my side who And there looked out to him two or three chamberlaines And he sayd throwe her downe so they threw her downe and her bloud dashed toward the wall and toward the horses and he troade her vnder foote And so she was deuoured of dogges Why boastest thou thy selfe thou tyraunt that thou canst do mischiefe where as the goodnes of God endureth yet dayly put me now in remembraunce for we wil reason together shewe what thou hast for thee to make thee ¶ The signification THe womaÌ„ signifieth Gods loue The hart continuance of the same Hell vnder her signifieth death and destructioÌ„ vnto the careles liuers of this world the lambe signifieth the quiet conscience of the faithfull And death vnder him signieth the chaunge of life vnto all the good to immortalitie the bad to destruction righteous thy first father offended sore and thy rulers haue sinned against me The earth is the Lords and all that therein is the compasse of the worlde and they that dwell therein who shall assend into the hill of the Lord or who shall rise vp in his holy place Euen he that hath cleane hands and a pure hart and that hath not lifte vppe his minde vnto vanitie nor sworne to deceiue his neighbour What man liuing can say that he is cleane and hath not offended now therefore consider what wonderfull loue our creator hath to man when he by his holy spirite calleth vs to repentaunce to the ende that all shoulde come to hys eternall and heauenly kingdome From all misdedes wherin they haue offended against me I saith the lord wil clense them and all their blaspeemies which they haue done against me when they regarded me not I will forgeue them and this shall gette me a name and prayse and honour among all the people of the earth which shall here of the good that I will shewe vnto them yea they shalbe afrayed and astonned at all the good deedes and benefites that I will do for them God so loued the world that he gaue hys only begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleueth in him shoulde not perishe but haue euerlasting life for God sent not his sonne into the worlde to condemne the worlde but that the worlde through him myghte be saued he that beleueth on him is not condemned but he that beleueth not is condemned already because he hath not beleued on the name of the onely begotten sonne of God and this is the condemnation that light is come into the word and men loue darckenes more then light because theiâ— deedes were euil foâ— euery one that doth euill hateth the light neither commeth to the light least his deedes shoulde be reproued but he that doth truth coÌ„meth to y e light that his deedes may be knowne how â— t they are wrought in God Be ye therefore followers of God as deare children and walke ye in loue euen as Christ loued vs and gaue himselfe for vs an offringe and a sacrifice of a sweete sauour to God as for fornication and all vncleanes let it not be once named amonge you nor coueteousnes as it becommeth saintes or filthines or foolishe talking or iesting which are not comely but rather geuing of thaÌ„ks for this ye know that no whoremoÌ„ger either vncleane person or couetous person which is a worshipper of Images hath any inheritaunce in the kingdome of Christ and of God let no man therefore deceiue you with vayne wordes for because of such thinges commeth the wrath of God vpoÌ„ the childreÌ„ of disobedience be not ye therefore companions of them ye were sometyme in darcknes but now are ye light in the Lorde for vngodly communication strengthneth the body against the spirit and withdraweth the minde from al good exercise and labour and thereby deserueth the iust wrath of God and such as are worshippers of Images fornicatours such like hath no part wyth Christ in his kingdome to whome be all glory for euer Be not wise in thine owne consent but feare the Lord and depart from euill so shall thine nauell be hole and thy bones strong honour the lord with thy substauÌ„ce with y e firstlings of al thine increase geue vnto the poore so shal thy â—arnes be filled with plenteousnes and thy presse shall flowe ouer with sweete wine My sonne depise not the chastening of the lord neither faint wheÌ„ thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loueth him he chasteneth and yet delighteth in him euer as the father in his owne sonne if ye endure chasteninge God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes what sonne is he whome the father chasteneth not Reioyce ye heauens and singe prayses thou earth talke of ioy ye hilles for God hath comforted his people and will haue mercy vpon his that be in trouble but Sion saide God hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me Will a mother forgette the childe of her wombe and not pitie the sonne whome she hath borne And though she do forgett yet will I not forgette thee sayth the Lorâ—e These are the wordes that the Lorde sheweth vnto Ieremy saying Thus saith the Lord God of Israel write vp diligently all the wordes that I haue spokeÌ„ vnto thee in a booke for loe the time commeth sayth y e Lord that I will bringe agayne the prisoners of my people Israell and Iuda sayth the Lord for I will restore them vnto the lande that I gaue to their fathers