to Scripture for the Lord wyl in no case like that you shoulde be troubled about many matters with Martha but wyll haue you without all excuse to choose the best part with Marie because that in deede is y e most excellent thing you can desire I meane the hearing of his voyce continually as Marie did that so you may haue all his most gracious words printed in your hart as Moses speaketh And why so Euen to the intent you may be able to rehearse them continually vnto your chyldren and that so you may be able to teach them and your selfe to knowe aright how that he IEHOVAH your God is one and that there is none but he according as he requireth in that first great Commaundement saying Heare O Israel IEHOVAH thy God IEHOVAH is one Therefore yf you holde them happie as happie blessed they are whose God this Iehouah is and that your selfe woulde be of this happie sort you must learne to know him aright that is you must learne to know according to the Scriptures how that vnder this name and nature there be three the Father the Worde and the holy Ghost and that these three are but one God for the Worde is the Sonne and yet he is IEHOVAH as S. Iohn in his twelfth teacheth you out of Esai the sixth And the holy Ghost is IEHOVAH as S. Paule in the Actes 28. teacheth you out of the same text of Esai And how this name IEHOVAH is opened S. Iohn in Apocalips the first sheweth you in this sort I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ende sayth the Lord euen he who was who is and who will be The knowing of this true God who is but one as also that the seconde person in this Trinitie was to take the nature of man that so he might suffer to the intent that in death he might destroy him that had the power thereof and so geue lyfe vnto the worlde The knowing of this I say according to the Scripture the which in all ages most playnely hath been manifested is the chiefest thing the Lorde requireth at your handes therefore you are to vnderstande that the holy Prophetes and Apostles did euer first and most chiefly labour to set foorth this and afterwardes exhorted men to walke according to their dueties layde downe in the seconde Table For you are not to thinke that when Iohn the Baptist came preaching in y e wildernes that his only drift was to bring the people to a more perfection of workes although after their demaunde he tell them that thus and thus they were to do but you are to vnderstande that most chiefly his drift was to bring them to a change of iudgement and to a more perfection of this knowledge and to a repentaunce of their former ignoraunces and a beleefe in Iesus Christ. For you see he telleth them playnely that the kingdome of God was euen now at hand and that a stronger then he came presently after him who in deede was before him and that him selfe was not worthy to stoope downe and vnlose the latchet of his Shoes and that although he baptised but with water yet he that came after him woulde baptise with the holy Ghost and with Fire and that he would come with his Fanne in his hand to make cleane his floore and to gather his Wheate into his Garner and to burne vp the Chasse with vnquenchable Fire And therefore vnles they did beleeue in him which shoulde come after him that is in Christ Iesus they woulde prooue to be this chasse Wherfore he telleth his kinsmen the Iewes that notwithstanding they for their partes began to say within them selues We haue Abraham to our Father and therefore we are the onely people because the couenauntes and promises of God belong onely vnto vs and also for that the Oracles of God were committed chiefly vnto vs and also because we are the Circumcision whereby we are separated from the sinners of the Gentiles I say notwithstandyng they beganne to bragge in this sort of all these outwarde thynges yet he telleth them that vnles they did beleeue in him of whom all the Prophetes before had spoken and was now come into the worlde they shoulde finde them selues to be this Chasse here spoken of and not the good Seede of the woman and of faythfull Abraham but euen the naturall seede of that olde Serpent their father the Deuill and that God was able to rayse vp sonnes vnto Abraham in steade of them euen of the very stones Whereby is meant that whereas the Gentiles vnto that time had hartes as hard as stones for asmuch as they regarded not to knowe the Lorde aright and therfore he regarded not the time of this their ignorance but suffered them to runne on in the hardnes of their hartes euen to their owne destruction Yet now he admonisheth all men eâ—…ery where to repent them of their former ignorance and beleeue the Gospell Yea now Iohn telleth them that the axe is put euen