudge vnto anie that good which by lending wee can possible doe him it is hatefull in the eyes of God and a playne breach of this commandement Secondlie in this lawe as one verie well hath noted Vsurie we may sée a great light giuen to that harde controuersie concerning vsurie of monie For marke I pray you howe he saith in plaine tearmes That if the thing were hired although it perished in vse yet should it not be made good by him which hired it for it came for his hire The monie which vsurers giue out is hired as wee knowe Therefore if 〈◊〉 were a thing that might bee hired yoâ— sée the sentence of God though it perâ—â—shed Secondlie marke againe how thâ— lawe saith though a man lend of méerâ— loue fréely without anie hire yet shalâ— his recompence bee nothing more thaâ— good will againe vnlesse it die or bâ—â— hurt which he lendeth Now monie neiâ—ther dieth neither commonlie is aniâ— whit hurt but returneth euerie waâ— as good as it came Thirdlie consideâ— howe the lawe will haue an apparanâ— hurt of the thing lent or else it allowetâ— no recompence but vsurers will hauâ— consideration for likely losse For saâ— they if I had had my monie possiblie I coulde haue gayned thus much with if yet are they not sure they coulde hauâ— doone it for God coulde haue crosseâ— their expectation and being not surâ— that they could haue gayned it is noâ— apparant that they haue béene hindred but this lawe of God prouideth in equitie onelie for apparant harme therefore nothing for them Fourthly the equitie of this lawe is onelie this tha◠〈◊〉 will be no looser and therefore proâ—â—â—â—on is made for recompence if the 〈◊〉 lent receyued hurt but vsurers â—â—ll haue their goodwill as they call it â—ertaine and an excessiue gayner â—ftlie in this lawe of God the borowâ—â— is respected that hee shoulde haue â—â—lpe of his neighbour and not pay for 〈◊〉 vnlesse hee hurt the thing which hee â—â—rowed but vsurie regardeth wholie â—â—e lender Wherefore it séemeth that this lawe of our God had euer anie â—â—uitie this vsurie of monie had euer â—â—aine iniurie and that this kinde of â—â—nding is voide of loue and therefore â—pparantly a breach of this commaunâ—ement Thus therefore wee sée what â—â—ght the equitie of this lawe of lending â—â—ueth to this question of vsurie which â—quitie remaineth and euer shall Que. But I pray you what thinke â—ou of giuing vsurie which manie a good man is constrayned to do Ans Truely for mine owne part I â—m satisfied to thinke it also euill by the wordes of Ieremie who saith he hath neither giuen vsurie nor taken and yet they hated him Insinuating plainly that iâ— he had doone either he could haue found iust cause in himselfe why he should be euill thought of Que. What is the law of pledges Ans If thou takest thy neighbours raiment to pledge Exod. 22.26 saith the lawe thou shalt restore it to him ere the sunne goe downe For that is his couering only and this is his garment for his skinne wherin shal he sleepe Therefore when he crieth vnto me I wil heare him for I am merciful Deut. 24.6 And in an other place No man shall take the vpper or nether milstone to pledgâ— for this gage is his liuing 10. And wheÌ„ thou shalt aske againe of thy neighbour anie thing lent 11. thou shalt not goe into hiâ— house to fet his pledge but thou shalâ— stande without and the man which borrowed it of thee shall bring the pledge out of the dores vnto thee 12. Furthermore iâ— he be a poore body thou shalt not sleepâ— with his pledge 13. but shalt restore him the pledge when the sunne goeth down thaâ— he may sleep in his raimeÌ„t blesse thee it shal be righteousnes to thee before the Lord thy God The very ende of alâ— â—hich laws as you sée is nothing but this â—ercy kindenes of man towards man â—â—en in this matter of taking paunes â—nd therefore if my dealing herein be â—â—arpe hard and cruel laying aside as it â—ere al regard of other mens néedes so my selfe may be safe is it not apparant I faile in loue towardes the wealth â—ood estate of my brother outward and â—â—erefore haue broken this commandeâ—ent It must néedes be granted Que. What is the law for things comâ—itted to our custody Ans If a man deliuer vnto his neighâ—our saith the law to keepe asse or oxe Exod. 22.10 〈◊〉 sheepe or any beast and it die or 〈◊〉 hurt or taken away by enimies no â—â—an see it 11. an oth of the Lord shal be beâ—â—ixt theÌ„ two that he hath not put his hand â—â—to his neighbours good the owner 〈◊〉 it shall take the oth he shal not make 〈◊〉 good But if it be stolne from him 12. he â—â—all make restitution vnto the owner â—â—ereof If it bee torne in peeces he â—â—all bring record 13. and shal not make it â—â—odwhich is deuored By which lawes â—â—us much we may note that notwithstanding for thinges committed to theiâ— custodie it might fall out that they might be brought before the magistratâ— by othe to protest their trueth and hoâ—nestie which corrupt flesh will lightliâ— grudge at or else to their cost to make that good the kéeping whereof neuer gained them pennie yet neuerthelesse woulde the Lorde haue man euen here in to showe his loue and in no case foâ— either of these respectes or anie other tâ— denie it Wherefore it followeth theâ— and both nowe and euer shall followe that whosoeuer shal not willinglie anâ— readily take into his custodie that thinâ— which hee may kéepe to the benefite oâ— his neighbour better than hee that dotâ— deliuer it him and so taken truly kéepe and faithfullie restore it againe vntâ— them that of right shoulde haue it thaâ— man or woman want in their hearteâ— affection or loue to their neighbours they withholde the thing which is duâ— vnto them namelie the fruite of theiâ— loue in this particular we stande vpon and therefore guiltie they are beforâ— God of stealth the breach of this comâ—mandement Que. What is the lawe of finding thinges lost Ans Thou shalt not saith the lawe see thy brothers oxe nor his sheepe goe astray and withdrawe thy selfe from theÌ„ Deut. 22.1 but shalt bring theÌ„ againe vnto thy brother and if thy brother bee not neere vnto
this behalfe if we be not dead And a number mo reasons might yet be brought if I should make a treatise in a preface Only this one mo I must needes remember which me thinke should awake anie man aliue in this matter In the sixt of Marke it is said of Christ that going out and seeing a great multitude of people gathered together Mark 6. he had compassion on them because they were like sheepe without a sheephearde and hee went out and taught them many thinges And in the Greeke it is more vehement expressing as it were an aking of his heart as we call it or a yearning of his bowels to see so pitifull a sight as so manie people without a teacher Vpon which notable place I haue vsed in my selfe to make two conclusions First a comfort then a feare My comfort is this that he which mourneth to see his people want the benefite of his worde will giue his people his woorde if they seeke it and wish it and where he hath vouchsafed it alreadie there continue it blesse it and giue it power if we pray For otherwise howe shoulde it paine him to see it wanting My feare is this that if his heart ake to see his sheepe depriued of a shephearde hee will assuredly bee reuenged euen in great wrath of them that are the causers of it And for Christ his sake let it bee considered For as wee liue wee may not alwaies looke to laugh if we make our God to mourne Thus then if negligence be the cause that a countrey is not furnished with some able ministers me thinke we may awake our heartes by the worde of the Lorde and weying it well receiue from him some better feeling in so great a matter But if couetousnesse be the cause and we greatly giuen to sequester that benefit to our selues sauing onely some portion to one to beare the name then marke we againe the witnesse also of the same scriptures against vs euen in this And to saue mine owne labour my iudgement being young heare I beseeche you the proofes and reasons against this sinne by a godly and graue Diuine intreating of this matter laide downe vnto my â—ands First he alleadgeth against it that deâ—criptioÌ„ of a wicked Prince in the booke of Samuel amoÌ„gst whose euils this is named one 1. Sam. 8.15 that he will take the tythes and giue â—hem to his seruantes Concluding thereon that if the king might not take the tythes to himselfe because then they were due to the priestes by Gods owne order and commandement for the mainteinance of his seruice surelie no priuate man nowe may doe it so long as by authoritie the same are established for the ministers mainteynance and support Secondlie if in the law he was accursed that remoued the merestone of the field Deut. 27.17 because hee did wrong in succession to diuers ten thousande times more is the remoouing of the ministers liuing subiect to the Lords wrath because both presently successiuelie it is hurtfull to a number moe and in a greater matter Thirdlie by the Prophete Malachie the Lorde complayneth in expresse tearmes Mala. 3.8 that the taking away of the tythes and offerings from that ende that they were appointed vnto was a robbing and spoiling of him yea euen such a spoyling as he woulde visite with a great and greeuous curse Now if it were so then all the world must confesse it is no lesse nowe so long as authority ratifieth this means to maintaine the ministers and therefore assuredlie will haue a sharpe reueÌ„ge Fourthlie in the gospel the Iewes alledge it vnto Christ as an argument of loue to theÌ„ and their Nation in the Centurion that hee had built them a synagogue Luk. 7.5 plainely insinuating that they woulde haue iudged the contrarie if hee had spoyled their Synagogue of his mainteynance And Christ reprehendeth not this conclusion Fiftly if David the king standing in so great distresse for water 1. Chro. 11.16 yet would not drinke of the water of Bethleem because it was gotten with the daunger of some fewe mens temporal liues should it not teach a great conscience to any man in the world the tasteth of God his truth hopeth for coÌ„fort in anie other world howe he not needing peraduenture but abundantlie prouided for otherwise by the mercy of his God drinketh eateth that which is gotten with apparant hazard of eternall life â—roÌ„ the bodies and soules God knoweth â—f how many Truely rightworshipful it â—hould 1. Cor. 9. Gala. 6. c. and the power of hell is not able â—o deny it But such is the meat drinke or other mainteinance whatsoeuer that we reape by the Church when it is due â—o an other for an other purpose and â—herfore you know the conclusion Sixtâ—y all those places in the scriptures commanding and inioyning the worlde to a maintainance sufficient mainteinance 〈◊〉 able teachers in it doe plainly prooue 〈◊〉 sinne of this to sequester to our selues â—he liuings allotted to theÌ„ vnles some oâ—her equiualent or sufficieÌ„t way be taken â—or them by authoritie Againe Possidon in vita Aug. 10.24 if the graue learned father S. Austen was so highâ—ie offended and so sharpely rebuked a gentleman in his time for taking away â—is owne gift which before he had giueÌ„â—o the mainteinaÌ„ce of his Church wold â—ee not haue bin a seuere censor against â—heÌ„ thinke we that should haue taken away what neither they nor any of theirs euer gaue If the stories so coÌ„mend the noble Emperor CoÌ„stantine for coÌ„maÌ„ding goods â—aken from the Churches to be restored to them againe woulde they not haue blotted him aswell Euseb lib. 10. cap. 5. Tit. Liuius lib. 42. if hee himselfe had beene a spoiler of the same If the Romans so dealt with Q. Fuluius for vncouering a part of Iunoes temple to coueâ— an other temple in Rome with the samâ— tiles that they misliked him condemâ—ned him tolde him Pirrhus or Annibaâ— woulde not haue doone so tolde him 〈◊〉 had beene too much to haue doone to priuate mans house an inferiour placâ— to a temple and in conclusion forceâ— him to sende home those tiles againe may not such as garnish either theÌ„selueâ— or their houses with Church liuings an leaue neither teacher nor almost tileâ— where both should be well consider bâ— it what this people would haue thoughâ— of them if they had liued there Anâ— what is the concept of a people proâ—phane in respect of theirs that knowâ— and serue the Lord These then and dâ—â—uers other reasons which for feare 〈◊〉 length I pretermit alledgeth hee theâ—â— against this foule offence Onelie oâ—â— place more I must needs remember anâ— it is a good one to wit howe Balthasâ— â—â—ng of Babylon himselfe his Princes â—â—s wiues and concubines drinking and â—asting in the vessels of gold taken from â—â—e Temple euen then espied the finâ—â—rs of an hande writing vppon the â—â—all before his face that his
kingdome â—â—od had numbered and finished weighâ—â— him in the balaunce and founde him â—â—o light and therefore diuided giuen â—â—s gouernement awaie to the Meades â—â—d Persians At which sight his counâ—â—naunce chaunged his thoughtes were â—â—oubled his loines loosed and his knees â—â—ote the one against the other O Lord â—â—at wee coulde thinke of this hande â—â—d feare the sentence of this writing as â—â—t wee eate the corne of the barne or â—â—lace our selues with anie maintenance â—hatsoeuer taken of our selues withâ—ut authoritie from the Temple But â—m too long For mine owne part I â—aue euer contented my selfe with this â—â—ason that that which is enioyed withâ—ut warrant either of Gods lawe or â—ans lawe is vniustlie inioyed and will â—ssuredlie one way or other haue a â—â—ourge but such is the fruition of all ecclesiastical liuing not altered froÌ„ thaâ— vse by the magistrate therefore vniustlie inioyed and to our assured punishment Now that it hath neither warraÌ„t of God nor man it appeareth For the scripture you haue heard against it and touching the lawes of men I haue had it also from the learned in them that they condemne it For to begin with the coÌ„mon law of thiâ— land first therein it is true that an aduousoâ— in respect of the Patrone is accompted nâ— Assets to yeld a recoÌ„pence because it iâ— not valuable Secondly the writ of quaâ—re impedit for the patrone hath these word in it quod permittat presentari ad ecclesian quae vacat ad indubitatam spectat donaâ—tioneÌ„ which word donation est libera diâ—spositio Thirdly this law saith that the patron hath but Ius Donationis and the ordinarie ius admissionis and therefore coÌ„â—pelleth the patron to bestowe it in a time or else to loose it by lapse apparantlie therein denying him any leaue to retaine it either in whole or part for euer to himselfe Fourthlie it doth affirme verie pretelie and significantly that the true right simple proprietie of the Church 〈◊〉 neither in patron person nor ordinary â—ither in anie man liuing but that the â—e simple of it is alwayes in suspence 〈◊〉 the verie words of law are in nubibus â—â—ording thereby this good reasoÌ„ against â—â—is sinne that it is a great wrong for a â—an to make a commoditie to himselfe 〈◊〉 that which lawe cannot find he hath 〈◊〉 is kept and preserued by law as farre â—â—m mans possessing as the cloudes are â—â—stant from our handling Fifthly this â—â—we saith further that in time of vocaâ—â—on both the fee and the freeholde of the â—hurch is in suspence and in nubibus and â—â—at then though both patron and ordiâ—â—rie with some consent will by their â—â—ant charge the Church with any rent 〈◊〉 pension that yet notwithstanding the â—â—me charge is no otherwise of force aâ—â—inst the Incumbent but that hee â—ust perforce hold himselfe contented â—â—ee will haue it seeing he cannot haue â—â—e benefice otherwise than by the preâ—â—ntation of the one and admission of the â—â—her that is in plaine words it alloweth â—â—t the alienation of any profits froÌ„ the inâ—â—bent though both of theÌ„ coÌ„sent Sixtly when this common lawe thus hating this euill wee speake of was by the corruption of men abused in this point and patrons vsurping vpon the Church beâ—gan to make gaine by Simonie of theiâ— aduousons and presentations it was anâ— is prouided by statutes positiue lawe with a paine and penaltie therin appoinâ—ted that if anie incumbent come in bâ— Simonie then ipso facto the Church iâ— voide and all bils and bands and deed for the performance of anie such pensâ—â—ons be also voyde Much more could the learned yet alleadge euen out of thâ—â— common law against this sin I know iâ— they were to handle it but this may sufâ—fice in steede of more where consciencâ— is made of offending lawes and the godâ—lie gouernment of a Realme Nowe foâ— the Ecclesiasticall lawes if I shall alsâ— note a litle thence manifest it is trueâ—lie verie worthy marking howe stronglâ—â— they also stande against this vice we speake of For first by the verie name they giue to patrons they ouerthrow iâ— tearming them aduocatos ecclesiarum vâ—â—cedominos Custodes Gardianos c. aâ— being names of fidelitie gouernement and carefull preseruation of the Church For the worde Patronatus doth not signifie Dominium in Ecclesia but as one noteth very wel seruitii sollicitudineÌ„ It is also called Gratia quòd ex gratia vel gratis conferri debeant beneficia also aduocatia because they shoulde defend and tender the estate of the Churches where of they be Patrons as aduocates doe the causes of their clientes and so for the other names mentioned euen nowe before And hereupon the lawe giueth them all due and possible reuerence euen as masters from their seruauntes and Fathers from their children It giueth them preheminence both in the Church and abroad in sitting standing going and such like It is prouided likewise that if these patrons or their children fall into decay By right of patronage ariseth to the patron Honos Onus and vtilitas write the Canonists What vtilitie you sâ—â— they shal bee moderately maintained at the discretion of the Ordinarie by the Church goods whereof they are patrons and this is the onely profite they are to take of the Church They may lay no seruice nor bondage vppon the Church Tenetur etiam patronus protegere eccclesiam reparare si minitetur ruinam de bono sacerdote prouidere that is the patrone also is bounde to protect the Church and to repaire it if it be like to fall to ruine and carefully to prouide a good minister Marke it Nam tus patronatus c. For the patronage saith the law is suspended if the patron present an vnworthie one yea his right for euer by that law as some thinke passeth to the Bishop and hee shall neuer present more but if not so yet at the lest hee shall bee depriued of that turne if hee present an vnfit man euen by the lawe in this lande in force Furthermore in these lawes there are so manie notable rules and as it were axioms or principles touching the duetie of patrons as might with great profit and pleasure be noted if I had not already too much passed the bondes of a preface in a desire to preuaile something with some in this matter As Patronus non potest presentare seipsum A patron cannot present himselfe as God knoweth now manie doe in effect Againe debet presentare gratis alias est Simonia Hee must present freely or else it is Simonie and no excommunicate person or Simonist shall bee a patron to present Patronus non est vere Dominus Ecclesiae c. The Patron is not the Lorde of the Church but as it were an aduocate and defender neither may hee administer the goods of the Church Ius patronatus nullum ius proprietatis patrono tribuit The right of patronage giueth no proprietie to the patron A notable
care to bee helped It is the trauailing and heauie laden soule that sigheth to be refreshed It is the sinner that thinketh of all sinners he is the chiefest 1. Tim. 1.15 which longeth for pardon And to ende Matth. 9.13 as Christ came not to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance so assuredly it is the sinner I meane he that in déede féeleth the waight of sinne and knoweth his owne miserable estate by reason of it and the punishment due vnto it I say it is that man and that woman that séeketh what way to be discharged and none else Que. And howe doe wee knowe the greatnesse of our sinne and the horrible punishment due to the same Ans We knowe it saieth the booke by the lawe of God rightly vnderstoode the summe whereof is contained in the ten commaundements Rom. 3.20 For by the law commeth the knowledge of sinne saith Saint Paul and reade the 7. Chapter from the 7. verse to the 13. and marke it Fitly then followeth the first part of my diuision of the Catechisme before to wit the lawe Que. What is the first Commaundement Ans Thou shalt haue none other Gods but mée Que. What is the meaning of this Commandement Ans The Lorde straightly chargeth vs in this Commaundement The Booke that wee worship GOD alone Which worship standeth in 4. pointes First that wee loue God aboue all Secondly that wee feare God aboue all Thirdly that wée make our prayers to none but to God Fourthly that wee acknowledge God alone to be the guider and gouernour of all things of whom we receiue all the benefites that we haue and therefore that we trust and stay vpon him alone Que. Can we doe any of these things vnlesse we know God Ans No it is impossible for all these dueties spring of the knowledge of God and the more we knowe him the more we loue him the more wee feare him and euery way serve him Que. And what is the first point of the knowledge of God Ans To knowe that there is a God without which knowledge saith the Apostle no man can come vnto God Hebrues 11. â— Que. What wayes haue we to know that there is a God by Ans First wee knowe by the creatures that there is a God Psal 19. For the heauens declare the glorie of God and the firmament sheweth his handie worke saieth the Prophet To whom agreeth the Apostle also saying that Rom. 1.19 That which is to bee knowen of God is manifest in them For the inuisible things of him as his eternall power and Godhead are seene by the creation of the world c. As by the greatnesse of this worlde and of many particular creatures in it as also by his making all things of nothing wee sée his great power by the varietie and notable order of the creatures we sée his wisedome and by the vse that wee haue of them wee sée his goodnesse c. Que. Howe else knowe we that there is a God Ans By his worde written as our fathers in olde time did knowe him because they heard him speake to them For by his worde he is to vs as by his audible voyce he was to them vnlesse we be Infidels Que. Thirdly howe Ans Thirdly The spirit of GOD knoweth the things that are of God and doeth reueile them saith the Apostle amongst which this is one that there is a God Which the same spirit doeth so ingraue in euerie one that is elected as he that féeleth not himselfe past doubting of it is verie iustly for to feare he belongeth not yet vnto the Lord. Que. Fourthly how prooue you there is a God Ans Euery mans conscience accusing him fearing him when he doeth euill excusing him and comforting him when he doeth well telleth him plainely there is a God which punisheth euil â—nd rewardeth good And their reason â—reuaileth with the most desperate â—hat euer was or is at some time or oâ—her more or lesse Que. Howe many Gods are there Ans But one onely God And that â—o my heart I prooue First by the scripâ—ures There is one Lord one faith one â—aptisme one God and father of all Ephes 4.6 1. Tim. 2. And â—n an other place There is one GOD â—nd one mediator betwixt God man â—uen the man Iesus Christ Secondly by al â—he prayers of the godly in the Church which are directed but to one only God and therefore wee knowe there are no moe Thirdly by this commandement where he saith not Thou shalt haue none other Gods but vs but in the singular number none but me Fourthly â—y the consent of Gods Church which hath euer from time to time condemned them as heretikes which said there were any mo And lastly by reason For God is infinite and there can be but one infinite Therfore but one God c. Que. Howe many persons are there Ans Thrée persons As first I learnâ— by the third of Matthewe where the father speaketh from heauen and saieth This is my beloued Sonne Matth. 3. heare him The sonne is baptised and the holy Ghost like a Doue descendeth Secondly by the words of Christ Goe teach all nations baptising them In the name of the father of the sonne of the holy Ghost If there had béene any more persons Christ would haue named them and haue commaunded the same to bée done in their names also Or else there is inequalitie in the Godhead therefore we knowe there are but thrée persons and no moe Que. What is God Ans No man is able to define fully what God is in his essence But wée must content our selues to knowe him by his attributes namelie that hee is strong mightie mercifull wise slowe to anger of great goodnesse and so foorth as he is described vnto vs by himselfe in his worde Que. What is nowe the first duetie â—hat springeth of the knowledge of God Ans Of this knowledge of God ariseth first a true loue of him before and aboue all things whatsoeuer Which â—s when my heart euen effectually féeâ—ing how wonderfully he loued me first â—n electing creating redéeming and iustifying me in Christ Iesus besides infinite benefites else bestowed in bodie and mind vpon me doth euen burne in affection towards him againe submitteth it selfe wholy to him serueth him with chéerefulnesse maketh in trueth more account of him and his will than of all the worlde yea than euen of mine owne saluation if they could come in comparison together Que. Howe prooue you that I am thus bounde to loue God Ans It is prooued by Christ our Sauiours words He that loueth father or mother sister or brother wife or child Matth. 10.37 or any thing more than me is not worthie of me by the practise of the blessed Apostle who when he knew Christ once accounted those things which were vantage vnto him losse for Christ his sake yea euen all things he esteemed losse for the excellent