and they shal haue it in possession By this may it euidently appeare that God is alwayes myndefull of hys people and will not forget them although for a time he suffer them yet at the length he will visite and helpe them For when the Phariseyes had heard that he had put the Saduces to silence they came together and one of them which was a Doctour of the law asked him a question and tempting him saying Maister which is greatest commaundement in the law Iesus saide vnto him Thou shalt loue thy Lorde thy God with all harte and with all thy soule and wyth all thy minde this is the firste and greatest commaundemeÌ„t And the second is like to it Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe in these two commaundementes hange al the law and Prophetes In this commaundement the which our Sauiour Christ spake to a Doctour of the seâ—t of the Phariseyes and Saduces in willinge them firste to loue God and next his neighbour or neighboures is plainely to be vnderstanded the loue of our Sauiour Christ towards man in declaring that he which loued God faithfully and also his neighbour should receiue for his reward the euerlasting ioyes and feliciâ—ie thâ—t soroâ— is â—endent plaine that for the great louâ— our â—auiour Christ hath towarâ—â—s man dyd not onely teach all those the which were mindefull of his euangelicall doctrine but also shedde his most precious bloud to 〈◊〉 come man from the bondage of sinne vnto the life of righteousnes and so 〈◊〉
coÌ„mite with God the father to whome be all hâ—ue iâ— and glory worlde without ende ¶ Our loue toward God LEt vs loue God for he hath loued vs first and redemed vs from all euill if we diligently follow his preceptes and commaundementes he was before all things he created all thinges by his only power and might and none but he without him was made nothing y t was made In him is life light and verity a God without beginning and without ending he came among his owne and his owne receiued hym not but as many as receyued hym to them gaue he power to be the sonnes of God Therefore harken vnto me O ye children blessed are they that keepe my wayes O geue eare vnto nurture be wyse and refuse it not blessed is the man that heareth me waiting dayly at my gate and geuing attendaunce at at the postes of my doores for who so findeth me findeth life and shall obtaine fauour of the Lorde but who so offendeth against me saith God hurteth his owne soule all they that hate me is the workers of death and deadly louers Harken also be stedfast in beliefe and seeke for none other helper and mediatoâ—r but onely Iesus Christs which is the mediatour for all mankinde to God his father and he it is the which is the preseruer none but he In the fourth of Saint Iohn it is euidently shewed in the â—â—uing communication the which our Sauiour Christ had with the woman of Samariâ— by the well side declaring plainly that he himelfe was the sonne of God and sauiour of the worlde who so therefore thatseeketh to any other mediatour redemer or preseruer then the onely god and Christ is vtterly deceiued and except speedy returne voyde from all ioye felicitie I am the Lord God which brought thee out of the land of Egipt that thou shouldest not knowe no God but me onely and y t thou shouldest haue no sauiour but only me I haue loued you sayth the lord and yet ye say where in hast thou loued vs was not Esau Iacobs brother saith the lorde yet haue I loued Iacob and hated Esau. Thou wilt saye vnto me why then blameth he vs yet for who hath benne able to resiste his will But O â—an what art thou which disputeth with God shall the worke say to the workeman why hast thou made me on this fashion hath not the potter power ouer the claye euen of the same lumpe to make one vessel vnto honour and an other to dishonour Euen so God wilâ—inge to shewe his wrath and to make his power knowne suffreth with long patience the vessels of wrath ordayned to damnatioÌ„ and to declare the riches of his glory on y e vessels of mercy which he hath prepared vnto glorye They that feare the Lord wil not mistrust his word and they that loue him will â—eepe his commaundementes they that feare the Lord will seeke out the thinges that are pleasaunt vnto him and they that loue him shall fulfill his lawe They that feare the Lord will prepare their hartes humble their soules in his sight they that feare the Lord keepe his commaundements and wilbe pacient til they se himselfe saying better it is for vs to falle into the hands of the Lorde then into the handes of men for his mercy is as great as himselfe Shoulde not a sonne honour his father a seruitant his maister if I be now a father wher is now mine honor if I be y e Lord where then am I feared saith the Lord of hostes Now to you priestes that depise my name and if ye say where in haue we despised thy name In thys that ye offer vncleane bread vppon mine alter And when thy son asketh thee intime to come saying what meaneth these witnesses ordinaunces and lawes which the Lord our God hath commaunded you theÌ„ thou shalt saye vnto thy sonne â–ª we were Pharaos bondmen in Egipt and the Lord brought vs out of Egipt wyth a mighty hand and the Lord shewed signes wonners great and euill vppon