elect This Christes church where this horne is erected is builded not by mans wisedome nor mayntained by popish policie and diuelish diuinitie but the chiefe builder hereof is Christ himselfe and by his commission his Prophets before him which by his spirite word builded the harts of the fathers to the fayth in his erected sonne And euer since his Apostles Euangelists Pastours Doctors and preachers which receiue of his holy Gospel and therewith edifie the church are likewise builders of this holy temple and house of our heauenly Dauid Of which house Christ is the head and chiefe corner stone The familie and building of this house are such ▪ as by the Apostolical and Euangelicall Doctrine are brought to the rules which are therein set by the Lord herein erected of him also to the same end they haue their name eate of his bread and worke as hée is by calling in such good workes as are of the same Lord for them prepared euen from the time of calling till the last houre of the penies receite The continual building of this Dauids house is by preaching the word of truth not by popish pressing in of false Doctrine by geuing the sacraments of the Lord to the people as they themselues haue of the Lord receiued them And not without commission and against the word to take the same from the people and offer them vp to the Lord as doe the Papistes Also to kéepe the house in order by ciuil and ecclesiasticall gouernment with the lawe of Christ our Dauid By this and such like building where so euer the Church is thus set vp the same is true Dauids house And where the power of this horne is in the hartes of the people by the worke of Gods spirite surely setled and through the instrument and organ of preaching the same Christ is naked and without corruption in Doctrine described simplie and depaynted so plaine wyth the pensell of the Scriptures that hee is to them manifested as hée is of the Father geuen the onely promised Christ crucified our saluation redemption iustification that Prophet the onely Priest and our Kyng and that all men by such meanes are drawen alone to the Father by hym there maye wée assure our selues that that Church and Nation is Dauids house and therein is Christ to be found erected for our saluation Against this building the gates of Hell shall not preuayle For as many as beleue in him shall not perish wyth the serpent Sathans sting but by this holy serpent voyd of poyson Christ Iesus shal haue eternall life Agaynst this church and to the subuersition of his house the old enemie hath set him selfe wyth his whole power continually to persecute the same and hath so preuayled in the eyes of men that this house hath eftsones séemed a forsaken cottage in the Lords vineyard and the familie destroyed But euen when it séemed of least value then from the handes of such strength the mightie God hath valiantly taken of that number such as shoulde cōtinue his house elswhere And wheras the wicked seketh the destructiō of this house God by his might vseth the same another way that to two principall ends First to teach other natiōs into the which they are dispersed that heauenly doctrine which els they had not known And secōdly that at their returne they might bring with them againe not only his word law but therwith many mo children begottē in that time by the persecuted gospel eftsones to the enlarging of the borders of that late nobled church Go and kill sayth raging Saule the priestes of the Lord which were the remnant of Elie for their hand is with Dauid they haue not bewrayed him to me At whose commandement that cursed Doeg did kill of them 85. priestes of the Lord that were the lynnin Ephod Their Citie Nob also hee destroyed from the most to the least some and all for the hate he bare to them that fauoured Dauid What then Did he herewith kil the church No surely In this sharpe persecution Abimeleck his sonne called Autathar one of these priests escaping fled to Dauid which was him selfe also from the furie of the sayde Saule fled to Achish the Kyng of Gath a heathen prince where both hée had succour and Auiathar continued with him to the continuall encrease of Gods Church Note here with me good Reader that God by his prouidence doth vse the bloudie hand of Saule whose purpose was to destroy by his kingly power both priest and people in Gods Church to an other end for he made him his instrument therby to spreade the same his church among the gentiles that not only in that place their harts might haue experiment of his power but that also his Church of Iesus then to the comfort of the same nowe might behold his secret work far passing al their expectations which was to foster for a season in such flight such two principal persons as after should erect that persequuted cause and people in the same persequuted Nation and that by no lesse meane then whereby for a time the same was repressed nor in any other place then