of true Christians is to bee praied vnto since other doctrine is deliuered by the Church of Rome Ans First it is prooued by the words of the Apostle Paul Rom. 10. Howe shal they call vpon him in whome they haue not beleeued as though he should say Beléefe must néedes euer goe before prayer whereupon then thus wee may reason Wee must onely pray to him in whom we must beléeue but we may ought beléeue onely in God the Father God the Sonne and GOD the holie Ghost therefore onely to these thrée persons one onely God must our prayers be directed The first proposition we sée prooued by Paul the second by the articles of our faith all the scripture the conclusion followeth vpon thē both Secondly it is prooued by Christ himselfe who teaching his Apostles to pray and in them all other men biddeth them neither call vpon Angel nor saint no not vpon his mother Marie But when you pray saith he say Our Father which art in heauē That is what forme of words so euer you vse euer direct your praiers vnto God and to him only And Father in this place signifieth any of the thrée persons and is not to be restrained onely to the first person Thirdly wee haue no commaundement to pray to any but to God onely we haue no promise to be heard if wee doe no example in Scriptures of any godly man or woman that hath done it euer at any time or vpon any occasion we haue no punishment threatened if we doe it not but to pray to God we are commaunded Psal 50. we are promised to be helped we haue examples and we are threatened if we doe it not Therefore whether of these two is to be done who séeth not Que. What is the fourth duetie of this commaundement Ans Fourthly we are bound by this Lawe to acknowledge God alone to be the guider and gouernour of all things of whom we receiue all the benefites that we haue and therefore that wee trust and stay vpon him alone Que. Here are three seuerall thinges affirmed very worthie to be seuerallie considered and therfore first I pray you howe is it prooued that God guideth gouerneth all things Ans Besides a number of other places which might be alledged to prooue it withal a very good testimonie is that in the Psalme Whatsoeuer pleased the Lorde that did he in heauen and earth Psal 135.6 in the sea and in all the depth Where marke well the space of the Lordes dominion in heauen he rulech in earth he ruleth in the sea he ruleth and in all these whatsoeuer it pleaseth him that doeth he at all times and seasons The like spéeche againe hath the same Prophet in an other place Psal 115.3 But our God is in heauen saith he and doeth whatsoeuer he wil The eyes of all things waite vpon him Psal 145.15 and he giueth them meate in due season So then nothing without him is done at any time but his power almightie guideth and gouerneth all things Que. Howe is it prooued that all good commeth to vs from this directing prouidence of the Lorde Ans The holy ghost in plaine words affirmeth it by his Apostle Iames Iames. 1.17 Euery good giuing euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the father of light Que. This doctrine is plaine And yet notwithstāding euer it hath had euen in these dais hath som enemies Such obiectiōs as I haue hard at times I wil propound vnto you I pray you aunswere thē The first is this if God rule all things by his prouidence direction then must he needs be author of sin also in that he hindreth it not but suffreth it to be done Ans I answere to this your first doubt thus that the argument is not good neither foloweth that béecause all thinges are doone by his prouidence therefore hée should be author of euill For one may bée author of an action yet not of the euil in the action as in this similitude wée sée If a man cut with an euill knife hee is the cause of cutting but not of euill cutting or hackling of the knife but the badnesse of the knife is the cause of that Againe if a man strike the stringes of an instrument that is out of tune he is the cause that the stringes sounde but that they sounde iarringlie and out of tune that is in themselues and the man that striketh is not to bée blamed for it Therefore séeing one maie bée the cause of an action and yet not of the euil in the action you sée it doth not folowe that if God bée the cause of the action by and by the euill in the thing must néedes also procéede of him Nay contrarilie this doctrine is a sealed truth That no euill commeth of GOD in any worke but though in euerie thing that is done the Lord bée some worker yet as he doth it it is euer good Marke but an example or two Iob. 1. Iob his great aduersitie procéeded of God and by God in some respect it procéedeth of Satan also and of the Chaldeans that robbed him Yet sée that which Satan did malitiously and the Chaldeans couetously that did the Lord well to good purpose to the glorie of his name to the instruction and comfort of vs all and to Iobs great benefite also Gen. 38. Iosephs affliction againe it came by God by his brethren by his light mistresse and ouer credulous master but yet so much as God did was well done to the great benefite of his father and friends after and what the other did was euill wrongfully done to Ioseph The like againe may be said touching the death of Christ Had not God his worke in it when his determinate counsell appointed it Act. 2.23 and deliuered him vp Had not Iudas his worke in betraying him Had not the Iewes their worke whose wicked hands crucified and slew him Yet that which they did most horriblie the Lorde himselfe did in vnspeakeable mercie to all our endelesse comfortes Therefore whatsoeuer procéedeth of GOD as it commeth from him it is most good although the same thing as it commeth of man and by man bée wicked and euill and no author of euill is he though guider and gouernour of all things Que. My seconde doubt then is this if GOD gouerne all thinges by his prouidence then looke howe hee list to haue things and so shall they be men cannot chaunge his will and therefore it skilleth not what wee doe Ans Surely the conclusion is very wicked and no way followeth vpon Gods prouidence For albeit he direct all things yet we must euer vse the meanes that God hath appointed notwithstanding for so we sée Gods children euer did and tempted not the Lord by any such wicked spéeche as this Rebecca had heard Gods owne mouth speake it Gen. 27. that hee would of her two sonnes Esau and Iacob make two
things â—e should giue thanks Euident pracâ—ise of Gods children as of Dauid Psal 103. cryâ—ng vpon his soule to praise the Lord â—pon al that is within him to praise his â—oly name of Marie professing that her â—â—ule did magnifie the lord Luke 1. and that her â—â—irite reioyced in God her Sauiour â—ith manie such like Que. Since then this duetie both is â—ommaunded and hath of Gods childreÌ„â—ene euer vpon all occasions so carefulâ—â— performed me thinke at our meates â—specially we should remember it Ans Truely you haue named a time â—nd occasion when in déede Christians â—hould neither forget nor shame to look â—p vnto the Lord to praise his name Saying of grace at the Table For euen then haue they his mercies â—efore their eyes to put them in mind Which if they receiue thankfully they â—eceiue rightly if not then verye â—aungerousely both in respecte of â—â—e creatures them selues which as the Apostle sayeth are not sanctified otherwise vnto vs 1. Tim. 4. so that we may receiue them with a good conscience then by the word and prayer and also in respect of the breach of Gods commaundementes who expressely willed his people Israel in them euen all others that when they had eaten filled themselues Deutro 8.10 they should blesse the Lord their God for the good lande which he had giuen them Beside which reasons yet euen further we haue the practise of the godly to call vppon vs for this duetie For it is well noted that the same people chosen of the Lorde the Iewes I meane did not sit downe to eate but either the good man of the house or he that was Primarius in mensa that is the chiefe man at the table did take either the bread or the cup in his hand and so holding it prayed vnto the Lorde that he would vouchsafe to blesse them and those his good giftes which then they were about to receiue at his mercifull hand Likewise after meate they gaue him thankes for it Hence commeth the mention of taking the cuppe twise by our Sauiour Christ in Luke Luke 22.17 the former taking was this saying of grace and giuing of thankes which I â—peake of the other was the celebration of his supper Howe euen of purpose also doeth the Euangelist mention this same practise still in Christ Matth. 14.19 Marke 6 41. Mark 14.26 sometimes saying when they had sung 〈◊〉 Psalme sometimes when he had giuen thankes c. all to teache vs that â—uery such precept and practise shall â—ondemne vs if wee doe not the like And truely if men and women would â—ooke into their heartes and not flatâ—er themselues in daungerous securiâ—ie and would euen say to themselues why doe I not say grace or cause it to â—e said in that place where I am chiefe â—nd ought to doe it what thinke you would they finde to be the true cause â—ndéede Certainely nothing but shame â—nd bashefulnesse because it hath not â—éene vsed But O fearefull shame â—hat shameth to doe Gods commaundements and consequently maketh vs eate our own damnation the creatures being not sanctified vnto vs. And O damnable following of our wicked custome and leauing the custome of Christ and his children God in mercie awake vs. For assuredlie wee litle knowe what we doe when we pretermit and shame to doe this dutie to the Lorde Que. You haue well satisfied me touching the necessitie of this duetie and nowe I aske you an other question whether we may not also giue thankes to men but whatsoeuer they say or doe to vs yea if they drinke but to vs at the table wee must say I thanke God Ans Truly to be perswaded that any kindnes or good can come to vs by men from men whereof our mercifull God is not the sender and giuer woorking by those instrumeÌ„ts were verie wicked horrible but for the phrase of spéech my heart knowing GOD to be thâ— author I may well and lawfully vsâ— it to the instrument no doubt and say I thanke you at any time or vpon any occasion when I reape the benefite of their loue and by name vpon such occasion as you named And this I take to be warranted by the practise of Paul Rom. 16.3 4. who no doubt in heart knew God to be author of all his good yet are his words directed to the instruments Greet Priscilla and Aquila saith he my fellow helpers in Christ Iesus Which haue for my life laide downe their necke vnto whom not onely I giue thankes but also all the Churches of the Gentiles Que. As you haue said of the other duties so I take it in this also namelie that whatsoeuer is contrarie or against it is as well forbidden vs by this first commandement as this is commaunded Ans It is very true Both the pretermission of thanks for any goodnes vpon â—odie or minde our selues or ours â—emporall or eternall bestowed by the â—orde as also the ascribing of it to â—ur selues â—ur wit our strength poliâ—ie friends or any thing it is horrible â—nd a breache of this commaundement Thou shalt haue none other Gods but me Que. Thus rest I instructed more than I was touching this commaundement the first of all the ten And now onely I could wish if you might that you would shewe me some way howe profitablie to examine mine owne heart touching this Lawe and howe with my selfe I might meditate vpon it fruitefully and with feeling Ans Indéed your request hath great profite in it and that course or practise ye nowe desire shall any man or woman finde very fruitefull if they doe vse it For euen as in earthly matters our affection and loue cleaueth fastest to them that in greatest extremities haue brought vs helpe and ease and as there is nothing that will blowe vp the coale of that remembraunce more vehemently and make it flame out into open shewe of a thankefull heart more effectually than some true meditation of the greatnesse of daunger and gréeuousnesse of estate that we were in before So in heauenly and spiritual things the same is found as true or rather more that sight of greatest good procureth greatest measure of such fruite as ought to flow thereof For by example what so kindeleth in a man the heate of burning loue and maketh his heart to flame with true affection to his God as doeth 〈◊〉 liuely sight of that fearefull estate vtter extremitie desperate and damnable condition that he was once subiect vnâ—o without all recouerie by himselfe or any creature either in heauen or earth â—ut onely Iesus Christ the Sonne of God both God and man together with 〈◊〉 sight of certaine safetie from the same Did not this bring that blessed woman â—nd happie Saint of God Marie Magâ—alen to such a swéete tast and great â—â—ue as that her melting heart miniâ—â—red teares to her wéeping eies Luke 7.38 wherewith she washed the féete of her deare â—auiour wiped them with the
haires 〈◊〉 her head kissed them annointed them â—ith precious ointment and what was 〈◊〉 which that woman thought too much for such a friende True it is therefore that the lesse we sée the goodnesse of our God the lesse we loue him but great is the affection of them to whom many sinnes are forgiuen Knowing this then that remembraunce of hard estate before will stirre the heart vp to him in loue that hath made it happie and that sight of ougly sinne lodging still in mée and cleauing to my soule and flesh will make mee praise his name who yet in mercie imputeth not the same vnto mée Vse indéede often with your selfe and especially when you féele your heart most prone and fit thereunto to viewe your sinnes against euery commaundement howe many and monstrous they are in thought worde and deede sit and thinke with your selfe what is commaunded sometimes in one sometimes in another what woonderfull perfection is required in euerie one what braunches and members euerie one hath what terrible iudgements are due to the breakers therof how far from the full absolute perfourmance of any tittle of any one of them you your selfe are therefore in what case you stand for the same euen sure of eternal destruction both of bodie soule in hel fier Yet notwithstanding how you are released of mercie not of merite that with the preciousest ransom that euer was the heart bloud of Iesus Christ the sonne of God both God man so that heauen earth may perish but you cannot perish Que. The examination of the conscience touching this commaundement Ans As for example I set view this coÌ„mandemeÌ„t wherof now we haue spokeÌ„ Thou shalt haue none other gods but me Considering what things are biddeÌ„â—r forbidden vnto me in the same And â—s alreadie now hath béene prooued first I sée I am commanded herein to worâ—hip the Lord my God and him onely to â—erue not ioyning any fellowes to him â—t all of which worship many points â—here bee but they may bee reduced â—nto a fewe First I sée I am bound to â—oue him aboue all that is in my heart and soule to make more account of him than of all the worlde or any creature in heauen or earth to cleaue faster vnto him and his wil than to any thing to estéeme him and preferre him yea euen aboue mine owne saluation if they could come in comparison together for Hee that loueth father or mother Matth. 10.28 sister or brother wife or childe or any thing more than me is not worthie of me Secondly I am commaunded to feare him aboue all that is with a godly reuerence to stande more in awe of him and his worde than of any thing else whatsoeuer to be more loath not for feare onely but euen for loue to displease him grieue him and offende him than any or all the creatures in heauen or earth beside in respect of that which he is able to lay vpon mee if I forsake him to account nothing of any thing that any man can doe vnto me mindefull euer of this saying Feare not them that can kill the bodie and are not able to kill the soule Matth. 10. but feare him that can cast both bodie and soule into hell fire Thirdly I sée that in this commaundement I am charged to make my prayers to none but to God onely for the reasons aboue in their place alledged Fourthly I sée I am commaunded not to thinke that things goe by fortune and chaunce or that any thing is done which GOD knoweth not of or could not let but that I acknowledge him to be the guider and gouernour of all things and that what good soeuer I receiue I haue it from him and therefore that I trust and stay vpon him alone at all times and in all my matters whatsoeuer And for so much as neither I nor any can either loue him or feare him pray to him or trust in him vnlesse we knowe him therefore I sée also that I am in this commaundement straitely bound â—o long as I liue to labour and trauell by all meanes appointed to knowe the Lorde and his trueth out of his worde and looke howe much I want of knowing any thing that is reueiled in his worde so farre am I guiltie of the breache of this Lawe And if it please the Lorde to blesse me with knowledge of his trueth or any thing else whatsoeuer I sée that in this commandement I am charged to giue thankes to him for it in such full manner and measure of féeling as any way is due to that benefite For if I forget to be thankefull I forget that the Lorde in that thing is my good God And if I ascribe the praise and thankes to any thing else whatsoeuer otherwise than as to the instrument of God I make my selfe another GOD beside the Lorde euen that thing wherevnto I giue the thankes and I breake this commaundement These and many such other things I sée are laide vpon me and al men and women in this first commandement then I thinke or say with my self vnto the Lord O my good God and gratious father O my swéete Lord guide most righteous what doe I sée euen in this but one law of thine against my selfe my soule and bodie why I should neuer come in thy kingdome nor lift vp mine eyes to heauen in hope of any comfort This is but one Lawe of ten and contayneth but a fewe dueties in respect of all that I owe to thée and my brethren yet ah Lorde with wailing woe I speake it so guiltie I sée my selfe so fowle and ouglie before thy face and so full of breaches euerie way euen of this one commandement that I am ashamed and confounded to â—ift vp mine eies vnto thée my God For mine iniquities are increased ouermine â—ead my trespasses are growen vp to â—he heauen to me belongeth nothing but â—hame confusion it is thy mercie that â— am not vtterly destroied yea eueÌ„ thy â—ercie maruellous that the earth as â—eary of so wicked a burden shrinketh â—ot from vnder my féete and hellish pit 〈◊〉 gulfe of endlesse woe receiueth me â—ot into it For what pleasure is â—ere in that seruaunt that being bid 〈◊〉 his master doe diuers thinges yet â—ot in any one obeyeth or perfourmeth 〈◊〉 maisters will Can hée like him â—ill hee loue him No no full soone euen I my selfe would loath and cast off such a one Ah Lorde then for my selfe what should I say Is there any seruaunt so bound vnto his master as I am bounde to thee Is there any master that can and will so quitte his seruaunts paines as thou in mercie my obedience Or can any mortall man so iustly challenge the obedience of his hireling as thou my God maist challenge the seruice of me thy creature first made of nothing by thy hande and then most dearely bought againe with precious price No no my bodie my life my heart
déede but â—ead blotted out and quite extinguiâ—hed Sée nowe howe guiltie I am eâ—en of the first thing that is commaunâ—ed mee in this commaundement The seconde thing is that I should â—eare thée aboue all the thirde is Feare of God â—hat I should pray to none but to thée â—he fourth to acknowledge thee the â—uider and gouernour of all thinges â—f whome I receiue all the benefites â—hat I haue and therefore that I trust â—nd stay vpon thée alone Fiftly that 〈◊〉 should labour to knowe thée out of â—hy worde so fully and perfectly as â—hou hast reuealed thy selfe therein â—ecause of knowledge all these other â—â—llowe And lastlie that I should for â—ll benefites giue thankes onely to â—â—ee and in such full manner and â—easure of féeling as any way is due to that blessing which I receiue In which points as in other moe which might yet be named O merciful father I here before thée confesse I am no better than in the first I dare not cleare my selfe I cannot I ought not O Lord giue me eyes to sée my wants for I haue feared men and their threates more than I ought I haue feared the losse of their fauour more than I ought I haue feared the losse of worldely commodities more than I ought and haue not as thy blessed Apostle taught me by this example Philipp 3. accounted those thinges that were vantage vnto me losse very doung for the excellent knowledge sake of Iesus Christ my Lorde Sometimes Satan hath rocked this soule of mine in the chayer of securitie that I haue euen slept as it were a dead sléepe and not considered of thy iudgements against sinne as I ought neyther taken the profite by thy extraordinary works in the ayer in the earth in the bodies of men and beasts that I should but passed them ouer with a litle woonder or motion for a short time When my sinnes haue béene touched or appeared vnto me I haue flattered my â—wne soule and put vpon them honest â—ames as clokes to hide them withal The plaine pride of my heart and mere â—anitie I haue iudged clenlinesse or necessary for my estate Miserable coueâ—ousnesse haue I iudged lawful care for â—hings necessary and so forth a manifest token of a dead heart within and â—oide of tasting any horror in sinne By â—ll which and many more thinges that my minde may easily sée it is apparant â—o me that I haue euen broken this â—oint also of thy Lawe in not fearing â—hee so as I ought Alas Lorde what â—hall I say of the rest of the braunches â—f this commandement named euen nowe Am I any perfecter in them â—han in these No no I haue sinned against thée in them all and that most grieuously so that if there were no mo â—f thy commandements but euen this â—ne the first of al yet doth my conscience â—ell me I am before thée guiltie good Lorde most fearefully to bee touched But there are nine moe spreading out their braunches to all sinceritie and holinesse both in bodie and minde toward God and man with threatened cuâ—â—es to all flesh that shall doe contrarie And therefore when I viewe my couâ—se euen at the first to bee so crooked O deare Father what shall I thinke i◠〈◊〉 appeare when I shall bee iudged in them all Shall I boast of merites and kéepe no fyttle of thy commaundementes Shall I challenge saluation for my workes and euerie braunche of thy lawe doeth call mee cursed because I haue so fowlie and often broken the same No good Father no this little viewe of my obedience to thy hestes doeth plainely tell mee I haue no merites or good workes to come before thée withall much lesse am I able to doe workes of supererogation that is more than I neede to doe but of sinnes and euill workes alas I see a number With Dauid may I crie Psal 34. They are more than the haires of my â—eade and my heart hath failed mee I â—ay truely saye with the prodigall Sonne I haue sinned against heauen â—nd against thee and I am not worthie 〈◊〉 bee called thy childe I may say â—ith the Publican God bee mercifull 〈◊〉 mee a sinner and adde thereunto a â—reat and grieuous sinner I may say â—ith Ieremie O Lorde though mine â—â—iquities testifie against mee yet deale â—hou with mee according to thy name â—or my rebellions are many And with 〈◊〉 I haue sinned Iob. 7. what shall I doe to â—â—ee O thou preseruer of men Yea â—ell may I say I lye downe in my conâ—â—sion and my shame couereth mee â—or I haue sinned against the Lorde my GOD from my youth vp tyll this â—ay and haue not obeyed his voyce â—o conclude I may looke about mee â—nd from a wounded soule crie vnto â—â—ose that can giue mée counsell In reâ—â—ect of my sinnes men brethren what â—â—all I do And sée how neuer the Lord â—â—rsaketh those that want his helpe aide â—oe I not euen nowe remember what he aduiseth me and all sinners in my case to doe Prou. 28. Hee that hideth his sinne saith the Lorde by Salomon shall not prosper but he that confesseth his sinne and forsaketh it shall haue mercie And sée in Dauid the proofe and tryall of it For when I helde my tongue saith hee my bones consumed Psal 32. or when I roared all the day For thy hande is heauie vpon me daie and night and my moysture is turned into the drought of sumâ—mer Then I acknowledged my sin vnâ—to thee neither hid I mine iniquitie For I said I wil confesse against my selfe and thou forgauest the punishment oâ— my sinne Therefore O Lorde I hearken to thy counsell and though I haâ—â— sinned aboue the number of the sand oâ— the sea as plainely I sée I haue if I 〈◊〉 charged with euery branch of thy comâ—maundements how I haue kept them though my transgressions be multipliâ—ed and are excéeding many so that I am not worthie to beholde the heighâ— of heauen for the multitude of mâ— vnrighteousnesse yea I say thougâ—â— I haue prouoked thy wrath and doone euill before thee and not kept any â—ot of thy commaundementes so fully as I ought yet knowing Thou desirest â—he death of no sinner but rather that he should repent and be saued and hast â—hewed the trueth thereof in forgiuing Dauid and manie mo confessing truely â—heir sinnes before thee Therefore O good Lorde and sweete refuge full of mercie pitie and compassion I bow the â—nees of my heart with king Manasses â—nd all sorrowfull sinners and begge â—hy mercie I haue sinned O Lord I â—aue sinned and I acknowledge my â—ransgressions but I humbly beseech â—hee forgiue me O Lorde forgiue me â—nd destroy me not as I haue deserued â—e not angrie with me for euer by reâ—eruing to me euil neither condemne â—e into the lower partes of the earth For thou art the God euen the God of â—ll them that repent and on me thou â—â—ilt shewe mercie My sorrowe good