to the very roote of the trees and therefore yf these Gentiles woulde repent them of their former ignorances and beleeue in Christ as faythfull Abraham did then shoulde they be counted the sonnes of Abraham and the other shoulde be cut off euen according as the Apostle sayth Those which are of fayth are the chyldren of Abraham And againe He is not a Iew which is one outwardly neyther is that circumcision which is outwarde in the fleshe but he is a right Iew which is one within and whose hart is filled so full with the knowledge of God that he can alwayes prayse the Lorde aright and likewyse that is true circumcision which is of the hart and in the spirit and not in the letter and therefore yf these Gentiles woulde be such they shoulde then be the true circumcision in deede yea they should then be the true seede of Abraham and also the right Iewes and so their praise shoulde be of God and not of men Agayne whereas the Apostle vrgeth the Hebrewes to be led forward vnto perfection you are not to thinke he meaneth it of workes although no man will be so madde as to thinke otherwyse but that by those that haue knowledge a perfection of workes must also be practised for otherwyse because you shall not mistake me I tell you still your knowledge is in vayne For what hast thou to do with my couenant in thy mouth sayth the Lorde if thou hatest to be reformed And therfore as we are to grow vp in knowledge so are we also as the Apostle saith to grow vp in holines but in this place you are to vnderstande that the Apostle meaneth it of the perfection of knowledge which not onely y â— Hebrewes but also all others ought to attayne vnto that so they might see how Christ was answerable to all the former types figures shadowes and ceremonies in
gayne-sayers For so strong and mightie is the worde of God in operation that if it be rightly expounded or propounded it is sharper then any two edged sworde and entreth through euen to the deuiding a sunder of the very hart and soule of the hearers thereof as the Apostle sayth You see also by these former examples of Schollers and Guydes what is both your duetie and also theirs Yours how diligent you ought to be in reading of the holy Scriptures and also conferring of Christ and his kingdome And your Guydes what course they ought to take in teaching of you when as you shall demande to be resolued of your doubtes and that is to teache you Christ by the Scriptures and thyther to sende you to finde him out your selfe and not els where for no where els is he rightly to be found For searche the Scriptures sayth our Sauiour for they be they that testifie of me So that when you shall be thus instructed by your Guyde eyther priuatly at home or publikely abroade and that you haue perfourmed the one part of your duetie which is to heare them with all diligence and willingnes you must alwayes remember with the Noble men of Berea to performe the other part which is that hauyng heard the worde of God with all willingnes went and searched the Scriptures dayly them selues to see whether those thynges were so or no whereby you may learne that you are not onely to beleeue that this is Christ or that is Christ or he is here or there in the wildernes I know not where because such and such a man telleth you so Or yf he do tel you aright which is he you are not to beleeue him onely because he telleth you so for you see they of Berea went and searched the Scriptures them selues to see whether it were so or no Euen so must you for otherwyse you disobey that which our Sauiour Christ hath commaunded you to do for sayth he Search the Scriptures Yea but you wyll say he spake that to such as woulde not beleeue him but we beleeue them that tell vs. I thinke so in deede for a great many beleeue too much them that tell them vnles they tolde them a more trueth But although they were vnbeleeuers that our Sauiour commaunded to search the Scriptures doth he therefore commaunde you that you shall not search them Thinke not so in any wyse for doth not the holy Ghost pronounce a blessing on al those that reade the worde of God continually And doth not S. Peter wyll them whom he had taught that notwithstandyng they had knowledge and were established in the trueth yet to geue more heede vnto the Prophetes as vnto a most sure worde and as to a light that shineth in a darke place vntyl the day did dawne and the Daystarre shyne more cleere in their hartes And likewyse doth not S. Paule commende those whom he had taught vnto the worde of God as vnto a Schoolemaister which was able to buylde them further yes forsooth So that by these examples you may see that you are not onely bounde to heare the worde of God but