in Saules seate that is to say Dauid hys faithfull fostred king and Auiathar his good preserued prest When cruel Athalia the Mother of Ahasia King of Ierusalem sought to extirpe the kings séede that she might vsurpe the kingdome shée murthering the rest did she destroy the house No Joash one of his sonnes was from her hand of slaughter saued that by the hand of a maid his Sister till the time that the Lord had appointed for the said Ioashe the true King to enter into his realme and so to render recompence by iust pay of deserued death to that wicked vsurper Athalia which after Seuen yeares he brought to passe setting this reserued Ioash in his fathers seate Herod also séeking by the death of the innocentes to kill the Messias not only failed of his pray but was himselfe deuoured of GODS Iustice And although the Papistes followe these and such other their forefathers in like murthering crueltie as lately in Englande and since in Fraunce yet will the LORDE and hath the LORDE set vppe as he hath promised by the mouthe of all his Prophetes since the worlde began his Christe to bee his strength in spite of them Who yéelding as it were for the tyme doth thereby nothing loose but lesse ableth the aduersarye While by Sathans furie the Churche is else where gone as before is saide to bringe foorth by her Christe in a more quiet place many moe Children At whose returne the losse of her former are restored with infinite moe her borders enlarged her honoure encreased and her fame spred ouer all For the LORD her strength hath and will confounding her ennemies and treading them in the mire geue her the
wholy chiefely and for lyfe they ought to séeke the same in sinceritie of harte wythout Hypocrisie Thus my deare Bretherne we ought in my Iudgement to teache the Lordes flocke to kill Satan and beate downe sinne and not wyth bitternesse of penne and carping speache in Pulpits through byting one an other to bring that promise or iuste threat vpon vs you shall be deuoured one of another The LORDE amend this euill and graunt vs more carefull ouer his Heritage for his names sake Wheresoeuer the Preacher findeth the people voide of these effectes as wher is not this ragged desert There ought hee to prepare a path by the doctrine of the worde which is of power to conuerte the loste childe of Israell To preach the comfortable causes in Christ to allure vs and to shewe vs the horrible state of our own corrupted nature and the gréedie desire that sathan hath of our destruction Can men thinke with doublenesse of harte to please the Lorde Can they serue God by halfes Or go towards him as far as the lawes of men leade or compell them and no further and yet of God be well accepted If God be God follow him if Baal be he go after him If Nicodemus whose weake cōming many make to thē selues a sinister refug had not proceded to more perfection hee had not aduentured to aunswer in Christes behalfe to the counsel or yet of so great a tiran as Pilate was durst he haue begged the body of Iesus or againste the malice of so many cruell ennemies haue ioyned with noble Joseph in so hard a sute The luke warme persons that be neyther hote nor colde are as a burden and surffet to the Lordes stomack which he hath promised to vomit out of his mouth Loue the Prince and liue in and vnder her gracious gouernement ye Papists and Atheistes and Hipocrites also for the Lordes sake Let his holy Lawe force you as a moste absolute Iniunction to her godly Lawes and not as you say pollitiquely but popishly to leane to his law because of her graces iniunctions Neither halve before God to refuse your obedience to religion Gods Sacraments and deuine seruice in the Churche nowe godly set downe vsing your clawing coolour because some and suche do not obserue the saide Iniunctions For it is more then sene to al that a nūber of you make those Iniunctions which at the firste were set downe to bring you forwarde a presente let to your obedience a cloke for your maliciousnesse The actes and wordes of such as molest the godly quiet and desired peace of the church I wil not or may defende I lamente the cause and praye God to cease the action to his glory the peace of his Church and the extirpation of the serpent and all his at his good appointed time But you dissembling Hipocrites are lyke vnto the wicked persons in the dayes of Darius who fearinge leaste Daniel with his religion should be preferred sought by all meanes to claspe that holy Prophet vnder the Kinges Iniunction to his destruction So it is not the loue ye haue to our godly Elizabeth whom ye wish to giue place to your Darius but the Lord wil doth laughe your deuises to scorn his name be praised therfore and her graces good Lawes but the hate which you haue conceaued againste Daniel the e Prophetes of the Lord because they séeke to enstruct you the right way to make you prepared for the Lord and to reclaime you from popery