â—orde alas I knowe it is not great yâ—ough neither answereth it the greatnesse of my sinne but thou canst giue greater if it please thée O deare Father rent my heart and giue mée féeling cleaue it a sunder by thy pearcing spirit that from it may flowe the teares of true repentaunce strike good Lorde this harde rocke of mine that it may gushe out sorowfull water for so fowle offence and what wanteth in mée any wayes supplie in mercie with my Sauiour in whom thou art perfectly pleased Graunt O God vnto mée thy gratious spirit to kill in mée continually more and more the strength and power of sinne and to rayse mée vp in bodie and soule to more obedience towardes thée Let not my wantes stande euer swéete Lorde betwixt thy mercie and mée but giue mee will to wishe it giue me power to doe it giue mée loue to like it and euer strength to continue in it that thou hast appointed for mee to walke in before thée in this worlde Heare mee O Lorde O God O swéete and endlesse comfort of my sinnefull soule for Iesus Christ his sake that liuing heare I may euer serue thee and dooing so I may neuer loose thée Amen Amen The second Commaundement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image nor the likenesse of any thing that is in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath c. FIrst for the order of this Commaundement eyther wee may answere that this first Table contayning the honour and duetie of men to the Lorde as the seâ—ond doeth their duetie to man and the worshippe of GOD being partâ—y inwarde partly outwarde haâ—ing in the former Commaundement laide downe the former kinde to wit of inward worship fitly now in this the two next folow the outward duties which to the same our gratious God we iustly owe. Or else thus That the Lorde in the first commaundement hauing separated himselfe from al other gods deuised and made by men and commanded all mortall men and women his creatures subiect to his Lawe to worship him onely and none but him here now in this second precept as order required he setteth downe modum rationeÌ„ iuxta quam coli velit the waie and maner how he wil bee serued Forasmuch as in vaine he should haue doone the first except he had done the second also The way and maner is this euen according to his will and nature Which albeit it may séeme to flesh and bloud not so fitlie done by a negatiue lawe as by an affirmatiue it might yet besides that we are not to teache the Lorde euen in speciall wisedome hath he thus doone it For first our natures are very prone to the breache hereof which by a negatiue is stronglier beat downe than by an affirmatiue and then againe the Gentiles next neighbours to the Iewes were very much giuen to idols and images and therefore by name forbidden to the Iewes least by the Gentiles in that point they should be defiled And yet doth not the Lord here so set downe a negatiue but that he includeth an affirmatiue in it For as he saith Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image and meaneth thereby Thou shalt not worship mee with any deuise of â—hine owne contrary to my wil and naâ—ure so implieth he herein the affirmaâ—iue namely thou shalt in euery reâ—pect worship me according to my will â—nd nature Moreouer remember here â—gaine which hath béene touched beâ—re that both in this commandement 〈◊〉 in all other the Lord setteth downe 〈◊〉 name that thing the doing whereof 〈◊〉 not doing is most decent or horriâ—â—e And therefore in this place forâ—â—â—ding all false and fonde worshippe 〈◊〉 his Maiestie hee setteth downe in name that which is most vnséemely and vile to wit Idolatrie For of all wrong worshippe to make him like a man or woman or other worse creature to prostrate our selues thereunto and to thinke wee worship him in so dooing is most horrible What expositions your Booke giueth you may looke and marke adding for more plainnesse thereunto thus much that the very meaning of this commandement in effect is thus much as if the Lorde should haue said although the corrupt nature of man bee such as naturally he desireth my presence in some visible forme and shape foolishly thinking that then he is most neare vnto mee when he hath before his eyes some visible picture of mee yet for as much as this and the worship hereby doone vnto mee is neither agréeable to my will nor nature I therefore commaund thée that thou make to thy selfe no grauen image c. That is that thou goe not about to represent me by any likenesse of any creature whatsoeuer neither to worship mée in or vnder any such showes or after any way than out of my worde thou learnest to bee agréeable both to my will and nature Easilie then may we sée what wee are occasioned here in this commandement to consider of namely 1 The making of Images 2 The worshipping of them 3 The reasons God vseth here Touching the first then vsually vppon this occasion is mooued this question whether simplie it bee vnlawfull and misliked of the Lorde to make any kinde of Image by painting carâ—ing ingrauing c. And it séemeth yea â—ecause the woordes are so flatte withâ—ut exception Thou shalt not make any grauen image c. For answere whereunto 3. seuerall â—udgements are founde amongst men â—ome thinke in déede all pictures and â—mages to be vnlawfull aswell in Ciâ—ill vse as in religious and such are the â—urkes by name if it bee truely writâ—n of them Whose money they say hath neuer any image vpon it but certain Arabike letters their other works as carpets couerings quisshins c. vtterly also without any image of man or any liuing creature vpon them and all because they thinke it vnlawful Others thinke it lawful to make any picture at all yea euen of God himselfe so that the same be not worshipped as a bare picture image And they vnderstand this commaundement of images made to this ende to be adored These are our Papists The thirde iudgement and best is of them that thinke it lawful to make pictures of things which we haue séene to a ciuill vse but not to vse them in the Church and for religion Now for the first opinion it is out of all question false and too superstitious For howsoeuer the Turks receiue not such profe yet we that imbrace cleaue to the authoritie of Gods worde know that the Lorde hath not lefte this commaundement neither any other without large and plaine exposition in other places of the scripture and therfore we are to conferre place with place practise with precept and so to sée whether in déede all images be forbidden to be made or no. First then marke the wordes in Leuiticus Leuit. 26.1 Ye shall make you no Idols nor grauen Image neither reare you vp any pillers c. Out of which place thus I
I further whether with any outwarde thing else whatsoeuer not warraunted by the word I haue thought or sought to serue and please the Lorde being by reason thereof brought asléepe with an imagination of my well doing and so carelesse to séeke or practise the dueties of the word If I haue this also knowe I to be a breach of this commandement Then from things not warraunted I came to things commanded as the hearing of the word prayer conference profitable with my brethren and such like knowing that if euen in these by the Lorde ordayned as thinges wherewith he is honoured and pleased I haue otherwise vsed my selfe than I should in stead of perfourming the Lordes appointment I haue brought before him mine owne inuention walking vnwittingly in mine owne wayes fearfully broken this precept of my God Which when I consider I néede no further shewe of grieuous guilt to cast me down from height of all supposed soundnes in this law Mine eyes do sée my heart acknowledgeth my conscience crieth my sinne is great Stand O soule before the Lord the iust and vpright Iudge whose pearcing eyes discouereth al thy waies set thy selfe more in his sight while mercie may be had whose voyce shall sound thy lasting woe if sight of sinne procure not true remorse And say now soule before the Iudge of trueth hast thou alwayes vsed as hee hath willed thée the hearing of the worde Did neuer desire of worldlie praise prouoke thée to this seruice Neuer diddest thou thinke to day such shall I sée and againe of them be noted if I goe Did neuer feare of worse opinion to be bred of thée in worldlie states by thy absence drawe thée out No fleshlie thought or earthly liking of the speaker hath there béene within thée to pricke thée to his hearing Hath painted pride and newe or straunge attyre neuer saide secretly in thée to daie goe heare the Sermon Lie thou maiest not the Lord being Iudge cleare thy selfe thou canst not O my soâ—le thy selfe being iudge Therefore that which the Lord appointeth as a seruice to himselfe and for our endlesse comfort by this corruption beginneth a seruice of thine own to thy iust damnation For to heare the Lorde biddeth but not for these ends Thus seruing the Lord in a thing commanded not as he commandeth I serue him with mine owne inuention and guiltie most grieuously I am before him O that I were any better in the duetie of prayer Am I neuer negligent colde and frosen Burneth the fire within me before or whilest I speake with my tongue Shaketh my flesh with the vehemencie of my spirite Neuer straieth my heart from present praier Neuer hast I to an ende or wearilie wishe the voice I heare to cease it is too long Ah wretch howe dare I say it Conscience cryeth and will not be bribed this duetie of prayer thus corruptly perfourmed the Lorde acknowledgeth not as a seruice by him commaunded but as mine own inuention and a breache of this his precept My conference with others in shewe so good in words so faire tasteth it neuer of liking of my selfe or vaine delight to heare mine owne discourse of pride to séeme and to be knowen a man indued with such and so good gifts Tendeth my heart in trueth to the praise of my God and the comfort of my hearers whensoeuer I speake of fruitfull things without all vaine respect and hidden euill whatsoeuer If it doe not then the thing that in it selfe the Lord hath commanded as I perfourme it he vtterly abhorreth and it is wilworshippe of mine owne not prescribed dutie by my God therefore a breache of this commaundement What should I say The more I searche the more I sée and I am not as I thought concerning the kéeping of this Lawe Mo things yet in it are commaunded and moe thinges well by these I sée I haue not perfourmed Thus much serueth to sound damnation to me and witnesse sufficient in dreadfull day shall this my guilt exhibite against me beside a curse vpon my posteritie to many generations But O Lorde thy mercie reacheth vnto the heauens Psal 36.5 and thy faithfulnesse vnto the cloudes Nehem 9.17 Gratious art thou O gratious God and full of compassion slowe to anger and of great goodnesse Were my sinnes as crimsin Esa 1.18 thou canst make them as white as snowe though they be as red as scarlet soone canst thou cause them to be as the wool Deare father haue mercie vpon me and burie in the bottome of the sea that they neuer more appeare before thée all my sinnes and by name my breaches of this commandement O my God as thou hast vouchsafed mee a Sauiour to quit mee from this curse so due vnto me for my disobedience so in that Sauiour of mine thine owne déere sonne looke vpon me He was borne for my sake he liued for my sake he died for my sake then let his birth his life his death good Lord profite mée in winning pardon of thée for my faults and direction of thy spirite for the time to come that better daily I may knowe to serue thée and euen in trueth as thou hast prescribed perfourme the same vnto thée Amen good Lord heare me The third Commaundement Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine c. Question WHAT is the meaning of this commaundement Your Booke Ans God chargeth vs in this third commaundement these thrée thinges First that we vse with most high reuerence the name of God whensoeuer we either speake or thinke vpon him Secondly that wee neuer blaspheme the name of God by coniuring witchcraft sorcerie or charming or any such like neither hy cursing or banning Thirdly that we neuer sweare by the name of God in our common talke although the matter be neuer so true but only where the glorie of God is sought or the saluation of our brethren or before a Magistrate in witnessing the trueth when we are thereunto lawfully called In which causes we must onely sweare by the name of God But as for Saintes Angels Roode Booke Crosse Masse or anie other thing we ought in no case by them to sweare Que. What is meant by the name of God here Ans Not only anie one word vsuallie giuen to him in scripture as Iehouah or such like Philip. 2 9. but also his maiestie and excellencie with such attributes as declare the same as his wisedome his iustice his prouidence his mercie and so foorth Againe his lawe and commandements or his doctrine and worde are vsuallie signified by it Leuit. 22.31 1. Tim. 61. to make vs more carefull to attende vppon them as things wherupon depend the honour glorie and name of God Que. What is it to take his name in vaine Ans Surelie either to speake or thinke of it without most high reuerence and especiallie to sweare by it otherwise than we ought Also to cast behind vs the diligent care of his commaundementes
Que. Of the latter we shall speake hereafter nowe in the meane time how prooue you that wee must euerie waie vse reuerentlie the name of God Ans To name but one place of manie it is prooued euidentlie by these wordes of the lawe Deut. 28.58 If thou shalt not feare this glorious and fearefull name the Lorde thy GOD then will the Lorde make thy plagues woonderfull c. That is if thou doest not with most great feare and reuerence vse the name of GOD at all times and shewe the same by kéeping and doeing all the wordes of this lawe then will I plague thée to the example of all others euen in thy selfe and in thy séede V. 59. with great plagues and of long continuaunce and sore diseases and of long durance Que. Howe prooue you that by swearing I must vse his name reuerentlie Ans By necessarie consequence For if I must euer vse it reuerently then when I sweare by it Que. The argument were good if it were lawfull to sweare at all but the Scripture seemeth to denie all swearing Math. 5.33 Iam. 5.12 saying sweare not at all but let your communication bee yea yea and nay nay Whereupon the Anabaptistes haue thought this lawe a ceremoniall lawe and now abrogated Ans Those places you name are to bee vnderstoode either of common talke or of swearing by creatures and they doe not in generall condemne all swearing Of this iudgement is Augustine who saith In nouo Testamento dictum est ne omnino iuremus non quia iurare est peccatum sed quia peâ—erare est immane peccatum That is In the newe Testament wee are forbidden to sweare at all not because all swearing is a sinne but because forswearing is an horrible sinne And in an other place Admonitio non iurandi conseruatio est a peccato periurij The admonitioÌ„ in scripture not to sweare is a preseruation from false and wrongfull swearing Que. Is it then lawfull to sweare Ans Yea it is both lawfull and a glorie to God Que. First howe prooue you it is lawfull Ans God in his law expresselie commandeth vs saying Thou shalt feare the Lorde thy God and serue him Deut. 6.13 Chap. 10.20 and shalt sweare by his name therefore it is lawfull Secondlie GOD himselfe and all his children as occasion serued haue vsed to doe it and therefore lawfull God him selfe as we reade Because hee had not a greater to sweare by Heb. 6. Gen. 2. Cor. 1.23 sware by himselfe And the Patriarches Prophetes Apostles did honour God with this seruice We sée it Que. How prooue you that it is honour to God Ans By the testimonies before cited wee euidentlie see Heb. 6. that the thing wee sweare by wee make it the greatest of all other wee make it the witnesse and discerner of our trueth wee meane 2. Cor. 1.23 and the reuenger of falsehoode and our fault if wee doe not as wee sweare all which to bee giuen to the Lorde by swearing onely by him is a glory to him and contrariwise a dishonour to him to ascribe them elsewhere since indéede they are not incident to anie creature Que. But doe all swearers by the name of God honour God in so doeing Ans O no vnlesse we sweare as we ought we dishonour him greatly Que. How is that Ans First the matter must be true to Gods honour and the benefite of our brother Secondlie before a Magistrate when we are lawfullie called Thirdlie the name of God must only be vsed and lastly our affection ought to bee good The first is prooued by the othe that Iosua his espies made to Rahab 2. Iosue 12. Against which it shoulde bee an offence verie fearefull if men hauing the places of Iudges Iustices c. shoulde minister othes to men in euerie light trifling cause for more spéede because they will not stande to search and examine the matter otherwise should either do it themselues or sit and heare their seruantes doe it in such hudling poosting and vnreuerent manner as that a man can scarse tel what he saith Whereas amongst Christians it were verie commendable if there were some pithie and godly admonition either longer or shorter to aduise them of the nature of an oth what honor it is to God if it be as it ought to bee and what dreadfull woe it pulleth vpon them if it be otherwise Exod. 22.10.11 The seconde is prooued by the law of God prouided and set downe to that end The third is prooued by the Prophete Ieremie Iere. 5.7 See Amos. 8.14 Sophon 1.4 by whose mouth the Lorde complaineth that therefore hée was forsaken of them because they sware by them that are no Gods And marke it well Is the mother of Christ a God Are Peter and Paul Saint and Angel whatsoeuer so many gods Is the Roode a God the Masse a God your faith and trueth a God c. Is the bodie of Christ a God is his bloode a God his armes sides féete hearte so manie Gods If they bee not howe sweare we by them then so vsually and so fearefullie We heare what GOD saith by the Prophet namely that they that sweare by anie thing that is not God do flatly forsake the true God him selfe and will we not marke it Shall it not feare vs from so foule a custome I hope it shall Last of all that my affection shold be good verie reason maie assure me For if I come to sweare not for any care or loue to the glory of God to the trueth of the cause and peace and right of my neighbour but in choler in malice for spite enuie certainly howsoeuer my oth doth good yet shall the Lorde neuer ascribe that good to mee but in wrath punishe mee for doeing a good thing with so euill a minde Thus then we sée how we must sweare if God be pleased and honoured by vs in that action and how if we do otherwise we breake this commaundement and take his name in vaine Que. One question by the waye let me aske you whether may a Christian admitte an oath by an Idoll hauing to deale with an Infidell or no Ans The ciuill lawe they say permitteth straungers to sweare by their owne Gods Tertullian in his booke of Idolatrie sayth wee ought not to contende with them ouermuch about this matter Augustine in an Epistle saith plainelie it maie be admitted of a Christian and wee sée it in the worde that when Iacob and Laban sware eche to other Iacob sware by the true God and Laban by the God of Nachar besides diuers other examples Que. Then to goe forwarde certaine it is that wee are not onelie bounde to the affirmatiue that is euerie way with most high reuerence to vse the name of GOD and namelie in swearing but also to the negatiue no waye to pollute this name and chiefly not in swearing Hauing then heard how by others he is dishonored I pray you what other
are Dauids spéeches most of them to be reduced Others are pleased with this answere also that Dauid had the gift of prophesie whereby hee might sée and say more than we may safely followe hauing not the like gift in vs. Que. What if I heare a man commit anie of all these Ans Certainely they that in zeale of heart and loue to the offender doe not rebuke the abuse of Gods name as their calling alloweth them doe also sinne against this commaundement So doe they againe that being vtterly vnworthy take vppon them rashly or couetously the calling of the ministerie as they also who admitte such into the same Malach. 1. The Prophet is plaine if wee marke him in this case And to speake much in a worde that wee may sooner ende by a carelesse and a wicked life is the name of GOD greatly prophaned For the Lorde sayth You shall kéepe my commaundementes and doe them Leuit. 22.31 neither shall you pollute my holie name Where wee plainely sée that whosoeuer doth otherwise than GOD commaundeth polluteth his name And let seruauntes count their maisters worthy of double honour sayeth the Apostle 1. Tim. 6.1 that the name of God and his doctrine be not euill spoken of And more néere goe other places when it is saide Deutro 28.58 15. c. Thou shalt obserue and doe all thinges c. That is thou shalt bende all thy thought and care vppon this howe thou mayest kéepe my lawes and statutes Whereby wee first sée excluded all fayned and carelesse walking in the waies of the Lorde and that the Lorde regardeth him that trembleth at his wordes Secondly we sée by it not onely Atheistes but euen euerie one that is not touched with a great desire by their good life to glorifie God to be guiltie of this law And therefore we may hereby cease to maruell at the afflictions of those men in whose liues we haue spied no great outward offence For albeit they haue not greatlie to mans eyes offended yet if they haue not obserued to kéepe his statutes that is carefully feared and fled euen from verie little breaches the Lorde hath iust occasion to punish their coldnesse Last of all the neglect of those meanes that God hath appointed for welfare either of bodie or soule is a breach of this lawe For the words and workes of his wisedome may not bee refused as néedelesse which were to detract from his wisedome but with all thankefulnesse and readines imbraced that in so doing his wisedome may bée honoured And thus doe you sée in some part the breadth of this commaundement Que. What then remaineth yet to consider Ans These wordes thy God are not to bee passed ouer without some profite to vs and verie well may wee sée in thē that our obedience ought euen in this commandement also to procéede of loue an loue ought to make vs most carefull to please the Lorde Then are we to weigh the reason annexed namelie that the Lorde will not holde him guiltles that taketh his name in vaine which is as great a threatening as may be For all our helpe standeth in this that the Lord in Christ pardoneth vs and will not charge vs with our faultes which if hee will not doe but enter into iudgement with vs néedes must we die and abide eternall woe Therefore howe shoulde this reason mooue vs all and euer to a reuerent regard of his name Que. Nowe then I pray you as in the former shewe mee how I may fruitfullie vse the cogitation of this discourse Ans In the examination of our selues by this commaundement what should we doe but euen lay before vs as with one sight we may sée then fully the seuerall branches nowe repeated of the same carefully waying in what case we stande if we should be iudged according to them And first to beginne with false and vaine swearing where is that man or woman that can excuse themselues in it Swearing Hath there neuer passed an oth from me in all my life but before the magistrate whē I was lawfully called thervnto Yes yes God knoweth both often and gréeuously hath my sinne appeared in this behalfe My spéech hath not béene yea yea and nay nay as it should haue béene but bitterly and vehemently earnestly and vngodlilie hath this tongue of mine added more Yea which was madnesse now I sée I haue sought to get and kéepe my credite with mortal man by swearing to loose it with my God by so offending But O cursed credite so gotten where were mine eyes where was my vnderstāding Whether is it better for the present time of mē to be beléeued of the Lord for euermore abhorred or with light vngratious people with whom othes be onely truth to abide a little deniall and of God my God euer for my obedience to be loued Yet haue I witlesse wretch made choise of the former manie a time and neglected the later For sworne I haue often to be beléeued when I shoulde haue abstained of God to bée loued If anie rebuked mée it was vnseasonable it was vnsauorie sure I am I liked not of it and sure I am I amended not by it Nay haue I not either excused othes to be no othes but affirmations or openlie euill spoken of so good admonition or at least secretelie in my heart disdained with scorne and iudged it foolish and precise curiositie What hath anie man to doe with mée Let euerie vessell stande vppon his owne botome if I sinne it is worse for me amende your selfe and care not for others These haue béene our speaches and such like I feare me in the impaciencie and ignorance of our heartes and therefore of swearing to say no more sinned wee haue and excuse wee want the Lorde graunt pardon to our trespasse If I looke at the rest am I able to say I am not guiltie in them No no not I nor anie fleshe liuing I am sure of it but that the Lorde for sinne will not let vs sée our sinne weigh our sinne nor grant vs iudgement to discouer our guilt For what man or woman may not the righteous God summon to his high courte and say Praying or Singing Thou art faultie of taking my name in vaine by praying Alas for my selfe I sée it in the time of mine ignorance I haue pattered often with colde affection for paraduenture I knewe not what I sayd thinking the déede doone to be seruice liked and the words pronounced all to bee well And euen nowe since the Lord hath opened mine eyes that I knowe it to be sinne to pray without attentiue minde vppon the thing I doe and without ardent affection yet howe harde it is to doe it euer and neuer to swarne or stray I find it yea euen impossible to my corruption For this thing and that thing is sathan readie to trouble so fruiteful an exercise withall and a thousande wayes he hath to make the minde to wander from the thing it