you are also bound to search and read the Scriptures dayly your selfe for you see in geuing credite onely to the Teachers thereof many thousande soules goe to destruction as specially amongst the Papists they do Therefore yf you loue to keepe your selfe from destruction you were best to beare in minde that which our Sauiour hath geuen you in charge that is to take heede what you heare as also to take heede of false Prophetes and that you beleeue them not no although their comming wyll be with such signes woonders as that yf it were possible the very elect shoulde be deceyued thereby Yet notwithstanding I say he commaundeth you not to beleeue them but to search the Scriptures because in deede they are the true touchstone whereby you may easely trie the true Christ from the false as also the true Prophet from the false Prophet Now it may be that you wyll aske me here agayne whether you may read no other Booke but the Scriptures only The answere is that yf you wyll you may but yf it be for matters of saluation the Booke of God is the onely Apothecaries shoppe for you to resort vnto because there you may be sure to haue a most precious medicine for euery disease or curing salue for euery sore And surely the Prophet Dauid found it so to be for sayth he I had euen perished in the middest of mine afflictions had not the booke of God been my delyght and therefore made he that his only meditation both day and nyght So that when you haue bestowed long time with lyke delight and diligence therein as he did and that your wittes thereby are quickened so that you may be well able to discerne of Spirites that is betwixt good and euyll then you may if your leysure serue you reade other Bookes and catch no hurt Or yf it be so that you haue not as yet heard of the Booke of God you may also reade some bookes and take no harme for some Bookes there are which are good and tende to very good purpose because their dryft is as I suppose to draw you to the Booke of God euen to that fountayne of all ioy but otherwyse yf their drift be to draw your delight vnto them selues they can in no wyse be good For Iohn the Baptist being tolde that more Disciples followed Christ then followed him he taketh them selues to witnes that he had tolde them plainely that him selfe was not the Christ but that he was sent to shew them which was he and hauing once shewed him vnto them that he him selfe was then to ceasse and therfore when he heard that all men ran to Christ he sayth that then was his only ioy fulfilled because in deede that was his onely drift and purpose So that yf any man write to that ende as of late most learnedly one hath done in a lytle Booke called a Consent of Scripture you are to be thankefull vnto God for such a one and when he or any other haue by their wrytinges thus led you vnto Christ in saying Come and see the Booke of God for there we haue founde the Messias Then may you say also with the Samaritans when you haue so done Now we beleeue not onely for your sayinges but also muche more because of his owne worde for we haue heard him speake our selues now whom before you told vs of and we know now by his owne worde that this is in deede the very CHRIST the only Sauiour of the worlde Againe some Bookes there are which in respect of the holy stories conteined in the Booke of God we cal prophane Stories as the Macchabees Iosephus and the Roman stories the which prophane stories yf you reade you may learne thereby yf you know the Scriptures before how iust the Lord is in
all his sayinges because that some Prophecies in y e holy Scriptures there are whose euent is not altogether in Scripture shewed and yet by those Prophane stories you may see they tooke effect as namely the Prophet Daniel and also the Reuelation of S. Iohn the which by eye sight we are also able to witnes how that Booke is fulfilled by the Popes in all their dealinges But yf you thinke that you can not attayne vnto perfect wysedome and knowledge of Christe without the helpe of other Books then are you greatly deceyued for the Worde of God is an absolute perfect rule sayth the Apostle and fully able to make you wyse in Christ and by it onely may you attayne to the perfect knowledge of Christ without the helpe of any other and is also playne and easie of it selfe for your vnderstanding yf you wyll the Lord beleeue as I sayde before especially yf you wyll come in simplicitie of hart and cast off your owne wysedome for in very deede that is the onely hinderance of the attayning thervnto Agayne some Bookes there are which take vpon them to lay downe preceptes for your lyfe conuersation which bookes yf you thinke you are bounde to read as well as the