Egipt vnto Pharao and all his housholde before our eyes and brought vs out from thence to bring vs in and to geue vs the land which he sware vnto our forefathers Maruailous thinges did he in the sight of our forefathers in the land of Egipt euen in the fielde of Zoan he deuided the sea and let them goe through he made the waters to stand on an heape he rayned downe Manna also vppon them for to eate and gaue them foode froÌ„ heauen But for all this they sinned more and more and beleued not his wondrous workes therefore did he consume their dayes in vanity their yeares in trouble but he remembred his mercy towardes vs that he forgaue their misdeedes and destroyed not them vtterlly Yet for all that they greeued him with their hil alters and prouoked him to displeasure with their Images WheÌ„ God heard this he was wrouth and tooke sore displeasure at Israel While y e phariseyes were gathered together Iesus asked them saying What thinke ye of Christ whose son is he They said vnto him the son of Dauid He saide vnto them How then doth Dauid in spirite call him Lord saying the Lord sayde to my Lord sitte on my right hand till I make thyne ennemies thy foote stoole If Dauid call him Lord how is he then his sonne and none coulde aunswere him agayne one worde neither durste any from that day forth aske him any moe questions notwythstanding that Christ in y t he was man was the sonne of Dauid that is desended of the stocke of Dauid yet Dauid seing in spirit that he was God called him Lord but the Phariseyes who were all flesly coulde not perseiue so much of y e spirit Beholde a certaine lawyer stoode vp teÌ„pted him saying maister what shal I do to enherit eternall life He sayde vnto him what is writteÌ„ in y e law how readest thou And he answered said loue thy lord thy God with al thy hart and with all thy soule and with all thy streÌ„gth and with all thy mynde thy neighbour as thy selfe And he sayde vnto him thou hast aunswered right this do and thou shalt liue he willing to iustifie himselfe saide vnto Iesus Who is then my neighbour Iesus answered and sayde A certayne man desended from Ierusalem to Ierico and fell into the hands of theues which robbed him by the way and wounded him and left him halfe deade and by chaunce there came a certaine priest that same way which saw him and passed by and likewise a Leuit which also loked vppon him and passed by Then a certayne Samaritan as he iornied by came nigh vnto him wheÌ„ he saw him he had compassion on him and went to and bound vp his wounds and set him on his own beast and brought him to a common Inne and made prouision for him and on the morrow wheÌ„ he departed
seruants to do thē seruice as in resisting the forrayne enemy shewing our selues obedient subiects vnto our prince gouerners not after a sodomicall order but after those orders y t are as wel to be alowed of God as of y e Prince or magistrats Euery one y t euill doth hateth y e light neither cōmeth to y e light least his dedes should be reproued but he y t doth truth commeth to the light that his deedes may be knowne how y t they are wrought in God He that commeth from heauen is aboue all and what he hath seene and heard that he testifieth and no man receaueth his testimony he that hath receaued his testimony hath set to his seale that God is true Which seale signifieth our Christian beliefe the which when we haue heard do forth wyth followe to the vttermost on our parts and do stedfastly stande to the same refusing no plagues that may be layde on the body for that sweete fruite of happy ioye but euen to the ende therein so to continue and then haue we beleued and also sealed But he that seeketh hys prayse that sent hym the same is true and no vnrighteousnes is in him yea and he that sent me is true Let God be true and euery man a lyer as it is written that thou mightest be iustified in thy sayinges and ouercome when thou art iudged Let vs geue none occasion of euill that in oure office be founde no fault but in all thinges let vs behaue our selues as the ministers of God in much pacience in afflictions in necessityes in anguishes in stripes in imprisonmentes in striues in laboures in watchynges in fastynges in puernes in knowledge in long sufferyng in kindenes in the holye ghost in loue vnfayned in the worde of truthe in the power of God by the armour of righteousnes of the right hande and on the lefte by honour and dishonoure by euill reporte and good reporte as deceyuers and yet true And I saw heauen open and behold a white horse and he that sate vpon him was called faithfull and true and in righteousnes he doth iudge and make battaile And I sawe an angell stande in the sunne and he cried with a loude voyce saying to all the foules that flye by the midst of heauen come and gather your selues to the supper of the great God that all flesh may be deuoured The multitude that cried are the vniuersall church or congregation of the faithfull which is also to be vnderstanded the wyfe of the lambe The lambes supper is the lyfe euerlasting for all true beleuers to rest in perpetual ioy and endeles felicitie The foules that are called to the slaughter are the true preachers of christes doctrine who are commaunded