onely shoulde attende If affection be good attention faileth and if attention stande affection dyeth And therefore séeing that euen reason teacheth mee that to call vppon the name of God not as I ought to do is plainly to abuse his name take it in vaine neither in this point can I cleare my selfe but broken herein also I haue this his commaundement What vaine vowes and promises haue passed from me néedelesse to be made Vowes and fruitlesse to be kept For sorcerie and witchcraft charming and coniuring am I able to say I haue as earnestlie abhorred them as I ought euerie way so absteyned from them as I shoulde Nay hath not rather ease béene sought in paine of mee by these meanes Charming or at least wished if I coulde haue gotten them My selfe and my friends my children and goods haue I loued obedience more than thē Or hath not euer some base creature as swine or such like béene dearer to mee than the Lord séeking by charme to saue the one and not fearing by sinne to loose the other God sift not my guilt euen nowe in this for practise or will for my selfe or for others wil surely accuse me Further and beside al these let it be wel weied of anie Christian heart that feareth God indéede and carefullie séeketh the credite of his name howe often vnreuerentlie in sporting and playing in shooting bowling in dising carding Gaming we vse his name Scripture phrase howe the phrase of scripture wil rowle out of our mouthes in iesting and light conferences howe fearefully we vse him in cursing banning our bretheren Banning and surely he shall sée no smal guilt touching this commādement in euerie one of vs if God in iustice weigh vs in the balance and rewarde vs as he findeth weight of sinne full duelie to deserue Where is that happie man or woman so waking and sléeping so sitting and going so speaking and kéeping silence so liuing and dying as for no sin of theirs for no infirmitie for no slip or fal the name of God truth hath bin euil spoken or thought of Let this man and woman appeare and boast that in great measure they haue kept this commaundement But if none such can bee found whose frailtie hath not fostred in reprobate minds a misliking of good thinges then let all fleshe fall downe before his footestoole and sewe out pardon for that liuing so looselie they haue taken his name in vaine and broken this commandement Last of all if wee cast our eyes about consider a little the manifolde meanes prouided by the Lord to do vs good in bodie and soule and euerie way Meanes not vsed are we able to say wee haue neglected none but euer vsed them as wee ought reuerentlie carefullie and with thankesgiuing Hath neuer an vnprofitable bashfulnesse made vs conceyle our bodilie griefe or refuse the meanes thought méete to doe vs good Hath not carelesse contempt robbed vs of the remedie appointed for our soules And hath not vnthriftie selfewill reiected meanes to increase our wordlie estate If these all or anie be true we haue despised the wisedome of the Lord which appeareth in these things and should be magnified by them and in them we haue polluted his name our selues greatly occasioned others to thinke lightly of good things and grieuouslie guiltie we stand before him for it of the breache of this commandement What should I say of not rebuking others according to our place whom we haue noted to offende in any of these Not rebuking which is a thing as hath béene saide required also in this Lawe and therefore a thing that resting in vs doeth crie for vengeaunce though in all the rest wee were pure and innocent For we were not borne for our selues but also for others and the bodie the soule the goods and estate of our brethrē should be déere vnto vs we not séeing and suffering them by our wils to do the thing that we knowe will hurt them What I say should I speake of this and many other braunches yet remaining Doe we not sée already shame ynough and grieuous sinne in great abundance Where were we nowe then euen for these that haue béene named if the percing eyes of the liuing GOD should prie into vs and with iust rewarde séeke to pay the wants he could espie in vs Could we escape the pit of endlesse paine Speake in the feare of God euen what you sée Are you pure and blamelesse in these all Dare you stande out and make the challenge Come iudge stay not sift me and spare not thy tryall I feare not for all these haue I kept from my youth O sinnefull fleshe espie thy case Thou canst not thou maiest not and I knowe thou darest not vnlesse the dreadfull wrath of God haue sealed vp thy sight And therefore euen in this commaundement also as in the former crie rather vp to heauen with shrillish shrike Wash me O Lord from these my sinnes and cleanse me from my wickednesse Haue mercie vpon me O gratious God and according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away mine offences O sweete Sauiour who may not see what he is without thee Full heauie laden I come vnto thee Christ my deere God as thou hast promised refresh and ease me Amen Amen The fourth Commaundement Remember that thou keepe holie the Sabaoth day Question WHat is the meaning of this commaundement Ans Your booke answereth that the hallowing of the Sabaoth day is to rest from our labours in our calling and in one place to assemble our selues together and with feare and reuerence to heare marke and lay vp in our hearts the worde of GOD preached vnto vs to pray altogether that which we vnderstande with one consent and at the times appointed to vse the Sacramentes in fayth and repentaunce and all our life long to rest from wickednesse that the Lord by his holy spirit may worke in vs his good worke and so begin in this life euerlasting rest Que. Had not the Iewes diuers feasts beside this Sabaoth Ans Yes in déede Some of God immediatly appointed and some by themselues vpon special occasion By the Lord they were tied to thrée solemne feasts in the yere at which he would haue all the males to appeare before him To wit The feast of vnleauened bread that is Easter Leuit. 23. Exod. 23.15 or the passeouer in remēbrance how the Angel passed ouer their houses when in one night he slewe all the first borne in AEgypt both of man and beast The feast of the haruest of the first fruits of their labours which they had sowen in the fields Verse 16. which was Whitsontide or Pentecost in remembrance that the lawe was giuen fiftie daies after their departure out of AEgypt And the feast of gathering fruits in the end of the yeare Verse 16. when they had cleansed the fields This was the feast of Tabernacles putting them in mind that 40.
of his father and mother and they haue chastened him and hee would not hearken vnto them then shall his father and mother take him and bring him vnto the elders of the Citie and vnto the gate of that same place and say vnto the Elders of the Citie this our sonne is stubborne and disobedient and will not hearken vnto our voice he is a riotour and a drunkard and all the men of the Citie shall stone him with stones to death and thou shalt put euill away from thee and all Israell shall heare and feare Que. But howe farre must a childe obey Ans If we passe ouer the discourse of Philosophers touching this matter and come to the scriptures the Apostle Paul determineth it thus Colos 3.20 That children must obey their parentes in all thinges Que. Why but shall we thinke Paule would haue a childe in deede obey his Parentes in all thinges as the woordes sounde What if they commaund a wicked thing Ans No indéede wee may not take Paules wordes so generally but wee must expounde that place by an other place of Paule to the Ephesians Ephes 6 where he biddeth children as you hearde aboue obey their parentes in the Lorde And by the wordes of Mathewe where it is sayde Matth. 10. Hee that loueth father or mother more than me is not worthie of me Que. And howe then conclude you touching my question Ans Thus I conclude that a child is bounde to obey his parentes in all thinges in the Lorde that is so farre as his obedience may stande with the dutie which he oweth to his God and with such circumstances touching his owne person as both reason and pietie woulde shoulde bee regarded Which conclusion compriseth assuredlie their obedience as touching mariage Que. What begetteth this obedience in children Ans When parentes desire obedience they must knowe that it is their duties to commaund thinges lawfull in respect of God This excludeth forcing to marrie against all likeing and conuenient in regarde of their children Que. What is the thirde and last part of this honour Ans Maintainance of our parentes if néede be Que. What meane you by this maintenaunce Ans It is a thankfull sustayning of the want of our parents either by our riches counsell strength or any other thing which God hath blessed vs withall and they haue not Que. But how dare we interpret the commaundement thus Honor thy Parentes that is maintaine them as thou art able and they haue neede Ans Surely first very reason telleth vs that this is as due as either reuerence or obedience but to let that passe wee haue apparant scriptures where by honor is meant maintenance As namely in the Apostles spéech to Timothie Honour widowes 1. Timoth. 5. that be widowes in deede That is prouide for theÌ„ and let them be sustained Againe in the same place a litle after They that rule well are worthy of double honor 17. where by honour in part is meant maintaynance Lastlie in the gospell of S. Marke our Sauiour Christ notablie sheweth that the Scribes and Pharisies Marke 7. perswading children to giue to their vse that wherewith they shoulde haue helped their Parentes caused them to breake this commaundement in not honoring them as they should Where we euidently see Christ himselfe includeth in this honour maintaynaunce and these places as they warrant this interpretation so doe they also plainely prooue that children owe this dutie to their parentes Que. What further may be saide for the warranting of this that children ought to releeue their parentes wherein they can Ans Beside the testimonies of scripture nowe alledged to prooue it the spirite of God hath added reasons to vrge it and there are also examples to perswade it and fearefull experiences of Gods wrath vpon the contrarie to feare vs from it Que. What reasons Ans In the 6. to the Ephesians the 1. verse this reason is added because it is a iust thing or right And indéede so it is right both in respect of God that appointeth it and in respect of that which our parentes haue doone for vs before Que. What else Ans Againe in the 3. to the Colossians the 20. verse this reason is aledged because it is well pleasing to the Lorde Que. What examples Ans Valerius in his 5. booke and 4. chapter sheweth a notable example of a daughter that nourished her mother in prison with her brestes And if heathens by the lawe of nature knewe so much to be their dutie how much more christians hauing added thereunto the light of Gods worde Que. What else Ans It is also reade of the Storkes that when they are olde they kéepe continually the nest and their young birds prouide for them and feede them till they die Que. Well then yet what nowe if children refuse thus to behaue themselues to their parentes or neglect it Ans They are then to looke for the wrath of the Lorde in them sharpely with heauie hande punishing so foule a fault And to consider well that as others haue founde him so shall they vndoubtedly Cham Reuben Hophin and Phinees with a number others are before their eyes as experiences to be wise by if they haue grace And aboue all other Absolon that gracelesse man who like a disobedient childe to a good father sought greatly to dishonour him 2. Saâ—â— 18. and so horrible was this sinne that euen the earth was wearie of so wicked a burden and would carie him no longer The heauens also were ashamed of him and the wrath of God hanged him vp betwixt heauen and earth by the heire of his head till Ioab thrust him thorowe with thrée dartes beeing yet aliue A fearefull spectacle to all rebelles against their Prince or disobedient children against their Parentes Que. Breefely nowe whom doe you note to be comprehended heere vnder the title Parentes Ans First Parentes by nature secondly by dignitie and office thirdly by age and fourthly by benefit Generally they are all in steede of Parentes to vs by whome as by instrumentes the Lorde deriueth his mercies to vs. Que. Who be Parentes by dignitie or office Ans Magistrates ouer the people maisters ouer their seruauntes ministers ouer their charges and such like Que. For Magistrates what say you Ans I say their place and calling that portion aboue others which the Lorde hath giuen them of his authoritie maiestie and excellencie prooueth vnto vs that wee must reuerence them The increase and safetie of that which wee possesse through peace maintayned by them prooueth that we ought againe thankefullie to maintaine them their estate and gouernment by tribute taxes subsidies and such like and for obedience it is in a number of places commaunded as are also the former Therefore when as all the partes of honour are due vnto them as reuerence maintainaunce and obedience I may conclude Magistrates as Parentes are to be honored Que. There is no question of anie of these but now how
with others as you reade them Stand therefore in strength serue with comfort slippe not from your calling for want of rewarde if other abilitie serue to continue The Lords worde is past him his promise is out he wil consider and recompence all true seruants feare it not doubt it not but cleaue to the Lord and when euer anie snubbes and checkes in worde or countenaunce vndeserued arise say in your heart with Dauid chéerefully Psalm 84. O Lord blessed is the man that putteth his trust in thee Que. What say you of parentes in respect of benefites Ans I must néedes say they are greatlie to bee honoured and truely loued agayne whose loue and affection hath broken out in fruites to vs ward· For ingratitude before God and man is hatefull Proueb 17 1â— And hee that rewardeth euill for good euill shall neuer depart from his house saith Salomon Que. Howe prooue you that vnder the title of Father and Mother old men and olde women be meant and to bee honoured Ans The wordes of Paul to Timothie teacheth it 1. Tim. 5.2 For rebuke not an elder saith hee but exhort him as a Father and the elder women as mothers Leuit. 19.32 And touching the honouring of them the lawe is plaine Thou shalt rise vp before the horeheade and honour the person of the olde man and dreade thy God I am the Lorde Iob. 32.6 And in Elihu wee sée the practise who stayed his speach that his auncients might speake before him Que. Let all towne officers consider this and become parents not spoilers of the towne Howe then may we conclude this matter Ans Thus for this thing we may note end That if the scripture to Magistrates ministers maisters such like superiors haue giuen the name of parents theÌ„ ought they al and euerie one of them in heart affection and action be aunswerable to the same Que. Nowe then to proceede heere is a promise added to the keepers of this commaundement that their dayes shall bee long in the land Ephe. 6. And to the Ephesians it is saide that this is the first commaundement which is a promise yet was there one added to the seconde if you looke on it howe then aunswere wee this Ans We aunswer ethat the promise annexed to the seconde commaundement belonged to all but this belongeth particularlie to this and therefore it is the first with anie speciall promise Que. What might be the reason of this promise Ans This may séeme to bee some reason of it Naturall parentes are the instrumentes of life other parentes as Magistrates Ministers and benefactors are the instrumentes of good and comfortable life Nowe it pleased the Lord to giue them for a blessing long life who duetifullie behaue themselues to the instruments of life Que Why but is long life such a blessing Ans Surely mans life is full of trouble and griefe it can not bee denied Yet I answere first that notwithstanding euen to liue and haue a béeing is of it selfe a mercie of the Lords yet to continue liuing to serue and praise the Lorde to increase his kingdome by anie abilitie in vs is a greater mercie For a good nature reioyceth in oportunitie giuen to shewe himselfe thankefull though it he to his trouble and cost and so must we Secondlie I answere that al these miseries of mans life haue come of man himselfe and not of God and therefore we ought no lesse to accompt of Gods blessing for the thing which we ourselues haue béene cause of Thirdlie it may be answered the god doth not promise barelie long life in this place but good with it also either in respect of outward prosperitie or inwarde comfort Que. Howe prooue you that Ans By hauing recourse to Pauls wordes who repeating this blessing vpon them that honour Father and Mother doth not say onely that thou maist liue long on earth but that it may bee well with thee and thou maist liue long vpon earth Therfore though mans life be full of miseries yet as God promiseth continuance of it it is a blessing a great blessing Que. Howe can this promise respect vs seeing it nameth particularly Canaan saying that thy dayes may be long in the lande which the Lorde thy God giueth thee meaning it Ans Paul againe doth answere this who boldly putteth for those wordes these on the earth therefore by his interpretation it is not to bee restrayned to Canaan onely Que. Doe alwayes they that honour Parentes liue long and contrariwise againe Ans Wée may not say so For all thinges fall out alike to the good and euill iust and vniust saith Salomon meaning of outwarde thinges as life is and it is the wisedome of the Lord it shoulde bee so that good things as wee call them may not be too gréedilie sought for because they are common to the wicked neither euill thinges be vnlawfullie eschewed because they are incident to the good Que. Howe then is God true in his promises Ans So farre as long life may be a benefite to his children so farre hee euer giueth it but if in wisedome he knowe it better for them to be gathered to their fathers then hee taketh them away and recompenceth want of temporall life with eternall Que. Yea but that is not his promise then for his promise is long lyfe heere Ans He that promiseth monie and giueth golde breaketh not his promise hee that promiseth little and giueth much breaketh not his promise but so doeth the Lorde with vs and therefore who is hee that vnthankefully pleadeth against his mercie Que. What fruitfull notes nowe gather you of thâ—se wordes Ans First wee may note that the Lorde ioyning a promise of mercie to this commaundement and not dealing so with anie thing which he liketh not greatlie pleasing out of question in his sight is the kéeping of this law namelie when euerie man doeth dutie where dutie is due and in loue we allow cherish and maintaine one an other Secondlie if long life bee a blessing promised to such as obey their parents and this obedience procéedeth greatly of good education then they that careleslie and vngodlily neglect the same in their children doe asmuch as lyeth in them shorten the dayes of their posterâ—tie Lastlie wee also in this promise annexed note that if long life be a gift of God then commeth it not by nature or good constitution of body further or longer than it pleaseth the same GOD to blesse the meanes and graunt it And thus much briefely of this commaundement The Application NOwe remaineth it to applie these thinges to our selues euerie one disclosing his life and inward thoughtes before the Lord and before our selues as néere as we can to the ende that sight of sin if it be fouÌ„d in vs may bring foorth sorowe and giuen grace in some strength to stande if wee can finde we haue had it may increase our thankes to the Lord our God who did so assist
For be he as wise as he will in directing the Magistrate to a lawe to rule vs by we shortly after wil be vp in wit against him to shake in péeces by a shift all his indeuour Truely our heartes be dead our sinne is great the Lorde hath wrath in store if this our dealing with our parentes be not confessed and amended Thus deale we also with our ministers and spirituall fathers begetting vs to the Lorde With most vile vsage we often abuse them and if not yet in heart at least as the refuse of the worlde we estéeme them Let God be iudge or our owne soules what base and scorneful concepts we harbour of them and whether in trueth as parentes they be loued accompted of and delt withall What swelling pride in youth against the aged What vngratefull handes and heartes against our great and gainefull friendes Euerie way euerie way guiltie we are of the breache of this commaundement if wee can sée it Magistrates also and ministers euen asmuch for their great offences in their callings so that if in iustice we be repayed short shall our liues be heere on earth and in the world to come eternall death Who can say he hath doone the duties of a gouernour who can say he hath liued lawefully as an inferiour Alas we are touched all with sinne and robbed by it of all the blessing Yet sinne espied and truely loathed findes euer pardon For this cause Christ died that we should not be damned if we will be taught Thinges past be gone and the Lorde forgiue vs. Some be to come and the Lorde strengthen vs. Whether we be parentes and haue not deserued or we be children and haue not perfourmed the Lorde hath mercie if we doe amende the Lorde hath loue if our liues doe séeke it and iudgement also if perswasion profit not Life doth he promise if we kéepe this lawe and life will he giue vs as hee is GOD and true both heere and euermore The sixt Commaundement Thou shalt doe no murther Question HOw standeth the order of this commandement Ans Great wisedome hath our God shewed euen in the order of euery one and by name of this For hauing in the former established degrées amongest men some to rule and some to obey if he should not also haue set limittes for their authoritie it had bene to arme iniustice and to strengthen oppression and wrong Que. What is the equitie of this lawe Ans It is a verie iust lawe and méete to bee established and made in thrée respectes First in respect of God himselfe who louing all good preseruation of life goods credite c. and hating the contrarie fitly prouideth to worke the same in men whome he would haue holy as he is holie Secondly in respect of man for our brother is our owne flesh and wee come all of one roote and therefore wee shoulde not kill Lastlie forasmuch as the societie and traficke of man with man cannot be vnlesse life may be in safetie therefore euen in respect thereof also méete it was that the Lord should make this lawe that we should not kill Que. Is all killing of anie thing that hath life forbidden in these wordes of the lawe Ans No indéede but if we would vnderstande what notwithstanding these wordes we may doe wee must consider that all liuing things are of thrée sorts either they are plantes hearbes trées and such like or brute beastes or reasonable creatures And al these in time place and for some causes we may kill notwithstanding these wordes For the first we haue our warrants in these wordes I haue giuen you euerie hearbe bearing seede Gen. 1.29 which is vppon all the earth and euerie tree wherein is the fruit of a tree bearing seede that shall be to you for meate For the seconde Euery thing saith God that moueth and liueth shal be meate for you Gen. 9.3 as the greene hearbe I haue giuen you all thinges For the thirde and last sort both the sundrie commandementes of God in sackages of cities to put to sworde man woman and childe prooue it as also many his lawes made to that ende Que. But may anie man shed mans bloud Ans No onely they haue lawefully shedde mans bloud which haue had a calling of the Lorde to the same as the Magistrate Que. And what say you of the warriour Ans Wee must comprehende him vnder the title of a Magistrat for so indéede he is if he be thereunto appointed The calling also Luke 3. Iohn Baptist approoueth in that his spéeche vnto the souldiers whome hee doth not bidde to leaue that life but to vse it rightly which yet he would not haue aduised them if it had béene vngodly Also in the gospell Christ toucheth not the Centurion for his kinde of life Math. 8. neither Peter Cornelius who was a Captaine or yet his messenger Act. 10. which was a Souldier And I come vnto thee sayeth Dauid in the name of the Lorde and blessed be the Lorde which teacheth my hands to warre and my fingers to fight Psalm 143. Que. Is onely the actuall killing of a man forbidden Ans No but euen aswell also the ordinarie forerunners of murther to wit fighting and quarrelling For if a man cause anie blemish in his neighbour Leuit. 24.19 sayth the lawe as he hath done so shall it be doone vnto him Eie for eie tooth for tooth hande for hande foote for foote Exod. 21.24.25 burning for burning wounde for wounde stripe for stripe Whereby wee sée plainely howe the GOD of heauen alloweth that hurting and laming of our brethren in fight which a fleshly man taketh to be so lawefull so glorious and an argument of such valure in him And no doubt but this lawe of God thus executed vpon vs would quickly coole that raging heate within vs which no counsell of our friendes no consideration of necessarie circumstances as of our calling the place where we liue the charge of wife children and such like hanging vpon our safetie the lawe of man no nor the lawe of God it selfe condemning vs for it can staie or aswage Math. 5.39 Againe Resist not euill sayth the Lorde but whosoeuer shal smite thee on the right cheeke turne to him the other also That is be so farre from yéelding to the rage of thy affections which prouoke thee to strike againe that euen rather thou be cōtent to take asmuch more than to displease thy God by vngodly and forbidden reuenge And for quarrelling what a swéete and vehement perswasion is it of the Apostle against such bitter words of a boyling and boysterous heart Now therefore sayth he as the elect of God holy and beloued Colos 3.13 put on tender mercie and kindenesse humblenesse of minde meekenesse long suffering forbearing one an other and forgiuing one an other if anie man haue a quarrell to an other euen as Christ forgaue you euen so doe yee Hatefull therefore before God are as I