Scriptures then are you also as greatly deceiued for the Lord hath commaunded you vpon payne of damnation to reade the Scripture because in deede it is the very lyfe and norishment of your soule but as for the reading of such kinde of Bookes you haue no such charge neyther was it needefull for you so to haue because there is nothing that the hart of man can thinke on eyther for vertue to imbrace or vice to eschew but the Booke of God doth contayne a rule and precept for it and therefore what neede we the helpe of man to lay downe preceptes for our lyfe when as the Lorde him selfe hath taken vppon him to be our Guyde and Teacher Therefore in the name of God take heede of the subtiltie of Satan in this poynt aboue all others that is that he deceiue you not so herein as to make you beleeue that you shall attayne vnto as great wysedome or holynes by the wrytinges of men as you shall do by the booke of God or that the booke of God is not perfect of it selfe to instruct you fully in all thinges touching your saluation for then hath he you euen as he woulde therefore rather then he shoulde make you so to thinke better were it for you with them of Ephesus to burne them all yea though the price of all such Bookes were founde to be in value worth fiftie thousande peeces of siluer And God doth know a most heynous sinne it is and reigneth most abundantly amongst vs here in Englande euen this that we esteeme a great deale more of the preceptes and doctrines of men then we do of the Booke of God so that as that hath been the very cause of the destruction of all the worlde greatly it is to be feared least the lyke plague wyll befall vs and our Nation for how fewe haue we that doth take so great delight in the booke of God as to make it the chiefe ioy and reiocing of their hartes as the Prophet Ieremie did make it vnto his Therefore much more fewe there be to be founde that do make so rare accompt thereof as the holy man Iob did that is to esteeme of the wordes of God euen much more then he did of his appoynted foode but in the contrary multitudes do take euen that delyght therefore take heede of that in any wyse Now it may be that you wyll aske me agayne What part of the Scripture it is that you were best to reade The answere is euen all for so you may learne by the last Commaundement of our Sauiour that I spake of for be commandeth to search the Scriptures so that al which is called Scripture you must search for all that doth testifie of him And so you see S. Luke sayth he began at Moses and all the Prophetes that is from the beginning of Genesis to the ende of Malachie for the old Testament which only then was written and all that was nothing els but to teach Christ And now you haue also the new Testament which tendeth to none other ende then the former did and that is to teache Christ. For so the Apostle sayth I taught nothing but what Moses and the Prophetes did say shoulde come And in an other place I kept nothing backe but haue shewed you all the counsell of God and what was that To wit that Christ shoulde suffer and that he shoulde be the fyrst that shoulde rise from the dead and shoulde shewe lyght vnto the people and to the Gentiles So that you may see that all the Scripture tendeth to none other purpose but to teach you that and therefore you must of necessitie reade all that so you may as S. Luke sayth Acknowledge the certaintie of those thinges whereof you haue been instructed not onely by the Euangelistes and the Apostles who haue declared vnto you the thinges of Christe from the day that Zacharias went into the Temple and that the Angell tolde Marie concerning her conception but also what you haue been instructed by Moses and the Prophetes euen from the day that he was first promised that so you may be able to deliuer the glory thereof from poynt to poynt and to stande firme your selfe agaynst all the assaultes of the Deuyll Yea but you wyll say agayne S. Paule of whom you spake before forbids vs Genealogies and commaundes that we shal geue no heede vnto them because they are endles and breede questions rather then godly edifiyng which is by fayth And so in deede a great number of our Guydes wyll tell vs. For many times because we fynd them very hard we go to them to aske the meaning thereof then their answere is that the Genealogies tende not to edification but rather to strife and contention and therefore is it that S. Paule forbiddes them And so likewyse for many other harde places in the Bible when we goe to aske them whose lyppes shoulde preserue knowledge What is the meaning of such and suche places in steade of resoluing vs they cast them off as superfluous not tending to our saluation Therefore why do you say that all the Scripture testifieth of Christ and is profitable for our saluation and must of necessitie of vs be read and learned I wyll tel you why no not I but the holy Ghost wyll tell you how that all the Wordes of the Lorde are most pure wordes yea more pure then golde which in the fire seauen times is tryed And moreouer the same Apostle that you say speaketh agaynst them wyll tell you the contrarie for sayth he What so euer thinges are written aforetyme meaning in the Scriptures are written for our learnyng Therefore woo be vnto those blinde Guydes