to kill and deuoure all flesh with the sharpenes of their preaching in rebuking the fleshly liuing in all degrees O Israell if thou wilt turne thee O England if thou wilt turne thee and leaue thine abhominations then turne vnto me sayth the Lord for euen as the Prophet spake vnto Israell euen the very same speaketh he vnto thee O England And if thou wilt put away thyne offences out of my sight thou shalt not be moued and shalt sweare the Lord liueth in truth in equitie and righteousnes and all people shall be fortunate ioyfull in hym Heare the wordes of the Lord O ye children of Israell for the Lord must punishe them that dwell in the lande And why there is no truth there is no mercye there is no knowledge of God in the lande but swearing lying manslaughter thefte and adultry haue gotten the vpper hande therefore shall the lande be in a miserable case and all those wycked offendours that are therin shall be rooted out The Lord kepeth not his wrath for euer and why his delight is to haue compassion thou shalt kepe thy truth with Iacob thy mercy for Abraham like as thou hast sworne vnto our fathers long ago And it shall come to passe that like as ye were a curse among the heathen O ye house of Iuda and ye house of Israel euen so wil I deliuer you that you shal be a blessyng Feare not but let your hands be strong for thus saith the Lorde of hostes Like as I deuised to punish you what time as your fathers prouoked me vnto wrath saith the Lord of hostes and spared not euen so am I determined now in these dayes for to do well vnto the house of Iuda and Ierusalem Therfore feare ye not Nowe the thinges that you shall doo are these speake euery man the truth vnto his neighbour execute iudgement truely and patiently within your portes None of you imagine euill in his harte agaynste hys neyghbour and loue no false othes for all these are y e thynges that I hate sayth the Lorde The law of truth was in his mouthe and there was no wickednes found in his lyps he walked with me in peace and equitie and did turne many one away from their sinnes Kyng Darius made a great feaste vnto hys seruauntes vnto all hys Courte and to all the officers of Media and Percia yea to all the Deputies and rulers that were vnder hym from Iudea vnto Ethiopia a 127. countries so when they had eaten and dronken beyng satisfied and were gone home agayne Darius the king went into his Chaumber and there layde him downe to sleepe and after a while a waked In the meane season the three young men that kepte the kinges person and watched hys bodye communed among themselues and spake one to an other let euery one of vs say something and looke whose sentence is wisest and moste excellent aboue the other vnto him shall Kyng Darius geue greate gyftes and clothe him with Purple and set hym nere the Kinges presence and so euerye one wrote hys meaning sealed it and layde it vnder the kinges Pillowe and sayde when the kyng ariseth we will geue him our writinges and looke whose worde the king and his chiefe Lordes iudge to be most wisely spoken the same shall haue the victory one wrote Wine is a strong thing the second wrote the King is stronger the third wrote Woemen haue yet more strength but aboue all thinges the truth heareth away the victory and this last probleme was written by Zorababel and was by the king and his counsaile estemed most best in that he preferred truth aboue al thinges True frendship and frindes ye surely shall finde where many pure hartes are made in one minde Tobias of the tribe and Citie of Nepthalem whiche lyeth in the hye countreyes of Galile aboute Naason the way towarde the West hauyng the Citie Sephet vppon the lefte syde thoughe he was taken prisoner in the dayes of Salmanazer kyng of the Assirians neuerthelesse being in captiuitie he forsooke not the way of truthe They that doo sinne in vnrighteousnes are the ennemies of theyr owne soules wherefore I tell you the truthe and wyll hyde nothyng from you
shall keepe my commaundementes Let loue be without dissimulation hate that which is euill and cleaue vnto that which is good Be kinde one to an other wyth brotherly loue We shoulde not loue one an other as Cayne which was of the wicked and slew his brother and wherefore slew he him because his owne workes were euil and his brothers good He that loueth not his brother abideth in death who so euer hateth his brother is a man slayer and ye know that no man slayer hath eternal life abiding in him ¶ Our loue towardes our enemies WE ought to loue our enemies ye haue heard how it is sayd thou shalt loue thine neighbour and hate thine enemy But I saye vnto you loue your enemies blesse them which curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them which do you wrong and persecute you that ye may be the children of your father that is in heauē for he maketh his sunne to arise on the euill and on the good sendeth his raine on the iust and vniust for if ye loue them which loue you what reward shal ye haue do not the publicans likewise and if ye be frendly to your brethren only what singular thinges do ye do not the Publicans also ye shalbe therefore perfect euen as your father which is in heauen is perfect Let not the wrath