Lorde Que. Thus then hauing spoken of actuall murder or murder of the hande as wee say together with the braunches thereof proceede if you thinke good to the murder of the tongue Ans That euen by the tongue also this commaundement is broken it is euident by the testimonie of our Sauiour Christ himselfe who expounding this law in the fift of Matthew Math. 5. concludeth them in it that say Racha or thou foole to their brethren that is that by bitter and vncomelie speaches shewe their heartes to bee robbed of loue and to lodge an vnlawful affection towards them Secondly the comparisons which the scripture vseth of the tongue proueth plainely there is a murder by the tong It compareth it to poyson to fire to speares to sharpe arrowes and manie such things and al to teach that as these are the instrumentes of murder so is the tongue Psa 14. Iam. 3. Psal 56. Psal 120. Wherefore iustlie prayeth Dauid in his Psalme O Lorde deliuer mee from lying lippes from a deceitfull tongue Iustly pronounceth he the curse of God vpon it in an other place saying that the Lorde shall roote out all deceitfull lippes Psal 1 20. and Salamon also flatlie affirmeth that he which hath a naughtie tongue shall fall into euill Prou. 17.20 Maruellous me thinke is also the discourse of that wise mā Syrach touching this matter and to bee carefully weyed Abhorre saith he Chap. 28. the slaunderer double tongued for such haue destroyed manie that were at peace The double tong hath disquieted manie and driuen them from nation to nation strong cities hath it broken downe and ouerthrowen the houses of great men the strength of the people hath it brought downe and beene the decay of mightie nations the double tong hath cast out many vertuous women and robbed them of their labours Who so hearkeneth vnto it shal neuer finde rest neither euer dwel quietly The stroke of the rod maketh markes in the flesh but the stroke of the tong breaketh the bones There be many that haue perished by the edge of the sword but not so many as haue fallē by the tong Wel is him that is kept frō an euill tong and commeth not in the anger thereof which hath not drawen in that yoke neither hath bin bound in the bands therof For the yoke thereof is a yoke of iron the bands thereof are bondes of brasse The death thereof is an euil death hell were better than such one With moe such speaches in that chapter if you read it ouer And in an other place Who shal set a watch before my mouth Chap. 22.26 and a seale of wisedome vppon my lippes that I fall not soudenly by them and that my tong destroy me not Feareful therefore is the fault of the tongue as we plainly sée Que. Howe doe men vse to kill by their tongues Ans By slaunders reproches mocks and tauntes saith your booke and consider indéede the displeasure of God against all these as against the first by an expresse lawe against it Thou shalt not walke about with tales among the people meaning as slaunderers Leuit. 19.16 backbiters and quarrell pickers doe Also by the hatred of it which the spirite of God worketh against it in the godlie Psalm 101. as in Dauid who saith hee will destroy the vngodlie slaunderer which priuilie slandereth his neighbour Leuit. 19.14 in Salomon who counselleth in anie case to refraine harkening to them and in many others Against the seconde by his lawe also published in that behalfe that we shoulde not curse the deafe neither put a stumbling blocke before the blinde that is no waye reproche them with their infirmitie but feare the Lord for hee is our God as though he should say reproches of our brethren and to feare the Lorde are neuer in one man together And it is a speach worthie noting of the wise Syrach Syrach 22.20 c. That whoso casteth a stone at birdes frayeth them away and he that vpbraideth his friend breaketh friendship Yea marke what followeth though thou drewest a sword saith hee at thy friend yet dispaire not for there may bee a returning to fauor If thou haue opened thy mouth against thy friend feare not for there may bee a reconciliatiō but if vpbraiding or pride or disclosing of secreates or a traiterous wound do let then by these thinges euerie friende will depart And againe in an other place Chap. 23.15 the man that is accustomed to opprobrious words wil neuer be reformed al the daies of his life Que. Horrible I see then it is either to slander or to reproch any with such infirmities as they haue but a mocke I take not to be in so high a degree Ans What degrée so euer it is in it skilleth not certaine sure it is that God abhorreth it And I refer but anie hart that hath féeling to the first words of Dauid in his Psalme Psalm 1. Blessed is that man that hath not sit in the seate of the scorneful I beséech you if they be blessed that haue not done it what are they that daily doe it The wicked thought of a foole is sin Prou. 24.9 the skorner is an abomination to men saith Salomon Yea scornfull men bring a citie into a snare hee that rebuketh a scorner purchaseth to himselfe shame 29.8 he that rebuketh the wicked getteth a blot Rebuke not a scorner least he hate thee but rebuke a wise man and he will loue thee 9.7 8. Wherefore not without reason séemeth the translation of Hierom and the Gréekes of the Hebrewe worde Lezim mockers into pestilentes pestilent fellowes and hurtfull for so they are in déede euen the plagues of a common weale Yet if we marke the vsuall cause of mocks it wil make vs sée more into the vilenes of this sin For it is euer lightly for doing wel refraning euel that the wicked mocke the godly is it not a vile spirit that cannot abide vertue but so gréedily thirsteth after vice Drink not with the drunkers til thou bee drunke and they mocke thee◠sweare not with the swearers but admonish them and they mocke thee Be not vaine in words in apparel in behauiour and they mocke thee Heare the word reade the word talke of the worde and by and by O young saint olde diuell you wil to heauen or your bones be cold with a number such mockes and diuelish tauntes The degrées be diuers yet all diuelish some scorne all admonition and they woulde haue euerie fat they say stand on his owne bottome and euerie mā to medle with himself Some scorne but at that which toucheth themselues shooting out their lippes refusing to be charmed Some secretlie in hearts by a most contemptuous concept of that good thing whatsoeuer which their crooked natures cannot like of others openly by verie vile speaches vttered against God and godlinesse against their brethren and
crueltie and hearde dealing with our brethren for euen this the Lorde abhorreth also Deutr. 2â— The lawe that was made of fortie stripes to be giuen to an offender and not aboue did euidentlie drawe to some pitifull feeling our cruell raging and fierce affections The â—awe for widowes that they should not be wronged and for the fatherlesse that they should not be forsaken shotte at the same marke So did the forbidding of vsurie to the poore the taking of his rayment to pledge the detayning of his hire such like thinges All were to worke some mercie in vs towardes others and to tell vs plainely that the Lorde abhorreth cruelty towardes anie Que. Thus then if you thinke good let it suffice to haue spoken of these three sortes of murther to wit of the hande the tongue and the heart together with their branches and nowe a litle of the affirmatiue part of this commandement if you will Ans The affirmatiue part of it easily may be knowen by the negatiue For who seeth not that if generally all hurting or taking away of life vnlesse it be by the Magistrate lawefullie be forbidden then generally also is commaunded all care and preseruation of the same Deutr. 19.20 and if in specialitie the bitternesse of the tongue bee forbidden then is the swéetenesse the softnesse and the comfort of the same commaunded If anger be forbidden gentlenesse is commaunded if misliking hatred enuie and ioying at other mens harmes be forbidden then is an heart well thinking and accepting of others commaunded then is loue and a true reioycing at the good happes of our brethren commended and to conclude if all crueltie rigor and extremitie bee forbidden then is all lenitie mercie and pitie commaunded All which are vertues of great praise and afording large perswasions vnto our heartes to loue and like them to embrace and followe after them But so shoulde I dwell too long in this commaundement The blacknesse of their opposite vices I hope doeth make their beautie and brightnesse great before our eyes Onelie I wishe vs to the ende wee may abounde in all mercie that wee would often consider that comfortable spéech of the Lorde by his prophet Esay 58.10 If thou refresh the hungrie and troubled soule then shall thy light spring out of darkenesse the Lorde shall satisfie thy soule in drought and make fatte thy bones and thou shalt be like a spring of water whose water faileth not As also that sentence which at the daie of dayes shall be pronounced vppon it Come come yee blessed of my father and possesse the kingdome prepared for you Math. 25. for when I was hungrie yee fedde me when I was thirstie you gaue me drinke when I was naked yee clothed mee when I was sicke yee visited mee and so foorth Both which places with manie moe to the same ende beeing often thought vpon will soften our heartes in all dealinges with our brethren and make vs profitable to them euer to our powers And yet which I had almost forgotte it is not ynough for vs to doe good to be kinde and to shewe mercie but wee must doe it also spéedily readilie and fitlie that is when the néede of our brethren requireth it obseruing carefullie all occasions For as it is sayde of guiftes that qui cito dat bis dat he that giueth a thing quickly giueth it twise so is it of all thinges we doe to helpe in time is a double helpe and a benefite hauing lost the oportunitie of our brothers néede looseth his welcome Wherefore Iob professeth that he had not caused the eyes of the widowe to faile in long looking for his helpe Iob. 31.16 And Mardocheus requireth of Hester not only helpe but present Hester 4. a singular example for all estates Que. What punishment hadde the breach of this commandement Ans The spirituall punishment of it as of all other sinnes is eternall damnation both of bodie and soule For without shall be dogges Apoc. 22.15 inchaunters whoremungers murtherers c. sayeth S. Iohn the temporall punishment of it was amongest the Iewes by the lawe of God bloud for bloud Gen. 9. Leuit. 24. and before the lawe by expresse wordes vnlesse in such cases as the cities of refuge were ordayned for And euen as it were aboue all other sinnes it is worthie marking howe euer the iudgement of GOD hath not suffered this sinne to lie vnknowen or vnpunished All stories be full of examples Phocas Boniface 7. Alexander 6. Ethelbert Richard 3. and euerie man almost in his owne dayes hath knowen some experience Hotte is the wrath of the Lorde against this sinne and his mercie therefore euer kéepe vs from it The Application WIth what wordes nowe should I wish euerie one to descende into themselues and to take a view of their estate before the Lorde touching this commaundement Manie branches of it haue béene layde before vs and what branch is it which we haue not broken being narrowly sifted by the Lorde The murther of the hande I knowe wil be our instance but alas howe many thinges make men guiltie in this If euer in seruice against the enimie wee haue passed the bounds of a Christian heart in cruelly murdering concerning the maner who yet might haue died respecting the matter we are guiltie and spotted before the Lorde If women and children aged and impotent sicke and diseased that caried no weapon against our cause haue not so farre foorth béene regarded of vs and spared yea defended by vs from our féercer felowes as by right we might our handes haue faulted our loue hath wanted to the life of our brethren If cruellie wee haue wished but in our inwarde heartes any disorderlie and vnmercifull spoyle of our foes in féelde we haue sinned certainly in so doing For euen the spoyle that a Christian souldier maketh of his enimies in the warres should sauour of the mercifull nature so néere as he can of that God whome he professeth If we haue béene euer as you hearde but any occasion of the death of any either present or spéedier than otherwise it wold haue béene or of the shortening of our owne health life and abilitie by intemperancie incontinencie or anie meanes whatsoeuer the iustice of our vndefiled God doth find it out and we haue sinned against him in this thing Where theÌ„ is our righteousnes but eueÌ„ in this branch of actual hand murder for the tong what should I say Doth no mans hart accuse him of vnrighteousnes Haue we neuer passed any spiteful slander to the hurt of theÌ„ whom we should haue loued Deniall of it can neuer hide it but confession of it hath mercie promised The name peradueÌ„ture of slander is odious to vs we hardly can accuse our selues of so foule a vice Slander Well then let him change his cote but remaine the same moÌ„ster stil Haue we neuer reported any vnknoweÌ„ thing to the harme of our brethren Neuer whispered that
matter in the eare of an other against any body which yet if it had bin mine owne offence I woulde willingly haue wished conceiled couered Hath this hart of mine caried euer the loue in this respect that true tender regard of my brothers credit the possibly it might or of duty it should O the God of gods be mercifull vnto vs and deale not with vs according to our sinnes neither euer reward vs according to our iniquities For I am sure I may speake it in truth yet in sorow against all flesh that liueth we are guilty we are faulty in this behalfe We snub not our heartes when we sée their want of loue prouoke our tongs to speak vnlouingly We say not in our selues with a pause vpon the matter what am I about to say to whoÌ„ of whoÌ„ to what end Wil it hurt him or profit him what is my desire how wold I wish if his case were mine so foorth but headily vnaduisedly I feare vnlouingly we speake what we list almost say with the wicked Psalm our tongs are our own who shal control vs Therfore I say again for this branch of murder by the tong the god of mercy be merciful to vs truly teach vs both how we sin in it how we ought to be reformed of it For reproches how stand we Reproch Haue we neuer cursed the deafe nor put a stumbling blocke before the blind That is haue we neuer insulted ouer any maÌ„s infirmity or vnkindly reproched him with his imperfectioÌ„ O spiteful tongs of ours how passe they the bonds of loue herein It is our pleasure to bewray the wantes of others it is our pastime to gréeue their spirites and tâ— gaule them for theÌ„ yea wee glorie in their ignominie wee swell in conceit of our selues when we sée them and we stretch out our necks and lift vp our hautie eyes when wee passe by them Their weakenesse is our boast all the day long haunting them riding them as we vse to speake in euerie corner and as verie Pharisies wée are in an other case wee looke at their wantes wee exalt our selues and in pride wee speake it or at least inwardlie thinke it wee are not as those séelie Idiotes are Rare is that man and woman that with a tender heart comforteth and couereth whoÌ„ they sée to néed as they wishe their owne wantes with the sufficiencie of Iesus Christ couered from the wrath which they deserue But I trust for the time that is to come it shall neuer bee verified of vs which wee haue heard before out of Salomon spoken that The maÌ„ which is accustomed to opprobrious wordes Prou. 23.15 will neuer bee reformed all the dayes of his life Prou. 28.13 And for that which is past the God of mercie wipe it out as hee hath promised Let vs consider the mockes and tauntes that haue passed from vs euen with ioy in our wittes that wee coulde so doe and euerie speach so néere as wee can whereby our brethren haue receiued harme priuately or openly in place of iustice or out of it And are we then vpright before the Lorde touching the murder of the tongue Psal 7.32 Blessed is the man whose vnrighteousnesse is forgiuen and whose sinne euen in this respect is couered The murder of the heart remaineth wherein wee are to wey howe we haue euer vppon anie occasion suffered mislike to growe within vs of our brethren or anger or harred or enuie reioycing at other mens falles desire of reuenge crueltie or bitternesse pretermission of oportunitie or anie other braunch thereof and whether through our negligence and suffering Satan to créepe vppon vs euen all these almost haue not béene within vs at one time or other one pulling on an other as thinges vnseparable Howe hath misliking of some and we well knewe not why made vs apt to anger with anie thing which they did often displeased with them more than we should How hath anger beeing lodged too long changed his nature and become hatred in vs Howe hath hatred hatched vp enuie and desire of reuenge Howe hath enuie wished the fall of others spited their good whatsoeuer it was ioyed at their miserie if wee liued to sée it Howe hath desire of reuenge pricked vs to the thing it selfe nurced vp crueltie and ouer great seueritie What wantes haue we showed of tender compassion and comfort to the comfortles What prolonging haue wee made of the good which wee haue doone and howe careleslie haue wee passed many an oportunitie to doe our dueties in kindenesse to our brethren Alas then where is the perfection of our loue where is the innocencie of our life where is that integritie of ours touching this commaundement which we dare present of it selfe to please before the Lord Our heartes are stayned our tongues haue strayed and euen our handes also peraduenture against it â—aue gréeuouslie offended Let vs â—hinke of it and the Lorde giue vs â—eartes effectuallie to féele it For the â—ight of sinne can neuer hurt vs when â—t causeth sorow and true repentaunce And to sée sinne to dispare we néede not â—ince Christ our Sauiour hath fulfilled â—he lawe for vs. The verie strength of â—he lawe is but conditionall damnatiâ—n if we will not be humbled if we wil â—ot repent but if wee doe then stepâ—eth Christ in with all his perfection â—nd presenteth himselfe to his father â—or vs then doth he iustifie and who can condemne then will hee saue vs and what can loose vs O that wee would â—herefore sée our offences against euerie commaundement and namelie against this O that wee woulde confesse them and leaue them as we can hereafter The Lorde giue it and the Lord grant it and so shal we liue with the Lord for euer The seuenth Commaundement Thou shalt not commit adulterie Question WHat is the meaning of this commaundement The act Ans First there is forbidden all adulterie fornication and other vncleanesse in our bodies saith your booke which néedeth no proofe besides the plaine wordes of the lawe and that print which in his conscience euerie one carrieth about yet hath the author added some for more strength against the frowarde which I leaue to euerie one to read by theÌ„selues Secondly there are forbidden all vnpure thoughtes and lustes of the heart For as in the other commandementes it hath béene sayde The thought so is it to be thought of againe in this The lawe giuer is spirituall and therefore this law Besides it is testified in plaine wordes that not onelie he is guiltie of this lawe which committeth the act but hee also which looketh vpon a woman and lusteth after her Math. 5.28 Thirdly the Apostle placeth chastitie in bodie and mind and therefore the contrarie is incident both to bodie and mind Nay in verie truth man is rather that which he is in mind Man is that which he is in heart than that which he is is