confessed that they were strangers and pilgrimes on earth for they that say such thinges declare plainly that they seeke a country not hereupon earth but the desire a better that is an heauenly wherefore God is not ashamed of them to be called theyr God and hath prepared for them an heauenly eitie Now then seeing that fayth is the ground of thinges hoped for and the euidence of thinges whiche are not seene Let vs in any wise vse the meanes that God hath appoynted to come therby And seeing we are compassed with so great a cloud of witnesses Let vs also cast away euery thing that presseth downe and the sinne that hangeth on so fast and let vs runne the race with patience that is set before vs still looking vnto our Lord and Souiour Iesus Christ who is the author and finisher of our fayth And let vs aboue all thinges take heede that we despise not him that speaketh For if all these whiche before I spake of and manie more escaped not which refused those that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turne away from him that speaketh from heauen And seeing we know that the iudgementes of God are according to truth agaynst all them that haue so lyghtly regarded to heare and knowe and haue counted them worthy of death which haue done so let vs not thinke if we doe the same that we shall escape the iudgementes of God but that the like famine will befall vs and our nation that hath befallen others I do not meane a famine of bread as made of corne but of that heauenly bread the worde of God Therfore seeing his word is no vaine word as Moses saith concerning men but is euen their very life Let vs as y ◠Apostle sayth as new borne babes desire the sincere milke therof that so we may grow thereby both in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ especially forasmuche as that in the knowledge of him standeth our eternal life no where els is he to be found but in the holy scriptures for so he hymselfe hath sayd in these words Search the scriptures for in them ye thinke to haue eternall life so you shal for they are they that testifie of me by whō you haue your life breath being and that eternally but you will not come vnto me sayth hee that ye might haue life Therefore hath the holy Ghost sayd in another place hee that obeyeth not the sonne of God shall neuer see life but the wrath of God abideth on hym Seeing therefore that the sonne hath giuen commandement to search the Scriptures and the father that we should not let them depart out of our mouthes and the holy Ghost hath pronounced a blessing onely on them whiche doe therein delight Let vs in anye wise take vnto vs as the Apostle commandeth euen the whole armour thereof and with the holy Prophet make it our onely meditation continually then shall we be sure to prosper and to haue good successe for so the Lord himselfe hath tolde vs yea then shall we be like a tree that florisheth beeing planted by the riuer side which bringeth forth her fruit in due season yea then shall our prosperitie be as a floud and our righteousnesse as the waues of the sea for then will the sonne of righteousnesse hymselfe ouershadow vs vnder whose winges we shall be sure to finde euerlasting health and safetie whereas otherwise we see that God is a consuming fire and hath troden downe the wicked that would not delight herein as wee haue seene in all ages Therfore most heartily I beseech you yea and beseech you agayne and agayne that you will alwayes remember that great commandement of the Lord our God whiche is this Euen to remember the law of Moses his seruant the which he hath commanded with al his statutes and iudgementes and also that most sure word of the holy prophetes with the commandementes of the apostles of our Lord and sauiour and to labour therein both day and night that so you may remayne no longer as children without vnderstanding but to bee of a most ripe age therin and that so it may be sayde of you This people is onely wise and of an vnderstanding heart For they haue knowne the holy scriptures from their childhood which are onely able to make them so to be Come therefore I beseeche