to the professed trueth many of you hauinge blinde eyes voyde of sight by the reason of hardnesse of your hartes the which cannot repent pray ayd at the same law which your selues most deadly hate No doubt concerning the ministers and preachers admitte they be good protestants they be al of like accompt in your audite as well the trew and faithfull pastours which obserue the appointed order as such other their godly Brethren which wading no further vnwilling were to vse the same not contemptuously refusing because of the precept but moderatly by petition regardinge theyr peoples quiet or hurt with humblenesse of harte pray God and craue at the Gods a in earth by his power placed ouer vs as foloweth Mercifully vouchsafe O ye godly Princes of the Lorde that as Timothie may not refuse circumcision where Paule séeth the infirmities of the Iewes to require the same and the Chuche her néede of such a teacher So let not Titus be compelled thervnto where as false Brethren priuily créepe in to bring into bondage the children of the lord No place wold Paule admit to such though elswher he consideringe the weakenesse of the Iewes refused not to asociate the Nazarets at Jerusalem with the shauing of hys head according to the lawe though amid the gentils hee reproued Peter for the like Iewish obseruation And when it shal please thee O Lord graunt our gracious Princes hart further prepared to scoure the Lordes pathe by godly aduise of her noble councellers that by her publike authority and not our priuate affectes all such matter may bee remoued as worke no way the profit of his church And to vs ministers and men her graces subiectes prayer and trewe patient obedience regarding more the loue and quiet of the Churche then our owne lyke or priuate desiers No lesse praise deserueth the good Emperour Theodosius in destroying the idolatrous temples then godly Constantine in shutting vp theyr gates Faithfull Josias in his reformation thought it best to breaketh Aulters and cast the duste of them into the brooke Kedron and the Scripture saith to his commendation that before him there was no such king that turned to the Lord with all his harte and all his soule and with all his might according to the lawe of Moises neither after him arose there any such This example saith one learned writer is written to teach vs to ouerthrowe and vtterly destroy all Idolles and euery entisment of superstition that no parte of such monumentes be lefte t◠admonish the posterity Musculus vpon the sentence by God giuen to the serpent the instrument wherwith the Serpent deceyued Heua and brought Adam to sinne asketh a question whether the sentence were iust since the serpent was not the author but the organ wherwith nothing priuie to Sathans purpose or wisshing hurt but was sorced by Sathan therto He also answereth yea not onely because it procéeded from the iust God but geuing reason for the same saith it is very right that to the greater detestation of sathans malice fraud and disceit not only himself but all his instruments wherewith hee worketh his malice become subiect and receiue like iudgement with him For like as saith he euery such instrument wherewith any good thing or felicitie is brought to passe deserueth and is worthely beloued and had in estimation So by
then to vse rightly my loned penie in dutifull sort to the holy Church of God here in this our state and Realme by his great mercie firmely set vpon the foundation stone Christ Iesus This Ancker is to me a staye and frayeth all feare from me so that I as I can seeke to helpe forwardes the Lords labours though wants in me do force the wish of learned frame and eloquēt phraise to help my willing mind and godly purpose But I accept with thankfulnes that which God hath vouched safe to giue being because of my many sinnes vnworthy of that in him I haue I onely desire of God in Christ that his spirit of truth may guide my ragged rowes and simple stile and that the lesse learned for whom chiefely I presume these presents may something herewith be profited The matter that I exhibit to your L. is An Exposition with an ample true applicatiō of that Hymne which by order of the constituted Lawes of England is now appoynted to be vsed at Morning prayer which Hymne cōmonly is called BENEDICTVS Not at all purposed to controll much lesse to condemne the minds of some of our bretherne whose Censure hath exiled his vse at the Common praier Or yet to lend my like to phantasies lust where sound warrant hath no place And waighing with my selfe that neither they may by their priuate power or can with the quietnes of Gods Church in England which ought necessarilie of all Christians to be had in most regard to take from her that and those thinges which by Law she hath established Furthermore reuoluing my cogitations that this Hymne howesoeuer of some it be disliked to his appoynted vse is tho a part of holy scripture