the play is peradueÌ„ture the strangenes of the place lacke of light to guide them causeth errour in their way more than good Christians should in their houses suffer Que. What else Ans Dancing againe is in the number of vaine pastimes and the allurements to vncleannesse as much experience hath too wel proued The scriptures checke it the fathers mislike it the couÌ„cels haue condemned it the proofe of Gods iudgementes vpon it biddeth vs beware Instrumenta luxuriae tympana tripudia sayth one the inticers to lust are pipinges and dancinges Laquei sunt scandala non soluÌ„ saltatoribus sed spectatoribus They are snares and offences not onely to the actors but also to the beholders Iob. 21.11 Iob noteth it as an olde practise of the deuil to occupy men withall as an ancient exercise of the wicked that they should daunce Vpon which wordes a godly writer sayeth Calu. serm 80. vpon Iob. that from the tabret and the flute which in themselues are not vnlawefull they come to dauncing which is the chiefest mischiefe of all For there is alway sayth he such vnchast behauiour in dauncing that of it selfe and as they abuse it to speake â—he trueth in the worde it is nothing else but an inticement to whoredome In the gospell the spirite of God noteth it in a wicked woman as an immodest thing Math. 14. of a damnable effect in her wicked father Herode to dance And such as interpret the place are not afraide of these words Marlor ex Calu. that it was meretriciae lasciâ—iae turpis nota nubilis puellae saltatio That is that for her to dance beeing a maide for yeares mariageable was a note of whorish wantonnesse For whosoeuer saith he hath a care of honest grauitie he euer condemneth dancing and especially in a maide Againe hee calleth it spectaculum familiae Regiae probrosum A dishonorable sight in a kings house with manie speaches moe of mislike Sirac a wise man Syrac 9.4 and of great experience biddeth a man not to vse the companie of a woman that is a singer and a dauncer neither to heare her least hee bee taken with her craftinesse The godlie Fathers as I saide mislike it For saltatio ad adulteras Ambros de virgin lib. 3. non ad pudicas pertinet saith one of them Dauncing belongeth to adulterous and not to honest women A sharpe spéeche Yet was this graue father not afraide to speake it Saltatio barathrum diaboli Chryst Math. hom 48. sayth an other dauncing is the deuils hell And we heare spéeche of Iacobs mariage saith he in the scripture in Genes but not a worde of anie dauncing that was at it Theophilact in Mar. 6. Mira collusio sayth an other Saltat diabolus per puellam It is a strange iugling when wee thinke the maide doth daunce and it is not so but the deuill in her or by her The councels haue condemned it as others haue at large shewed And verie Tullie could say an honest man would not dance in an open place for a great patrimonie For the iudgementes of God vpon this vaine pastime it is strange which Pantaleon noteth out of Crantzius that in Colbecke a towne in Germanie certaine light persons hopping and dauncing in the Churchyearde of S. Magnus An. 1505. beeing by the minister admonished to cease and not ceasing did for a long time not able to stay runne rounde about and at last fell all downe dead But because others haue so largelie writ against this vanitie I say no more of it at this time but wish vs to consider that it is an inticement otten to adulterie and therefore in this commaundement forbidden And as for anie dauncing that wee reade of in the scriptures to haue béene vsed of the godly we must vnderstande that their dancing was euer a sober modest motion with some song vsually to Gods praise and men by themselues women by themselues Which nothing will warrant our custome and guise in these daies Que. Are there yet anie moe allurementes Ans There are yet many mo But I may not in this sort stande vpon them Gluttonie drunkennesse Ezek 16. with houses of open whoredome your booke nameth and proofes for them Idlenesse also is an other meanes 1. Cor. 7.39 the vowe of chastitie the deniall of seconde mariages the going of men in womens apparell and women in mans apparell Deut. 22. with a number such This onelie must I say and so conclude this negatiue part of the commaundement For he that will no euill do must nothing doe that longs thereto looke whatsoeuer it is that we can sée to bee anie allurement anie occasion or meanes to vncleannesse all that is condemned in this commaundement as much as the verie act of adulterie which heere onely is expressed Then howe the holie Pope of Rome can warrant by the worde of God the erection and continuaunce of his stewes iudge you although his gaine be neuer so much thereby Nay howe could that monster Sixtus the fourth warrant the erection of a stewes of both kindes In king Edwarde 4. that is both of women and men whereby 20000 and some yeares 40 thousande ducketes came to his coffers Or the whole Church of Rome so like of and so diminish the sinne of fornication Can this their spirite that guideth them be the spirite of GOD when it condemneth not the act whereof God condemneth all occasions and allurementes No no the Lorde giue vs eies and then haue we markes sufficient to bewray them by Que. Thus then may we see what we â—re forbidden in this lawe nowe I pray you adde something of the thinges we are commaunded in the same Ans For this matter your booke answereth well that as wee are forbidden in it all vncleannesse and all inticementes to the same so on the other side we are commaunded to kéepe our bodies and soules chast and pure as temples of the holy ghost or if the guift of chastitie be not giuen vs then to vse the lawefull remedie appointed for vs by God which is mariage Concerning therefore chastity we are to know that verie greatly the scripture layeth downe Gods liking of it and with many wordes exhorteth vs vnto it This is the will of God sayth the Apostle euen your sanctification and that you should abstaine from fornication â—hat euerie one of you should know how to possesse their vessels in honor and hoâ—inesse not in the lust of coÌ„cupiscence euen as the gentils which know not God And in an other place 2. Cor. 7.1 Seeing sayth he that we haue these promises dearly beloued let vs clense our selues froÌ„ al filthines of the flesh and spirite and grow vp vnto all holinesse in the feare of God And againe the same Apostle beseecheth the God of peace to sanctifie them throughout 1. Thes 5.23 that their whole spirit and body soule may be kept blamelesse til the
new Testament that were married to begge any pardon for it at Gods hand or to insinuate anie way any impietie of theirs in so doing Which yet assuredly they would haue doone if the opinion of poperie had bin true concerning single life and matrimonie Lib. 10. ca. 26. S. Augustine in his booke of Virginitie hath manie words of the rewardes of matrimonie concludeth thus that eternall life is giuen of the Lord both to married vnmarried indifferently The councell of Gangren thought good to make this canon An. 333. Can. 10. that if any liuing single for the Lord should in arrogancie pride contemne those that were married they should be accursed Wherefore wee conclude this matter say as the Church of God said in that time Virginitie we coÌ„mend Concil Gangren Epiph. tom 1. lib. 2. baeres 48 widowhood we praise the chast bond of godly wedloocke we honour receiue But as for adulterie fornication vncleannes whatsoeuer either of body or mind we abhor it condeÌ„ne it Thus then I I hope you sée how the opinioÌ„ of chastitie to consist only in liuing single spruÌ„g vp euen by the diuell who knew not otherwise how to draw men to vncleannes being robbed of his former means than by making them to abridge themselues of the ordinance of God against the euil You haue séene also how false this is and that in godly matrimonie aswel as in single life there is liked chastitie of the lord You haue séene that neither of these estates haue any premineÌ„cie aboue the other in respect of greater pietie or merit but both of them alike acceptable to God if for the parties they be expedient only in regard of outward incuÌ„brances the one is more frée thaÌ„ the other Lastly you sée the vertue of this coÌ„mandement opposed to adulterie to be chastitie but how not to liue vnmaried as the papistes dreame but both in mariage out of it to kéepe body soule vnspotted of filthie lust concupiscence The other pointes of mariage it self of second mariages of poligamie of diuorce such like which were in this place to be handled I think good to cut off hauing taried alreadie too â—ong in this coÌ„mandement to reserue â—hem till some other occasion Que. Yet adde some thing concerning the punishmeÌ„t of them that breake this commaundement Ans The law of God as we all may â—ée Deutro 22. punished adulterie with present â—eath Fornication with mariage of â—he partie if the parentes would and if â—hey would not with a dowrie to be giuen The Athenians punished it with â—eath This lande of ours in the dayes of Canutus had a lawe to cut off the noâ—es and eares of adulterous women And for the spirituall punishment of it â—t was euer is 1. Cor. 6. and shall be damnation â—f body and soule in the pit of hell withâ—ut repentaunce The Application NOwe then consider what hath béene said euen as we desire true fruit of the worde of God vnto our soules let vs weigh our â—wne estate in euerie branch of this commandement The act of vncleannes howe it can accuse vs that God doeth know who hath hell in his hand to cast vs into it if we haue sinned And therfore if either with maried or vnmaried wee haue euer thus offended let his power be thought of let hell be feared and so foule a fault from the verie hearâ— roote be earnestly lamented Excuse iâ— not with youth or any circumstaunce cause or occasion in the world these scoffings of the Lord wil not euer be borne in youth we are Gods aswell as in age and in youth we should serue him asweâ— as in age if we do not euen youth shall to hell aswell as shall age Sinne séene and sorowed for left and forsaken hath pardon promised but sinne iested at and played withall hath vengeance threatned It is the voice of a Christian to say I haue sinned but it is the voyce of a reprobate to say still I wil sin wtout remorse The best may offende but the best can neuer continue offending And therfore take héede and if act can accuse vs let it neuer héereafter be able to blame vs for souden and feareful is the vengeancâ— from heauen that lighteth vpon adulterers From the act let vs come to the â—nwarde thought and as it is more priuie and we all more prone vnto it so let it be more carefullie weighed and searched out euen of vs all Let vs call to minde with a féeling heart how foullie howe fearefully and how euen continually we offende the Lorde by our hidden conceites Howe quickly créeâ—eth into vs an euill thought and howe swelleth it within wheÌ„ it once is there It worketh within vs as a thing most strong verie fowly stayneth vs oâ—ten â—ere we do coÌ„sider it Yea our negligence in this befalse doth condemne vs before the Lord and pronounceth against vs that wee feare more men than God For our outwarde actions we are carefull of so néere as we can to kéepe the blottes of them out of sight but our heartes being thinges hidden from the eies of men we cary litle care ouer them to kéepe them cleane from impure concepts What man may sée we are ashamed that he should sée but which God beholdeth our secret thoughtes we feare not at all to haue them foule filthie and wicked O what a God serue we that being able to set euerie thought wee thinke visible in our foreheads in great letters that euerie one which runneth by might reade them yet most mercifully spareth vs and is content our secret shame should not appeare to men Shall we still prouoke him shall wee still offende and grieue him Surely theÌ„ hotte wil be the wrath at last which so long his mercie hath withhoulden Wherefore to conclude this matter euen as we loue the Lord and our owne health let vs sée and weigh how déepely this lawe against impure thoughtes is able to charge vs let vs consider the cause if we can find it out that driueth vs vsually into such hidden sinne and héereafter as men touched with some Christian remorse that so good a God should so still be offended let vs ridde our heartes as we can of the effect by taking away or at least stopping in some measure the course of the cause The meanes and allurementes either to the actuall offence or the thought â—ondemned in this commaundement as we haue heard before are many and diuerse Sometimes the eyes disorderly wander and beeing not checked by a Christian conscience that feareth to giue them libertie too long they become the occasions both of thoughtes and actes wicked and damnable Sometimes behauiour vnchast and vnséemely Someties speeche wanton and light stir the hart vp to conceiue that thing and the wicked fleshe to perfourme it fully which God and nature abhorre as filthie The dalying tattles of these courting dayes the lasciuious songes made by loose mindes and
obserue his will We nowe knowe not our actes onely but our inwarde thoughtes must euer be holy we now knowe many meanes that leade to offence heerein and that euen the meanes must also be eschewed Nowe then if we liue as in ignorance wee did scorning at counsell cleauing to our pleasures and reiecting the Lorde and his lawe shall we escape He that knoweth his maisters will and doth it not shall hee be vnpunished Marke what I say and pray euer to féele it as the wrath of the king bad heate the furnace seuen times hootter than eâ—er it was to consume the men that withstoode him to his face for truth so shall the wrath of God that made this lawe cause hell to be hette 70 times 7 times hotter for vs if wilfully after warning and maliciously after knowledge we oppose our life against it That is he shall multiply the paines of hell vppon vs for these pleasures of our fleshe that swéete sinne may haue bitter and sower confusion for euermore Nowe the God of heauen giue vs sense and féeling the Lorde of mercie touch vs with a taste of sinne by the viewing of his lawe For we cannot alwayes liue and thus dally with our owne soules neither standeth it with the nature of our God who is iust finally to forgiue vs though he long forbeare vs vnlesse we amend But he must haue his iudgement and we must haue our torment as sure as we liue Nowe doeth hee wish vs to consider our wayes and to turne our feete into his testimonies his warninges waste and his wrath increaseth if wee settle our selues against him Yet O howe I feare wee will wilfully doe it For it is so swéete and so incident to vs which this lawe forbiddeth that a thousande to one we forsake the Lorde The allurementes I haue named wee will neuer withstande no wee will not heare of it that they cause vs to fall But pleasing this fleshe for the time wee doe vse them wee will neuer espie the paine that will followe them Yet why should I feare since God is of power to pierce anie hart and hath promised to doe it if wee heartily begge it O Lorde I hope thou wilt worke with vs that by this lawe we may sée howe we haue offended thée and what héereafter we must more eschewe the one with sorrowe and true remorse the other with faith and continuall care Then shall thy Christ and our comfort who in our flesh fulfilled the lawe for vs couer with his righteousnesse all our sinnes against it Then shall sinnes past in his bloud be forgiuen and wee by him euer héereafter strengthened Then we shall order our eyes with a carefull heart we shall set a watch before our mouth and keepe the dore of our lippes all false inticementes to forbidden lustes wee shall gladly refraine and so escape the sinne it selfe the better This I say good Lorde we shall doe if thou worke with vs that is thou and thy power and thou and thy mercie shall doe it in vs. Which voutchsafe O father of heauen for thy vnmeasurable vnsearchable goodnesse sake Amen The eight Commaundement Thou shalt not steale Question HOwe can this commaundement possiblie stande with that opinion of communitie Ans Indéede no way for it manifestly ouerthroweth so vile an imagination and sheweth the distinction of dominions propriety in things was and is the ordinance of the Lorde For euerie prohibition sheweth an ordinance before established which should be obserued either in Gods lawes or mans though not alwaies expressely As the forbidding of murther sheweth preseruation of life to be the wil of God and the denyall of adulterie inferreth the liking of chastitie either in mariage or out So the forbidding of stealth which is an alienation of an other mans goods to our selues sheweth that euery thing is not our owne to take at our pleasure but proprietie in possession is the will of the Lorde For if all thinges be common there can be no stealth and so this law friuolous and to no purpose which God forbid we should affirme or thinke Que. Yet many haue bin of this opinion affirming that tyranny not diuinitie maketh this difference amongst men Ans It is verie true Yet I hope you sée how euideÌ„tly this law of God which I trow they will account diuinitie doth ouerthrowe them and their folly as do also all other lawes that may héereunto be reduced with many scriptures mo For as there can bee no stealth if all thinges be common and therefore this lawe of God as I saide in vaine giuen so there can be no buying or selling no borowing or lending no letting or leasing or any such thing amongst men if euery man haue like interest to take at his pleasure therfore the Lord God euen in these also greatly ouerséene for that he would troble himselfe to make lawes touching these matters when as no maÌ„ hath or ought to haue anie proprietie in anie thing more than an other Againe all the exhortations in the Scripture to almes déedes and to mercie toward the poore is friuolous for they haue as good right to take anie thing they want from anie man as the other haue to giue them But all these you sée are absurde and therefore the opinion and the contrary of it the wil and ordinance of the Lord. Que What is then the verie drift of this commandement Ans The verie end of it is this to bind our loue and care to our neighbors goods as before it hath béene to his life and things déere vnto him as his life For it cannot bee that our heartes shoulde bee right in affections towards our brethren and wee spoylers and wasters or anie way harmers of the commodities which they inioy Loue chéerisheth kéepeth euen euery thing so néere as it can which he accompteth of whome wee loue and especiallie which hee liueth by and maintaineth both himselfe and others by And therefore as I thinke we cannot take a better course to lay before our owne eyes that wants of loue in vs towards the goods of our neighbors and consequently our breaches of this commaundement than diligently to wey some particular dueties specified in the worde wherein the Lord God would haue our loue to show it selfe As for open rapine and plaine stealth no man I thinke wil excuse it or denie it to be sinne and therfore I stand not vpoÌ„ it your booke hath euident places quoted against it I come rather to those other duties of borowing and lending of hyring and letting of buying and selling and such like Que. First then what is the Lawe of borowing and lending in the worde Ans If a man saith the lawe borow anie thing of his neighbour Exod. 22.14 and it bee hurt or else die the owner of it not being by hee shall surelie make it good If it be an hyred thing he shal not make it good for it came for his hyre In which lawe if wee well wey
thee or if thou knowe him not 2. then thou shalt bring it vnto thy house and it shall remaine with thee vntill thy brother seeke after it then shalt thou deliuer it to him againe 3. In like maner shalt thou doe with his Asse and so shalt thou doe with his raiment and with all lost thinges of thy brother which hee hath lost if thou hast founde them thou shalt not withdrawe thy selfe from them Sée héere the loue of man to the goods of his brother in what sort the Lorde requireth it Nowe least the name of brother vsed here in this place shoulde deceyue vs to thinke wee are bounde but to our friendes in this duetie it is profitable to note howe in an other place in stéede of brother is put enimie and all these particulars neuerthelesse named If thou meete thine enimies oxe or affâ— going astray thou shalt bring him again and so foorth of the rest So that this being a fruite of loue which God requireth in vs all towardes the goods of all men bee they friendes or foes that wee shoulde kéepe them and chéerish them and in safetie restore them if wee finde them lost when once wee knowe the owners of them surely we must néede confesse that to conceile and retaine thinges founde of vs after wee knowe who shoulde haue them is plaine and flatte theft Yea it is a breach of conscience no doubt in this matter to enioy anie thing founde without truâ— testimonie in our selues that wee hauâ— vsed as manie meanes as wee coulde to learne out the looser as by asking by proclayming and such like This welâ— considered and waied should a litle morâ— awake such as bee Lordes of waife anâ— straies as we saie that they carie aâ— eye ouer their baliffes in that behalfe sâ— néere as they can to sée that they bring not sinne vppon them by making them vniust retainers of other mens goods 〈◊〉 â—omplaint common in most places and 〈◊〉 theft not to be warranted in any place Que. What is our duetie in buying â—elling Ans When thou sellest ought to thy â—eighbour saith the lawe or buiest at â—hy neighbors hand Leuit. 25.14 you shall not opâ—resse one an other meaning by deceite â—r any otherwise but according to the â—umber of yeares after the Iubile thou â—halt buie of thy neighbour 15. also accorâ—ing to the number of the yeares of the â—euenewes he shal sell vnto thee 16. Accorâ—ing to the multitude of yeres thou shalt â—ncrease the price therof according to â—he fewnes of yeres thou shalt abate the â—rice of it for the number of fruits doth he â—â—l vnto thee Oppresse not yee therefore â—ny man his neighbour 17. but thou shalt â—eare thy God For I am the Lord thy god â—n which law this I marke that when 〈◊〉 sel or buie I must show euen a loue to â—y brother a tender affection in that â—y dealing with him For so is it ment when it is said you shal not oppresse one â—nother Secondly that then consequently â—y gréedy affection may not set the price but the value of the thing and the benefite which it is likelie to yéelde For howe can I loue him and yet take more of him than I giue him that is more mony than the thing is worth Which things if they be wanting surely then our selling is deceite guile yea it is theft by this commaundement prooued For the verie equitie of this lawe as euerie one may plainlie sée was this that as good shoulde be giuen as taken and taken as giuen Euen that commutatiue iusticâ— which heathen men could see to be so neâ—cessarie in all contractes and bargans as that without it no trading could stande or societie indure Vpon which lawe well considered and soundâ—â— setled in our minds a godly man drawâ—eth these conclusions let vs thinke 〈◊〉 theÌ„ First it condemneth al ouersellinâ— I meane knowen and wilfull ouerseâ—â—ling of any thing for so say the wordâ— according to the number of yeares shaâ— thou sel that is if the Iubile be farre oâ— thou shalt sel dearer by reason the buâ—â— shal reape longer profite of it but if it 〈◊〉 neere then cheaper for the contrare reâ—â—son So that an equalitie of commodities present is plainely shot at in this law How then can they warrant their dealings to haue required loue in them who in respect either of passed losse or supposed possible in time to come doe inhaunce the price of the thinges they sell aboue the value of the things This dealing if you marke the wordes well could not be allowed amongst the Iewes And as yet I am ignorant of any larger coÌ„mission granted to vs to wrecke our selues vpon our brethren to robbe theÌ„ because God in his pleasure hath crossed vs with losse or may do hereafter Secondly it condemneth all vttering of naughty counterfeit coine or wares For first for the seller if he raise his price to the value of good wares then deliuer euill or counterfeit how doth he obserue an equalitie of commodotie And then for the buier if he beat it downe to as low a price as he may til be consent to giue so much for it and then deliuer counterfeit euill coine where is again the equitie of this law on his part who is bound by it to giue asmuch as good as hee taketh so néere as iudgement can any way serue him Thirdly it condemneth all lying in wayt to pray vpon one that must néeds sell for present mony to get his commoditie for halfe the value if I can when as rather I should for pitie giue him equalitie For what loue is this to the goods of my neighbor when I can be content euen to robbe him in his necessitie by taking that for a penie that is worth in mine owne conscience thrée and not to be bought vnder were his néede not so great Nowe sée and note then how commonlie yet fearefully for want of loue conscience to giue as good as we take our buying and selling one with an other is spotted stained with great and gréeuous theft For most assuredly euen as in the time of law if they obserued not a proportioÌ„ betwixt the Iubile yeare and their price they offended against the commaundement of theft so nowe the lawe béeing gone if the equitie of it be not obserued to wit equalitie of coÌ„moditie giuen and taken the same sinne is committed in the day of the Lord we shall find thâ— burthen of it Que. Thus then how ourloue should shew it selfe in these common duties we may easilie see nowe I pray you goe forwarde with other branches of this lawe Ans Oppression generally al is contrarie to that loue which the Lorde by this lawe séeketh to drawe out of vs therefore no doubt forbidden in the same And if in particulars wee list to lay it out First saith the worde Thou shalt not oppresse an hired seruaÌ„t Deut. 24.14 that is