and gelosye moue thee to follow the wicked and vngodly why the wicked shall haue no posteritie and the candle of the vngodly shalbe put out My sonne feare the Lord and the kyng and keepe no company with them that slide backe from his feare for their destruction shall come sodainly and who knoweth the aduersity that may come of them both Goe not from the doctrine of the elders for they haue learned it of their fathers for of them thou shalt learne vnderstanding so that thou mayst make answere in y e time of neede kindle not the coles of sinners when thou rebukest them least thou be burnt in the fiery flames of their sinnes resist not the face of the blasphemer that he laye not wayte for thy mouth Thy children shalbe taught of God and I will geue them plenteousnes of peace in righteousnes shalt thou be grounded and be farre from oppression for the which thou needest not to be afrayed neither for hinderaunce for it shall not come nigh thee beholde the aliant that was farre from me shall dwell with me and he that ioyneth battayle against thee shall pearish and as for all tongues that shall resist thee in iudgement thou shalte ouercome them and condemne them this is the heritage of the Lordes seruauntes and their righteousnes commeth of me saith the Lord. A wise iudge will order his people with discretion and where a man of vnderstanding beareth rule there goeth it well as the iudge of the people is himselfe euē so are his officers and loke what manner of man the ruler of the Citie is such are they that dwel therein also An vnwise king destroyeth his people but where they that be in authority be men of vnderstanding there the citie prospereth I say vnto you whosoeuer confesseth me before men euen him shall the sonne of man confesse also before the Angels of God he y t denieth me before mē shalbe denied before y e Angels of God whosoeuer speaketh a word against y e sonne of mā it shalbe forgeuē him but vnto him y t blasphemeth the holy ghost it shal not be forgeuen Also when the Apostles of Christ were forbidden to preach they would not but shewed thēselues more obedient vnto God then men such was the enuy of the Iewes to y e professours of God his worde And it came to passe as he sate at meat with them he tooke bread blessed it brake and gaue to thē and their eyes were opened and they knew him and he vanished out of their sight Our Sauiour Christe shewed himselfe after his passion vnto two disciples as they went toward Emas and after that standing in the middest of the eleuēth as they were together saying that he was the light of the world and the sauiour of all those which beleued in him such loue had our Sauiour towardes the enuious Iewes and yet they woulde not beleue Also when the martyr S. Steuen rebuked the stifnecked Iewes for their cruell oppression and putting to death of al the prophets before the comming of that iust whome ye haue now betrayed and murthered and ye also haue receaued a law by the ordinaunce of Angels and haue not kept it and when they heard his wordes they gnashed their teeth vppon him and ranne all at once and stoned him In like sorte hath the enemies of Gods Gospell sought to kill to destroy the professours of hys truth God graunt for his mercy if it be his will to open their eyes that they may perceiue the truth and sory their for offences Who so euer shall not receiue you nor will heare your preaching whē ye depart be out of that house or that citie shake of the dust of your feete Truely I say vnto you it shalbe easier for the lande of Zodom and Gomorra in the day of iudgement then for that Citie There is nothing so close that shal not be opened and nothing so hide that shall not be knowen a worde spoken in due season is like apples of golde in a grauen worke of siluer Be not wise in your own opinions recōpence to no man euil for euill prouide afore hand thynges honest in the sight of all men if it be possible howbeit of your part haue peace with all men dearely beloued auenge not your selues but geue roome to y e wrath of God for it is written vengeaunce is myne I wil reward sayth the Lord. Therfore if thyne enemy hunger feede him if he thirst geue hym drinke for in so doing thou shalt heape cooles of fier vppon his head be not ouercome of euill but ouercome euill with goodnes When the profit Dauid heard that an Amelikite had slayne his enemy King Saule he was very sory and mourned for him and caused y e Amelikite for his rewarde also to be slayne because he had killed the Lordes annoynted When the Lord purposed to destroy Zodom and Gomorra Abraham sayde vnto hym Lorde what if there be 50. righteous wilte thou spare the rest for their sakes so that it came to the number of tenne and there coulde none be founde but onely Lotte and his householde the which were preserued thus oughte euery man to forgeue and to pray for his ennemy and so shall we bee the seruauntes of God ¶ Of fayth and the wonderfull working of the same and stedfast beliefe of the fathers in olde tyme. The signification THe man in armour signifieth all stedfast beleuers of the veritie being armed with constant zeale of Christianitie and weaponed with the shielde of liuely faith the spere of continuaunce and the