you and let vs with the holy prophet confesse before all men say Oh how loue we the law of the Lord It is our onely meditation continually we haue had as great delight in the way of his testimonies as in all maner of riches Therefore shall our eyes preuent the night watches to meditate in hys word because the law of hys mouth is better vnto vs then thousandes of gold siluer yea we hys seruants wil continually meditate in hys statutes and hys testimonies shall be our delight and our onely councellors And because that by hys preceptes hee hath quickened vs wee will neuer forget his word but wee will still hearken vnto hys voyce that so wee may learne to feare it and diligently to obey it all the dayes of our life And we wil also set vp the Lord this day to be our God we wil walke in his wayes and keepe his ordinances hys commaundementes and his lawes for euer and his voice alone will we obey And so doing the Lord our God will set vp vs to be a pretious people vnto himselfe as he hath promised yea so shall wee be set on high aboue all nations of the earth in prayse in name and in glory yea so shall we be counted an holy people vnto the Lord whiche in time past were not a people so shall our enemies that dayly rise agaynst vs fall before our faces yea where as they come out one way agaynst vs they shall flie before vs seuen wayes yea so shall fiue of vs chase an hundreth of them and an hundreth of vs put ten thousand of them to flight as in good part of late we haue seene yea so will the Lord open vnto vs his heauenly treasure and giue vs rayne in due season whereby our land shall yeeld her increase and the trees of the field shall yeeld their fruit yea so shall our thressing reach vnto the vintage the vintage shall reache vnto sowing time yea so shall wee eate our bread in great plenteousnesse and dwell in our land in safetie yea so shall wee haue peace in our land and our sleepe be in quiet and none shall make vs afrayd yea so shall all the blessinges contained in the whole booke of God come vpon vs and ouertake vs if we shall hearken vnto the voyce of the Lord our God and obey it and delight in hys holy worde as in the chiefest
the booke of God whether this my vnskilfull draught woulde drawe you I shall thinke my laboure well bestowed and you your selfe shall remayne no longer as that lytle Syster which hath no brestes but you shall be lyke that flocke of Sheepe where not one is barren amongst them and as that florishyng Tree fast planted by the Riuer side whose leafe shall euer shew it selfe most fresh and greene euen to the bringing foorth of fruite in great abundance And moreouer you shall be then as a Pillar in the house of the Lorde your God and also as the Towre of Dauid most strongly buylt for your owne defence and shall continually remayne in the eyes of this Salomon as one that findeth peace The which peace the Lord graunt you may speedely inioy Amen Yours in the Lorde R. C. The reason why all Creatures ought to prayse the LORD and why Man ought so to do aboue the rest WHereas the holy Prophet prouoketh the Heauens and all thinges therein the Earth and Sea also with all thinges therein to prayse the Lorde he yeeldeth a reason why they ought so to doo and that is for that he spake the worde and they were created he commaunded and they were made And therfore because that all creatures haue their breath and beeing by him as the Apostle sayth the Prophet calleth them all to sounde foorth the prayse and glory of their Creator but especially he vrgeth Man to aduance the same aboue the rest because that he most chiefly aboue all others was thereunto appoynted For the Lorde speaking of his chosen Israel sayth This people haue I formed for my selfe and therefore sayth he They shall shew foorth my prayse and glory as also Moses taught them that vnto that ende and purpose they were chosen And lykewyse the Lorde speaking of the callyng of the Heathen from all quarters of the earth to be his Sonnes and Daughters in Christ Them also saith he haue I created for my glory and to none other ende but that they shoulde shew foorth his prayse amongst the rest as in diuers places of scripture may be seene So that for this cause were all the holy Prophetes and Apostles so much moued to call vpon Man to set foorth the prayse and glory of God and not onely because he was thereunto appoynted but also so much the more for that he hath done for him such wonderful and excellent thynges as first to elect him in Christ vnto saluation before the foundation of the worlde was layde Secondly to create him in so glorious an estate euen after his owne image and lykenes and as Lorde and King ouer all his creatures Thirdly