â—â—e shillinges and eight pence In the â—â—uentéenth yere of Edward the fourth â—â—ey that kept dicing houses were to â—â—ue thrée yeares imprisonment and 〈◊〉 pounds fine Players at dice in â—â—ose houses two yeares imprisonment â—â—d ten pounds fine In the eleuenth â—â—are of Henrie the seuenth Dicers â—â—oulde be openlie set in the stockes by â—â—e space of one whole day and the â—â—use kéepers that suffered him to play â—â—rfeit a noble and be bounde to their â—â—od behauiour In the 33. yeare of â—enrie the eight Dicing houses forfetâ—d fortie shillings euerie time disers 〈◊〉 sÌ„.viij d. and bound in recognisance â—â—uer to play againe And yet more may 〈◊〉 sée in PultoÌ„s abridgemeÌ„t Now it is woonderfull that notwithstanding aâ— this yet so foule a thing shoulde séemâ— so faire and that a man should nâ—â— thinke himselfe vsed as a gentleman 〈◊〉 almost as a man vnlesse hee may haâ—â— libertie in this loosenesse and the largâ— reine to so great an euill And yet 〈◊〉 be Christians and that of the bettâ—â— sort too or you doe vs wrong The heaâ—then hated it and we hatch it vp in â—â—uerie house and yet we be Christian The godly writ against it wee waiâ— for it and yet we be Christians Tâ—â— councels haue condemned it in the spâ—â—rite of Christ and christian lawes haâ—â— most sharpely punished it wee day aâ—â— night vse it and cannot be reaued of 〈◊〉 and yet we be Christians But alas â—â—las the day of vnderstanding or the daâ— of damnation for our ignoraunce shaâ— teach vs an other thing We swearâ— we lie we reuile and wee runne inâ—â— the fielde with murthering mindes 〈◊〉 such anger is murther moued by plaâ—â— and yet we will not leaue it And if doe not thus in shewe yet inwardly frette I chafe I gnash with my téeth â—nd teare the Cardes burne the Dice â—hrow away the Tables and such like â—nd yet I am religious The Lorde â—orbiddeth all appearaunce of euill 1. Thes 5. all â—ccasions of sinne and yet wee are the Lordes and doe neither The Lorde saith If thy right hande cause thée to â—ffend or thy right eye cut it off plucke â—t out and cast it away wee will bee the Lordes and not restrayne a litle â—lay that mine owne soule being witnesse most gréeuouslie maketh mee offende Fie fie what deadnesse is this Where is either loue of God or feare 〈◊〉 vs Loue makes vs burne with desire to doe well feare makes vs shake â—o thinke of anie sinne we continually sinne in our gréedie gaming and yet we be godlie But this either makes vs sée it or we will neuer I feare sée the mischéefe of playing and by name of Dising The Lorde for Christ his sake â—wake vs and so I end Que. What is nowe contayned in the â—ffirmatiue part of this commaundement Ans Euen as al these former branches are forbidden so the contraries of them are commanded as in general al helpe al succor al care and prouidence for thâ— safetie and benefite of the goods of ouâ— neighbour that possibly wee can shewe And againe the right vse of our ownâ— goods as to the mainetainance of thâ— knowledge of God amongest vs to thâ— defence of the common wealth and thâ— magistrate to the nourishing of our faâ—mily to the reléefe of the poore Lastlâ— as diffidence and mistrust in Gods proâ—uidence for vs the roote of stealth vnâ—lawfull priuision for our selues was iâ— the negatiue part forbidden so here conâ—trariewise is faith and ful perswasion if we séeke his kingdome and the righâ—teousnes thereof these outward thingâ— shall be cast vnto vs commanded Math. 6. Thâ— punishment of this commaundemenâ— temporal or worldly was euer diuers 〈◊〉 diuers places somewhere death somâ—â—where but foure fold c. The spirituaâ— punishment as of all other commauâ—â—dementes was and is euerlasting damâ—nation 1. Cor. 6. Zach. 5. The Application NOw now my beloued to the worke of further fruit in our soules let vs lay this rule to them them to it and let vs euen heartilie I beséech you euerie man secretlie betwixt God and vs sée howe wee haue aunswered in obedience this law of our God father mercifull almightie We are bound by it generally to showe all loue carefull regard to our neighbors goods that we possiblie can to doe him with our owne goods what benefite we may In particulars if we will speake we are bound to lend We sée both when and what we may not hurting our selues profite our neighbours withal and to take no recompence vnlesse it be hurt which we lend Now looke I say if you haue euer obserued this thing without anie want Haue you doone it Nay haue you not often refused of a méere pinching an vnneighborly mind euen small matters when you haue béene verie earnestlie intreated adding often a lie to mende the matter withall saying that you either had not that which indéede you had or occupied it your self when indéede you did not And haue you not often contrarie to the lawe of God made in this behalfe taken reward when the thing you lent receyued no harme Surely your monie and manie thinges else doe witnesse against you Pledges For the lawe of pledges and taking of pawnes haue you neuer passed the bonds of loue or the limites of mercy in that respect Haue you neuer gone in to take what you could but stoode at the dore to receiue what he might spare you O that our hastie handes and harde heartes deserued not the wrath which in trueth they doe in this one thing Manie a time doe I greatly feare haue wee litle regarded the case of the partie whose pawne wee tooke so wee might bee safe our selues from our feared losse And if it were so surelie wee wanted loue and wee haue sinned Againe in the thinges commended to our kéeping Custodie let vs looke also a litle howe wee haue satisfied the lawe of God Wée shoulde neither denie for anie feare of harme thereby to kéepe for our neighbour which wee may better than hee defende neither conceile hurt purloyne or conuey away what euer anie trust reposed in vs hath brought into our custodie But manie a dogged nature denyeth the former and manie a couetous heart offendeth in the latter What say you of thinges which you haue founde being lost Haue you euer regarded euen as your owne to kéepe it to chéerishe it and to finde out the owner of it the straying beast of your neighbour and euen of your verie enimie Haue you neuer either of negligence or of malice and spite or by a pinching minde transgressed herein Consider it well And haue you neuer euen in the true testimonie of a good conscience retayned anie thing that euer you founde from the true owner if you knewe him neither euer neglected anie meanes to finde him out if you knewe him not Well were it with you if a priuie witnesse within you did not crie and saie that a gréedie
thâ— flocke and shall he so quietly passe them ouer that put in and place such dumâ— dogges and vnable drones to doe aniâ— duetie for their owne lucre Is it a token of loue to féede his shéepe to féedâ— his lambes and is it not a want of louâ— both to God and his lambes to put iâ— for my gaine such a drie nurse as caâ— giue no milke nor féede at all except 〈◊〉 be with follie and a fowle example of drinking swearing carding tabling â—owling sléeping and such like Thinke we if Ieremy were nowe aliue to suruey the parishes of this our countrey Ierem. 9.1 â—nd should sée the fearefull estate of so manie soules not able to tell howe they â—halbe saued or to prooue anie one prinâ—iple of religion not flying sinne beâ—ause they féele it not to be sinne nor â—auing light because they knowe it not â—o be light thinke we I say that hee â—hould not wish his head full of water â—nd his eies a fountaine of teares that â—e might wéepe day and night for the â—ame of Englande through these pouâ—â—ng patrones Assuredly hee would For the heart that harboreth any portiâ—n of pitie to the Lordes people or hath â—nie care what become of the price of â—hrist his bloud could neuer abide vnâ—uched déepe to sée so great a spoyle for â—orldly wealth of that which all the â—orlde cannot redéeme when it is lost â—he Lorde the Lorde looke vppon his â—hurch for his mercies sake and either â—â—ter the heartes of these Church robbers by giuing them to sée what hangeth ouer them and their posteritie mosâ— iustly for such a sinne or else plucke ouâ— of their handes by restoring disciplinâ— the bestowing of them any longer Next let vs weigh what goods we hauâ— euer gotten by vnlawfull gaming oâ— by false deceite in the same and rememâ—ber it hath béene prooued before a gréeâ—uous stealth Let vs also consider howâ— wee stande touching the affirmatiuâ— part of this commandement which weâ— are aswell bounde to performe as weâ— are to flie the contrarie as howe weâ— haue euer to the vttermost of our abilâ—â—tie preserued and cared for the goods oâ— our neighbours that they might be safe howe wee haue vsed our ownâ— wealth to the glorie of God the mainâ—taynance of the magistrate the defend of our countrey the comfort of our faâ—milie the reléefe of the poore and the eâ—stablishing of the knowledge of Goâ— amongest all Howe we haue abhorreâ— distrust in Gods prouidence the rooâ— of stealth and rested assured of his goodâ—nesse if we serued him with such likâ— Are we cleare and haue doone them all without reproofe or blemish If wee haue let vs boast and looke for life for our workes but if any thing touch vs and staine vs knowe and remember what S. Iames sayth He that is guiltie of one is guiltie of all And doth nothing touch vs that hath béene saide Hath neither hande by déede nor heart by thought euer straied in anie degrée O beloued he that sayth euen in this commandement he hath no sinne deceiueth himselfe and there is no truth in him Let vs therefore rather sée our sinne knowe our sinne bewaile our sinne and â—rie to the Lorde for his grace to clappe â—ould of Iesus Christ his sonne who â—ath filled this and euerie lawe for vs â—o the ende that we beléeuing might be â—aued by his righteousnesse The Lord giue vs pardon the Lorde giue vs faith the Lord change our liues to a better course for his blessed name and mercie sake Amen The ninth Commaundement Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour A commaundement teaching vs our dueties towardes the good name and credite of our brethren in speaking neuer anie thing of them which is vntrue as the former haue towardes their liues and goods Question THen by this it seemeth it should haue gone before the other in order because a mans name is dearer than either life or goods Ans It is true to some it is so buâ— not to all and rather doth the Lorde reâ—spect the multitude than a fewe anâ— the common nature of the vulgare sorâ— rather than the disposition of the better but farre lesser sort And first and forâ—â—most could the wise Oratour say by naâ—ture is it giuen to euerie kinde of creature to maintaine himselfe his life and bodie and to auoide whatsoeuer may bée anie way hurtfull to the same Noting in effect the other to followe but in a seconde degrée Que. What right is there to establish this lawe Ans Euen a thréefould right as you haue heard and séene in the former For first the Lorde himselfe is true and trueth it selfe hating euer and abhorring falsehood and therefore verie méete that he should séeke the establishing of the same amongest his children and the carefull auoyding of the contrarie Secondly the verie light of nature hath euer taught it to men that lying is to be â—oathed and hath made them crie Socrates is my friende and Plato is my â—riende but trueth before and aboue â—hem both Wherefore verie méete 〈◊〉 was and right that this lawe of â—ature shoulde bee strengthened and â—aintained by the Lorde Lastly withâ—ut trueth there is no safetie in mens â—ounselles bargans méetinges conferences and such like and therefore most fit and necessarie that for the staie of truth amongest vs and the auoyding of the contrarie the Lorde should make one lawe at the least The equitie of it then you sée is great And nowe to the particular branches of it as they lie in your booke Where the first named hurt and annoyance of my brothers credite is false witnesse bearing when in open place of iustice and iudgement or anie where else anie man shall of euill will and malice or for lucre or fauour of others testifie or depose that which is vntrue against his neighbour Which thing howe horrible it is may first appeare by due considering the price of an honest name 1. reason and good report in the worlde amongest our brethren Which as the wise man saieth is to be chosen aboue great riches Prou. 22.1 and louing fauour aboue goulde and siluer And in an other place Eccles 7.3 A good name iâ— better than a good ointment Becausâ— that thereby we smell as it were swéeteâ—ly vnto many to the edifying of them and working manie thinges in them bâ— our perswasions which others coulde not of whom they haue or do not thinke and heare so well Philip. 4.8 The Apostle Paule also in that excellent spéech of his to the Philippians which I often verie wilâ—ingly remembeÌ„r vnto you noteth effectually howe déere vnto a Christian any thing should be that belongeth to a good name and the working of a good report amongest men of vs. For whatsoeuer thinges my brethren sayth hee are true whatsoeuer thinges are honest whatsoeuer thinges are iust whatsoeuer thinges are pure whatsoeuer thinges are worthie loue whatsoeuer thinges are of good report if there be anie verâ—ue or if there
there be any praise thinke of these thinges c. Againe 1. Petr. 2.12 S. Peter in his epistle I beseech you deerely beâ—oued as pilgrimes and strangers abstaine from fleshly lustes which fight against the soule and haue your conuerâ—ation honest among the Gentilles that â—hey which speake of you as of euill doers may by your good workes which â—hey shall see glorifie God in the day of visitation What is this but euen plainely ynough haue a care of your dooinges that your good name may neuer iustly bee touched and stained of anie And a number mo such pithie perswasions in this behalfe hath the worde But I passe them ouer and remember vnto you that pretie saying of the godlie father S. Chrysostome Chrysost de communi sermone so fitly at this time confirming my perswasion There are two thinges sayth hee necessarie for thée as thou art a Christian man and woman to wit a good conscience and a good name the former for thy self the later for thy neighbour But alas saith an other Plures famam Plin. lib. 3. pauci conscientiam verentur Manie are afraide of the touch of their fame but fewe of the hidden breach of their conscience Adde vnto these if you list also the iudgementes of the heathen and first of him whose words be these Cic. offi 3. there is nothing so great neither any commoditie in the worlde so of thée to be estéemed and desired as that for it thou shouldest blemish the beautie and brightnesse of the good name of a good man For desire euer sayth an other rather to heare well than to be rich yea preferre it in thy heart to leaue vnto thy posteritie an honest report and name before heapes of anie riches whatsoeuer For riches are ficle and soone dispersed but a good report is permanent and neuer dyeth Againe by a good name may wealth bee gotten but not againe by wealth a good name Lastly riches are common to the good and bad but a good report is proper onely to the good Que. And howe may a man or woman best breede a good report of them Ans Agesilaus was once asked the same question and he made this aunswere If thou speakest euer what is the best and doest the thing that is most honest Socrates thus if from thy heart thou indeuour in all truth to be as thou desirest euer to be thought to be For a fame that is gotten by giftes or hypocrisie will neuer indure but perishe Wherefore nowe if the worde of God the testimonies of his children and the â—erie light of nature in heathens haue euer so commended a good name iudge we heereby if we wil be taught what a sinne it is to be a false witnesse against this preciouse treasure and iewell of my neighbour his good name Iudge we what a monster before the face of God he is that for the satisfaction either of his owne or other mens cursed natures séeketh to depraue to bite and slander any man wrongfully be the discredite he worketh neuer so small And thus much for my first reason The seconde I drawe from the punishment which hath vsually hapned vnto this vice either by gods expresse commaundement amongest the Iewes or secret working in the heartes of magistrates in other places For verie effectually haue I euer thought bewrayed by these thinges the foulnesse of false witnesse bearing The lawe of God sayde thus Deut. 19.16 c. If a false witnesse rise vp against a man to accuse him of trespasse Then both the men which striue together shall stande before the Lorde euen before the priestes and the iudges which shal be in those daies And the iudges shall make diligent inquisition and if the witnesse be founde false and hath giuen false witnesse against his brother then shall ye doe vnto him as he hadde thought to doe vnto his brother so thou shalt take euel away forth of the middest of thee And the rest shall heare this and feare and shall henceforth commit no more anie such wickednesse amongest you Therefore thine eie shall haue no compassion but life for life eie for eye tooth for tooth hande for hande foote for footh A meruelous lawe if the spirite of féeling worke withall to print in vs for euer a true conceite of the perfect hatred wherewith God abhorreth false witnesse bearing Beside which lawe marke what Salomon sayeth Prou. 19.5 A false witnesse shall not be vnpunished and he that speaketh lies shall not escape For howsoeuer the lande of the Lorde which is euer full of mercie and long suffering euen towardes the wicked may spare them for a time yet in the â—nde with sharpenesse of his rodde will â—e recompence the long differring of it And what maruell if we marke the naâ—ure of the sinne For doeth not a false witnesse abuse the iudge hurt his neighbour make the place of iustice and right the nurcerie of sinne and gréeuous wronges doth he not cause the Lorde to set in the eies of men the crowne of innocencie vpon the offenders heade and to put the halter about the iust mans necke Than the which dishonor what can be greater against the Lorde of life and louer of right to pul vpon vs his heauie hande Pericles an heathen man could say we must be a friende to our friende no further than the altar That is no further than GOD and a good conscience guided by his worde may warrant vnto vs. But wee in these daies estéeme not a strawe of that man or woman that will sticke to lend vs an othe at anie time when we stand in néede be the matter neuer so false and foule For hee is no friende which is not euer a friende to féede our filthie humour with all wicked and wrongfull vsage of himselfe But woe vnto vs wicked wretches for so great and gréeuous sinne against the Lorde and also our selues For doe I not tremble and shake euerie ioynt of mee to preâ—erre anie mortall man in loue before â—ny God and so to become vnworthie of him for euer Yet this I doe when I â—are doe for him what God forbiddeth me to doe for him and I thinke not of â—t Should an earthly bonde of earthlie mindes together worke a fearefull fiâ—all confusion both of bodie and soule â—n the flashing flame of bottomlesse hell â—or euermore without regarde Yet â—his it doeth to speake vntrueth for my â—riendes fauour when committed sinne â—hould reape a iust punishment in this worlde that bodie and soule might both â—emaine in comfort hereafter I stay â—he rest of gods reuenging iudgementes â—ppon false witnesses till I come to â—he ende of the commaundement and â—hus for this time passe ouer this â—oint The next thing that your booke layâ—th downe is lying an other foule â—reache of this commaundement conâ—emned of God improoued by reason â—nd eschewed euer of all gods children 〈◊〉 some measure Scripture Cast off saith the Apostle lying and speake the trueth euerie man to his
nowe adaies of gods iust plagues vpon this sinne But I will not runne ouer them nowe Easilie may they be turned too in our owne Church storie Onely these two I cannot omit First how Hamelton the Scot being brought vnto his death by the false accusation of a false Frier called Campbell when he was in the fire cited and summoned the sayde Frier to appeare before the high God as generall iudge of all men to answere to the innocencie of his death and whether his accusation was iust or not betwixt that and a certaine day of the next moneth which hee there named and ere that day came the Fryer died without any remorse of conscience that he had persecuted the innocent And secondly howe Calice men in the daies of King Henrie the 8. being falsely accused escaped safe from the danger of such witnesses and they themselues a iust plague vppon their iniquitie hanged drawen and quartred ere they went home Therefore let vs euer tremble to prouoke the Lorde by this sinne let vs speake a trueth if we doe speake at all and shame to lie euen of the deuill The daily beggeries discredits shames and deathes strange and fearefull of such as haue made no conscience by false witnesse bearing to pollute their consciences ought mightilie to moue vs and verie effectually to perswade vs neuer to doe it For God to vs as he hath béene to others will most assuredly shew himselfe either at first or at last at one time or other when our sinne is the same and he no changeling in his nature at all And thus much of this commaundement The Application NOwe let vs weigh the guilt or innocencie of our soules if the Lorde should call vs to an account for this his lawe Generallie wee sée the care that should be in vs to preserue the credite and good name of all men and what heart so dull or dead and past all féeling that it doth not espie euen a generall want in it selfe concerning the same Generally all trueth would the Lorde by this lawe haue loued cherished and maintained and the contrarie hated shunned and auoyded but what eie so blinde that cannot sée the course we commonly take and the race wee wholy runne to the maintaynaunce of the vice and rooting out almost of the vertue from amongest vs But consider the particulars one by one and so shall we reape most profit Haue you neuer in all your life testified of your neighbour an vntrueth publikely for fauour or gaine or hatred or any cause whatsoeuer Haue you neuer slipped neither in your owne behalfe nor your friendes nor your towne and liberties nor anie way But haue euer dealt in all the testimonies that euer you gaue as you dare abide gods searching eie to iudge you Consider well the matters that you haue dealt in remember the times past remember the sutes that haue béene made vnto you and peraduenture the rewardes that haue béene offered you also and if you be cleare and no way to be touched though God sift you neuer so narrowly be glad and giue God praise But if you can not if you may not if you dare not cleare your selfe both because a guiltie conscience accuseth you within and because both men and matters may be produced and named for whom and wherein affection hath led you giftes corrupted you malice incensed you sin stayned you then sée it sée it in the feare of God and thinke of it confesse it was naught acknowledge your blemish consider this lawe that so flatly forbiddeth it tremble vnder the hande of the God of heauen that hath euer plagued it either by one way or an other in a mans selfe or his séede in this worlde or the other And so by the grace of God shall sight bréede sorowe and amendment of life hereafter Fie of that affection that damneth our soules wo worth the gaine that getteth vs hell And accursed is that iuror and witnesse that so respecteth his present purpose as that hee casteth away the care of God of life of hell of death of ciuill honestie fame and good name in his countrey and dwelling neuer able after to come in companie where hee may not feare the touch in talke of his ill dealing Certainely certainely if a good name be aboue gould and siluer a false witnesse is the drosse and dregges of the world that the Lorde hateth and euerie honest heart verie perfectly loatheth The next branch that breaketh our obedience and dutie to the Lorde in this lawe is lying Lying the foule filth whereof hath in part before béene displaied and opened And nowe it remaineth but to consider our course and how gréeuously guiltie we are before God of this ougly vice Where is that man that woman that aged or younger that will cleare themselues from all blotte or staine in this behalfe Doth not euerie maister in his man euerie mistres in her maide finde it mislike it hate and abhorre it Doth not euerie estate finde it in other And God in vs all to the iust incensing of his wrath and furie against vs If we can cleare our selues let vs if we can not where is our righteousnesse where is our perfection where are our merites Nay why dread we not the death that is the desert of lying lippes O sift and search the guilt of guilefull tongue couer it not excuse it not remember what I haue sayde of it before mocke not God dallie not with your damnation hate to bee the childe of the foule fiende and with sorowe in trueth for passed securitie flie with perseuerance for euer hereafter so sinfull iniquitie Truth may be blamed but it can neuer be shamed yea euen man in the ende shall like it and God for euer blesse it and crowne it There followe then in the booke as particulars of this generall flattering Flatterie c. and dissembling and telling false tales behinde our neighbours backe Concerning the first what should I say Should I aske whether you haue or doe offende should I make a question of it or bring you into doubt with your selfe whether you haue héerein faulted or no Alas howe want I rather words to moue vs to repentance than proofes of dayly practise to conuict vs of transgression Helpe Lord Psalm 12. helpe may I truly say with Dauid for good and godly men doe perish and decay and faith and trueth from worldly men is parted cleane away Who so doeth with his neighbour talke his talke is all but vaine for euerie man bethinketh how to flatter lie and faine But what followeth Certainely euen that which we shall finde if God by his grace change not our heartes to more sinceritie For we make no conscience to lie to flatter to fawne to halt to â—ogge to glose and dissemble honestie pietie friendshippe and fauour loue and obedience faithfulnesse and trust and whatsoeuer may be profitable to vs euen from morning to night from we rise till wee goe to bed and then howe