I thought it better to that I could to open some of the hidden treasures layd vp in the same for the Church of God then to feede some forren phantasie or to pollute my pen in contending to pull downe that which may well enough stand and nothing abate the beautie of Gods house Yet do I not thinke this Hymne so necessarily set in the order of prayer as without the same it were blemished for that were more than friuolous but because the matter therin cōtained indifferently looked into and well weighed doth enstruct comfort and also administreth light to our spirituall sences and vnderstanding of Gods mercies in his promised Christ to vs geuen and long sith commen in the Flesh which matter in time of prayer is expedient I can not yet learne or be of other minde then that the said Psalme as it is appointed is both tollerable and profitable to all godly heartes And were these my weake labors worthy by their valor to force the fauor of christian frend to refell the fury of Popish foe to your good L. of right I ought to dedicate the same not only because you are my lerned godly Ordinary who can with good iudgment discerne the doctrine therin contained if either sounde or contrary that so in stead of milke the meate for babes I powre not out poyson to infect the well growne vp children in Christ for that God graunt euer to be farre from me but also for that in respect that I should not loyter but labor in the vineyard of the Lorde your goodnesse at the request of the right honorable my singuler good L. and Master as you know did commit vnto me a speciall flock with in your Diocese to foster vp in Christ their soules which he hath purchased with his most blessed bloud Let this little booke beare witnesse of my diligent care therfore my good L. that I beare both to the same my peculiar charge amongst whom and of whose labors I reape my portion and liuelyhode and to the whole church of God elsewhere where these my low lines with others godly woorkes may fructify by his holy grace and spirit in the apt soyle of their poore harts had they store of godly teachers Finally I beseech your L. that my poore pen may passe the raging Seas of curious censure vnder the harbor of your protection So shall it with much more quietnes arriue in the port of the poore mans hart desirous not to cauill but to catch earnest holde of such plaine doctrine as truly though simply teacheth him the way to life This if I may of your good nature obtaine it will encourage me the further aduenture of godly study in the sacred Scriptures if so it may please the almightie in his Sonne Christ to bestow a greater porcion of me that I may still bring foode into the church of God. The Lord God of mercy loue and peace send to this our church her maiestrate our godly Queene state and people the peace of Christ vnfainedly in our hartes for his names sake and to your L. encrease of godly knowledge like zeale and perfect strength to cōtinue with godly care euer more and more profitable to his Church by the power of his spirite whose defence be euer yours and you with all vs that inuocate truely the name of God for euer his in Christ our Lord. Your L. euer in Christ. A. Anderson From Medborne this 15. of Ianuary 1573. The argument of the Propheticall Hymne THe author of this song was the holy maried Priest of the Lord Zacharias who had to wife Elizabeth the cosen of the virgin Mary the mother of Iesus Christ in whose old age the Lord by his Angell promised him of his saide wife a Sonne and called his name Iohn which Iohn the Lord had appointed to be the same Prophet and fore runner of the Messiath that the prophetes Malachy and Esay had prophesied to precede Christ At the birth of this babe Zacharie his toung was miraculously lowsed which before for a season was dumbe for his harde beliefes sake and he with exceading ioy then in the sight of all the company made and sung this Song Blessed be the Lord God of Israell c. In this hymne is commended vnto vs 1 First the constant truth of God to his beloued Church 2 Then his inestimable mercies powred vpon the same 3 Thirdly the office of Iohn and of the preaching of the word All which are more at large in the woorke following amply set forth to gods glory and thy profite ¶ An exposition of the Hymne commonly called Benedictus Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited redeemed his people THe holy ghost more earnestly now then before prouoketh forceth his Prophete Zacharie to soūd forth his praise as in this Hymne is apparant his harte béeing set downe in the Chaire of déepe consideration of Gods mercie to Jsraell beginneth wyth laude and prayse to God for their and our Saluatiō in Christ Iesus Blessed be the Lord God of Israell sayth he hée calleth God the God of Israell not because he reigneth onely ouer Israell for he is also the God of all the Worlde and in him sayth the Scripture shall the Gentilles trust