and a gréeuous breach of this commaundement Wee should couer in charitie what no bodie knoweth but wee if the partie will be reformed euen as willingly and readily as euer wee would our selues finde fauour for our infirmities But doe we it Is my brothers shame my griefe is his credite déere vnto me as my life Goe I backewarde with a cloke on my backe to cast vpon his offence loth that either others or I my selfe should sée it as good Sem and Iapheth did to their bared father in his drunkennesse Gen. 9.23 No no wee grinne and laugh rather with cursed Cham and blabbe it out to others Good beloued let vs weigh our wantes and neuer make our vices vertues God asketh but our confession in griefe and sorowe and he will heale vs. It is a branch and a breach of this commandement and therefore no thing to be continued in But I dwell too long in this spéech vnto you Many things mo might yet be rehearsed but sée them your selues and let my silence passe them These fewe bewraye our want of perfect obedience to the lawe and so consequently of anie life and safely by the workes of the same And therefore I hope we clearely perceiue that without a Sauiour wee were but lost make what distinctions we can of obedience of iustification or such like Fast cleaueth to vs and cannot bee denied gréeuous guilt against both this lawe and all the former and cursed is he which abideth not in all to doe them sayeth the Lorde Deutro 27 Iam. 2.10 Galat. 3.11 He that is guiltie of one is guiltie of all and by the workes of the lawe can no flesh liuing be iustified For the iust shall liue by faith Wee haue not doone all but wee haue broken much and therfore the conclusion lighteth vpon vs and all the subtilties of all the wittes in the worlde can not remooue it from vs if the Lorde should marke what we haue doone amisse but in this one lawe of his and iudge vs thereunto and by we are not able to abide it wee are cast away Therefore let vs flie from the lawe as fast as euer wee can and take the right vse of it thereby to be led vnto Christ and let this be our firme comfort Galat. 4.4 that When the fulnesse of time was come God sent foorth his sonne made of a woman and made vnder the lawe that he might redeeme vs from the curse thereof and so by him wee might receiue the adoption of sonnes which without him we could neuer attaine to This is sure and this is comfortable to hould by and the Lorde increase this faith in vs euer The tenth Commaundement Thou shalt not couet thy neighbors house thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife nor his c. Wherein saith your booke the Lorde plainely forbiddeth all inwarde desire of anie thing vnlawfull to be done although we neuer consent vnto it as the rebellion of the flesh all corruption of the olde man all blotte of originall sinne so that by this commaundement most clearely we may see the image of that man that pleaseth God euen such an one in whom nothing is impure neither in will nor nature Question YEt playner I pray you if you can set downe the difference of this commaundement from the other for as I haue heard some haue halfe thought it superfluous seeing as the former did also forbid the inwarde thought aswell as the outwarde act Ans It is as plaine as may be alreadie yet to content you thus ouer againe The former commaundementes did forbid the act and the setled or consenting thought of the heart though the déede were not doone as for example the precept of killing forbiddeth the déede and with all once to thinke in heart to doe such a déede with a resolution verily to accomplish it if I can But nowe this commaundement commeth néerer and condemneth not onely that thought that is setled and lacketh but oportunitie to doe the déede but euen the verie thinking also of any thing contrarie to the loue of God or my neighbour though I doe neuer consent to it but snubbe it mislike it and reiect it For euen that hauing of an euill thought in my minde is a fruite of my corruption such as in innocencie if we had stood we should neuer haue had and therefore naught So there are two degrées of thoughtes the one with consent to accomplish in déede what we do thinke if we can and the other without consent repulsed away when wee awake and sée it The former in the former commandementes was forbidden and the later in this A strange doctrine in shewe no doubt to manie that thinke this their thought is frée But we must not maruell since euen the Apostle Paul himselfe would neuer haue suspected anie danger in concupiscence lustes and desires if the lawe had not sayde Thou shalt not lust or desire Rom. 7.7 Nay it appeareth verie plainely in that place sayth a godly man that he thought maruelous well of himselfe before hee came to this commandement He tooke himselfe before to be liuing and in good liking towardes God and godlinesse but when he had looked vpon this lawe and beheld himselfe a while in this part of the glasse he sawe himselfe plainele to be no bodie but a dead man sould vnto sinne And therefore a thousande times néedefull that the Lorde should adde this lawe to all the rest to humble vs throughly séeing so singular a man was not fully cast downe before he had wrestled with the iustice of God in the same Let vs therfore thinke of this thing that séemeth so litle in our eies For wee heare what the Apostle sayth it is sinne to desire Rom. 7.7 and we may ioyne vnto it the words of the Lorde himselfe affirming plainely that the verie imagination of mans heart is euill euen from his youth Gen. 8.21 God hath made the heart aswell as the bodie to séeke his glorie and therefore good reason the cogitations of the hart should no more straie from their true end than the actions of the bodie Neither may our reiection of such thoughtes in the ende and not consenting vnto them to accomplish them in act bleare our eies with an imagination that we haue not offended in them in going so farre as we went For it is a blemish a want an impietie and a degrée of vnchastitie in a woman to suffer the cogitation of anie forren friende beside her husbande to tickle her with conceite vnlawefull though in the ende she repulse it and abhorre to accomplish it and howe can it then be faultlesse in these hearts of ours the spouse of the Lorde to dallie with such delightes and to pursue in minde by thinking of them the pleasures that such conceites doe pleade before vs though in the conclusion we giue the deniall and do not consent O it is a greater matter to loue the Lorde with all the heart than that it may
our thoughtes offende and what most carefully we are to take héede of Also I further consider the maruelous care and strict regard that euerie Christian man and woman ought to haue of their senses séeing all euill thoughtes are forbidden For it is the eie and the eare that sendeth in sinne in store into our hearts and neuer shall we haue the one reformed vnlesse there be a stable couenaunt made with the other Iob. 31.1 The heart will conceiue wickedly if the eies fréely behoulde vanities But checke the one and ye stay the other maruelouslie And no more quench you the fire by withdrawing the wood than assuredly you staie the course of wicked conceites when you watch and warde well ouer your senses Que. But I pray you what shall wee thinke of dreames which seeme to be sinnefull and we cannot amende them Ans We must consider the causes of them and thereby aswell as we can growe to some right conceit of our offending by them and in them The causes are either inwarde or outwarde and of inwarde either the minde it selfe or the bodie For often doth the minde the bodie sléeping and the senses resting remember those thinges which it waking conceiued and either desired or feared Also the diuerse complexion and temperature of the bodie occasioneth diuers kindes of dreames whereby the physition will guesse the nature of the bodie and causes of disease in the sicke Cholericke men will dreame of fires and downefaules Melancholicke men of monstrous and horrible thinges The phlegmatike of waters and dull matters And the sanguine of pleasant and comfortable euentes The outwarde causes are also diuers as the influence of the heauens the circumstance of elementes necessitie and want some hapning chance and such like Thus doe hungry men dreame of meat drunken men of moysture and so foorth Quae vigilantes cogitauimus ea solent postea dormientibus obuersari sayth one That is Such thinges as waking wee earnestly thought of euen such thinges often wee sleeping dreame of Aucupibus volucres aurigae somnia currus The fouler dreames that birdes he takes And carters cart his visions makes Therefore these things thus knowen and weighed if we dreame wickedly to name no particulars let euerie one consider well what occasion in him selfe he can finde of the same and if his owne disorder either in dyet or spéech or meditation or anie way hath done it then néedeth he none to tell him his conscience is a thousande witnesses hee hath offended Thus answered Gregorie byshoppe of Rome when he was writ vnto for his iudgement of this matter and if I can find in my selfe none of all these to procure it in me yet knowe if it be euill it is a frute of corruption and weigh well the lawe of the Lorde in this behalfe laide downe Plutarch saith Leuit. 15. Honest dreames are an argument of vertue in a man and then me thinke in reason a contrarie effect should bewray a contrarie cause The same man saith Peruersorum somnia semper turbata De virt viti Plutarch Euill mens dremes are cōmonly troublesome But I referre you for more of this to others And this onely I say againe the bodie well ordred and the minde well occupied hardly shall our dreames feare vs for euill Que. What nowe then might be the affirmatiue part of this commaundement Ans If thus wee sée all wandring wayes from vpright integritie be they but euen in thought and that also in the least degrée without any consent to be by this lawe condemned as impure what should we sée on the contrary part to be commanded but euen a full perfect and absolute conformitie both of minde will appetite and whatsoeuer is in man to the lawe of God That which Moses in these words describeth Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart Deutro 6.5 and with all thy soule and with all thy might Luke 10.27 and our Sauiour Christ doth adde vnto it for plainenesse sake with all thy thought That also which S. Paule describeth thus This is the will of God euen your sanctification 1. Thess 4.7 and that yee should abstaine from fornication that euerie one of you shoulde knowe howe to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour and not in the lust of concupiscence and so foorth From which exact perfection looke howe farre our conscience truely awaked doeth tell vs we are wanting euen so farre accursed stande we before the Lorde for not fulfilling all if wee had not a Sauiour Que. Is there anie punishment outwarde appointed to this lawe Ans No and that because man can not iudge the guilt of hidden heart But it suffiseth to feare any man that feareth any thing to consider that the spiritual punishment allotted vnto it as to the rest is eternall death and endlesse torture both of bodie and soule for euermore in flame of lasting fire Onely one storie that I remember there is recorded of some outwarde execution vppon an inward thought and that is of Glaucus King of Sparta Herodotus who for conceiuing but a thought to retaine Milesius his pledge committed to his kéeping yet not dooing it was vtterly destroyed both he and his and so foretolde by the Oracle whereat he asked counsell The Application LEt vs weigh now well what hath béene sayd I beséech you and neuer spare to speake or feare to confesse if not openly before the worlde yet secretly in our heartes vnto the Lorde what due regarde of passed course compared with this lawe shall make vs sée Though we were able which yet neuer any could but Iesus Christ to stande cleare before the Lorde in all the former preceptes either for déede or thought yet are we neuer able to say wee are cleare of this For consider hath there neuer thought but good crept into that heart of yours within at no time since the day that you were first able to thinke a thought till this present houre weigh it well And what though you haue neuer consented to it yet wo wo vnto vs for consent wee sée neuerthelesse by this lawe of God that we are but gone For here is condemned the verie entrance and beeing of anie vile conceit within vs for any time though vpon some better wakening we repell it and abhorre it and thrust it away without his act And who is able to say he neuer thought awry in the least maner or measure that might be Nay what conscience cryeth not if it be a litle rowsed that in verie fearefull manner measure we haue all herein transgressed and offended Call out our houses and chambers wherein and vnder which we haue liued aske the fieldes the gardens the walles and hedges where we haue often walked summon the seates where we haue sit examine the pillowes whereon our heades could take no rest what guilt against our heartes in this behalfe they well can witnesse euery one of them Shall they not speake first one by one and
also All contreyes and all people to conclude that haue liued vnder anie good gouernement haue abhorred it Salomon sendeth the idle bellie to learne his dutie of the verie vilest creature the pismire who laboureth in sumâ—mer to liue in winter Prou. 6. and whose maâ—ny litle cariages as you sée make 〈◊〉 great heape at last And in an otheâ— place he sayeth that he which will noâ— plowe because it is cold Chap. 20. shall begge hiâ— breade when it is warme and no maâ— shall giue him which is worse euen puâ—nishing iustly his great slouth Therâ— was a litle tittle tattle when time waâ— they say betwixt the grashopper and thâ— pismire and we may laugh at it yeâ— looke better about vs as admonished bâ— it The grashopper hauing passed thâ— summer ouer merily as her customâ— is singing and tuning the notes of 〈◊〉 thoughtlesse minde vnder euerie leafe at last when winter came on begannâ— to shake and to goe to bedde with aâ— emptie bellie manie a night to the great weakening of her liuely limmes and the quite marring of all her muâ—sicke To steale shée refuseth of heâ— honest nature and to begge shee iâ— ashamed for feare to be mocked Yeâ— néede maketh the olde wife trotteâ— they say and modestie in this hungriâ— â—â—eature must yéelde to necessitie To 〈◊〉 therefore shée goeth and hauing a â—ealthie neighbour not farre off that 〈◊〉 laboured sore all summer and â—â—de vppe much good vitaile to her 〈◊〉 commeth and craueth some sucâ—â—ur at her hande Who by and by â—â—maunded of her what shee did all â—â—mmer Alas sayeth the grashopâ—â—r I sung and litle remembred â—is change Did you so sayth the â—â—t in déede did you sing all sumâ—er Nowe trust me for mee you all daunce all winter for I liue 〈◊〉 my labour and I will neuer mainâ—â—ine idlenesse in anie Thus reâ—â—iued slouth a checke when it looâ—â—d for helpe and wee warned by it â—â—ay learne this morall to labour â—â—ast we lacke Optimum obsonium â—pectute labor sayth one They are â—ood refreshinges in our age the welâ—estowed trauelles of our youth â—eares passe and strength fayles â—â—tte nothing in youth and haue â—â—thing in age But O careâ—â—sse heartes of ours and headie will who can perswade this or beate it into the heades of young men and maydes of seruantes and such as are comminâ— on No no we will hoppe and daunce tipple and drinke banket and reuelâ— what counsell soeuer is giuen vs to thâ— contrarie with that litle we haue anâ— sing care away And a litlegaie apparell on the backe is worth much moneâ— in the chest But wise is he whome other mens harmes can cause to takâ— héede Sicknesse may come and euerâ— maister will not keepe a sicke seruant mayme may fall to vs and wee theâ— may heare it I haue no wages vnlesâ— you could worke many thinges maâ— happen and a mans owne is his ownâ— and great is gods blessing to faithfuâ— labour as trulie his plagues are noâ— litle or rare to idlenesse and slouth Que. Well sir then since labour wâ— must and so liue I pray you is not euerâ— labour commendable Ans No indéede For the Apostle iâ— the place I named before maketh 〈◊〉 distinction which I pray you markâ— and sayeth Ephes 4.18 Let him labour with 〈◊〉 owne handes the thing that is good as â—f he should haue said there are labours which are naught and yet labours too Wherefore it is not ynough to make â—s guiltlesse of this commaundement â—o say we get that we haue by labour â—ut it must be good labour sayth Paule â—ust labour and lawefull labour The which distinctioÌ„ ouerthroweth al maintaynance gotten by massing by iugling â—y charming by playing interludes by â—idling and pyping vppe and downe the â—ountrey by carying about beares and â—â—pes by telling of fortunes and such like trades mentioned in the statute of this lande touching vagabundes For though they be labours and make them â—weate often some of them yet want they warrant in the worde to prooue them good and lawefull labours And therefore subiect to the penaltie of this lawe before God Que. And I pray you let me adde one thing more because you say all labours must be lawefull what if a man in the pursuite of a pyrate or anie enemie in fielde get a spoyle whether is it lawefull to retaine it and conceile it or it is stealth so to doe The labour is iust honest and lawefull Ans Truely I must néedes answere you that albeit the labour in resisting and repelling any enimie be commendable and good and therefore goods so gotten lawfully possessed of the Prince the léefetenant Gen. 14. the generall or chiefe whosoeuer yet is there no warrant that euerie souldier should bee his owne caruer and take what he can get But the custome law of all well ordered wars is this or should be that what spoyle soeuer is got and not giuen before hand by the captayne to the souldiers ought by them to be brought vnto him and by him to be disposed to euerie man geometrically that is according to euerie mans seruice and worthinesse 1. Sam. 30.20 c. noâ— Arithmetically that is to euerie man alike And if anie man of his owne gréedinesse alienate to himselfe anie thing any otherwise than thus thaâ— is either with a generall guift of thâ— captaine to take what he can or a particular guift to take this and thus much surely that possession is not warranted by Gods lawe but lighteth vnder this commaundement For as for a mans labour first hee oweth â—t both to God and to his countrey and then he hath his sette pay for it which hee agréeeth to as sufficient and therefore he should not serue his gréedie affection disorderly As for the case of pyrates if vpon anie cost they be taken and imprisoned surely â—t is verie barbarous crueltie to leaue them vtterly vncomforted with anie portion of that which was taken aâ—out them and with them euen so that for foode they starue ere euer their cause bee hearde This spoyle to â—péede our selues and spill our breâ—hren in this lamentable and vnmercifull manner what defence soâ—uer it may haue by lawe of man â—urely it sauoreth not of that compasâ—ion and tender bowelles of pittie which is required by the lawe of GOD. And therefore I include it where no doubt the day of iudgement will finde it euen within the forbidden braunches of this commandement Que. I take your answere and therefore nowe followe your owne course againe Ans It is nowe time to drawe to an ende and there yet remaine to be some what touched the theft of the heart through gréedie couetousnesse and the theft of the tongue by false and filthie flatterie Wherefore a litle of these also as of the other That this commandement then doeth reache vnto the thoughtes and inwarde conceits of the heart it is first prooued by that reason that often before hath béene alleadged namely because the lawegiuer is
spirituall and therefore his lawes not resting onely in outwarde actions as mens lawes doe Secondly by that spéech concerning adulterie which is true in all the commaundementes Hee that looketh Mark 7.23 and lusteth or coueteth hath sinned And by the testimonie of our Sauiour Christ who reckneth couetousnesse amongst those thinges that procéeding out and not going in difile a man To all which Chrysostome subscribeth and sayeth In Thes homilia 11. Auarus fur latro est A couetous man is a theefe Nowe what couetousnesse is albeit euerie man for the acquaintance that he hath with it may knowe yet doe I thus define it to be a damnable vice of the mind pricking and prouoking vs to followe after filthy lucre Which thing without the name and euen vnder the name is maruelously inueighed against in the scripture Chap. 2.5 The prophet Habacuc cryeth out against the heart that inlargeth his desire as the hell and is as death and cannot be satisfied but gathereth vnto him all nations and heapeth vnto him all people No he that coueteth an euill couetousnesse to his house that he may set his nest on heigh to escape from the power of euill Thou hast consulted shame to thine owne house by destroying many people and hast sinned against thine owne soule The stone shall cry out of the wall and the beame of the timber shall answere it wo to him that buildeth a towne by bloud and erecteth a citie by iniquitie and so foorth It is cryed out against in the gospell called the roote of all euill idolatrie and a thing not to be named amongest Christians Luke 12. 1. Timoth. 6. Ephes 5. Coloss 3. There is no speciall calling amongest men whereunto by name this vice is not forbidden as a venome of all vertue in euerie degrée in Princes in iudges in ministers in all it is forbidden and surely this is no small argument to a Christian man against it Fearefully punished was it in Gehezi the prophets man in Achan and a number mo And to conclude our scriptures Iob the seruant of the Lorde most notablie sheweth Iob. 31. howe hee shunned it Psal 119. and Dauid with all the heat of his heart prayeth against it O Lorde let my heart be neuer inclined to coueteousnesse I might recite the lawes oâ— God against raking their landes too cleane in the time of haruest Deut. 24.19 against gathering so cleane their grapes in thâ— time of vintage as that nothing was left for the poore All which directly shoote at the shame of this sinne in 〈◊〉 professour of godlinesse And I mighâ— also heape vp héereunto a thousandâ— testimonies of men heathen and Christian vttered in detestation of this foule sinne But whom the word feares not men shall hardly moue Onely a spéech or two I cannot passe ouer which pretily describe the corruption of our nature De breuitate vitae Omma tanquam mortales timemus omnia tanquam immortales concupiscimus sayth Seneca That is Wee stand in feare of diuers things as though we thought we could die but we couet so as though we thought we should neuer die Fortune sayth an other hath giueÌ„ too much to many but ynough to none And againe Non solum auarus est quirapit aliena August sed qui cupidè seruat sua He is not onely couetous which greedilie catcheth at more but he also which pinchinglie spareth that which he hath Whereof verie excellentie speaketh both Salomon and Syrac Eccles 6.1 Syrac 14.3 paynting out the filth of this follie to haue the blessinges of GOD and yet to want no thing more through a miserable minde than the blessinges of GOD. But I will followe no further this common place this litle which I haue spoken I haue doone it to giue vs a tast of this subtle sinne which with griefe we may marke those men and women verie gréeuously assaulted withall and fearefully ouercome after their profession made of Gods trueth and his glorious gospell who in the dayes of their vanitie before their calling neuer felt any such temptation So séeketh Sathan to slander the worde and to hinder the credit of the gospell When he cannot longer detaine vs in swearing in excesse of diet or apparell in adulterie and vncleannesse in spoyling and spending wastfully Gods giuen graces and in other fruites of ignorance and of an vnreformed soule then créepeth he in and draweth vs subtlelie ere euer wee espie him to the other extremitie euen greater care to get and nearer séeking howe to saue than can or may stande with the credit of the trueth which we professe or calling often which wee haue in the common wealth This is too true wee sée examples daylie and mens owne heartes being well examined shall confesse it The Lorde then giue vs iudgementes to sée and heartes to abhorre so foule an euill For what a derogation from Gods promises and damnable mistrust is this when wee doe feare God and serue him attende to his worde vse his Sacramentes forbid sinne in others and forbeare it our selues then so to looke at wife and children and other expenses as that we feare to want who liuing before in a farre looser sort neuer doubted yet anie such defect Will God bee worse to men when they followe him than hee was when they forsooke him Surelie an eye must be had vnto this thing and â—erie déere vnto must be the credite of the Gospell that others by vs may be woonne vnto it or at least none deterâ—ed from it God strengthen vs for satan is subtill and we are soone deceiued And truely better wee had neuer giuen our names to Christ than by any faithâ—esse gréedinesse or vnséemely hardnes to ouerthrowe all againe and hinder by offence others that are yet without The earth is the Lords and the Lord â—s ours if wee serue him with all that either heauen or earth hath to doe vs good withall Que. And what of the stealth of the eye Ans The eye is saide to steale because it maketh the heart to couet For by our eyes créepe in desires into our heartes both in this behalfe which nowe wee meane and in other also as before hath béene saide By the eye first did Achab steale Nabothes vineyarde 1. King 21. and then by his eye the desire of it créept into his heart And the Prophete saith They couet feeldes meaning no doubte which they sawe to lie commodious for them Wherefore Gods children must stop the verie first beginnings and lookâ— to their eyes Mach. 2.2 and eares that they makâ— no flame which God or charitie doth mislike and let vs learne to thinke aâ— an heathen saide Turpe est non soluâ— pedes sed oculos in alienas possessioneâ— immittere It is a foule thing not onely tâ— let our feete but euen our eyes walkâ— into other mens possessions anie further than becommeth vs as wee arâ— Christians Que. What stealth committeth the â—ongue Ans By fraude