to redeeme his soule from the iawes of Satan with the precions blood of Christ his Sonne as of a Lambe without spot and vndefiled Fourthly to exalt his horne on high euen to syt with his Sonne in the heauenly and highest places Fifthly to sanctifie and to endue him with his holy spirite whereby he may be led into all trueth Sixthly to lade him dayly with his manifolde and gratious benefites And seuenthly to sanctifie one day of seauen for his owne glory and to the ende that man shoulde rest from his owne workes and be workefull vnto God in geuing due prayse and thankes vnto him for the former benefites receyued And therefore as the holy Prophet sayth Let all them that seeke the Lord reioyce and be glad in him and let them that loue his saluation alwayes say The Lord be praysed Man ought dayly to consider for what cause the Lord shoulde so bountifully deale with him and beholding the Heauens be driuen thereby to confesse his owne duetie SEeing that the Lorde hath created Man to none other ende but to shew foorth his prayse and glory and seeing that he ladeth him dayly with his gratious benefites to the ende to induce him therunto O that men woulde therefore enter into deepe meditation with the holy Prophet and so consider with them selues yea and consider agayne and agayne that when they beholde the Heauens euen the workes of Gods fingers the Sunne the Moone and Stars which he hath ordeyned what man shoulde be that he shoulde be so mindfull of him yea or what sonne of Adam he shoulde be that he shoulde thus consider of for he hath made some one to haue dominion ouer the workes of his handes and hath put all thinges in subiection vnder his feete Surely therefore I wyll seeke him out to whom this glory doth belong and I wyll also seeke the cause why the Lord hath thus aduaunced me For he hath geuen me the vse of all these his goodly creatures and therefore once agayne say I What is man O Lorde that thou shouldest deale in this sort with him Surely thou hast thus aduaunced him for some great purpose and I can see none other ende but to aduaunce thy prayse and glory and that in the highest degree for when as I behold the Heauens I see that they haue neither toonge nor voyce and yet I see that they declare thy glory and the Firmament doth shew forth the workes of thy handes Day vnto day vttereth the same thing and nyght vnto nyght teacheth such knowledge there is no speach nor language where their sounde is not heard and surely to none other intent but that men shoulde be without excuse Wherefore I for my part wyll dayly say as the holy Prophet did My soule prayse thou the Lord and al that is within me prayse his holy name My soule prayse thou the Lord and forget not all his benefites Yea and I wyll also call and say Let all the nations prayse the Lorde and let all the people shew foorth the glory of God euen their saluation If man be styrred vp by all the workes of God to consider his owne duetie which is to prayse the Lord it must not be according to his owne fantasie but according to the rule of Gods worde NOW we haue considered that all the workes of God do set foorth his prayse and glory and that man is bounde thereunto aboue the rest we must consider one thing farther with the holy Prophet which is this My lippes sayth he shall speake thy prayse when thou hast taught me thy Statutes Therefore when you haue learned them then may you set foorth the prayse and glory of God in such sort as he shall like of but otherwyse it is vnpossible you should for notwithstanding Moses was brought vp in all the learning of the Egyptians yet he confesseth him selfe to be ignorant concerning the worshyp of the Lord vntyll such time as he shoulde be directed by his owne most perfect worde How much more then ought we to confesse great ignorance therein vntil such time as we also shal be directed by the same Moreouer for as much as no prayse or worshyp is accepted in the sight of the Lord but such as
that woulde so leade you into the dytch as to make you beleeue that y ◠Apostle meaneth the Genealogies conteyned in the holy Scriptures In deede he meaneth that endles Genealogies are vnprofitable but you must well know that there is none such in the Scripture neyther any thyng superfluous or vnprofitable for our saluation Therefore who woulde thinke that men who pretende to haue great zeale and knowledge shoulde be so beastly and foolyshe as to expounde the Apostle in that meaning as though the Apostle who spake by the spirite of God woulde speake agaynst the spirite of God For I pray you did not the same spirite set downe them that set downe all the rest and dare men be so bolde then as to speake against the wysedome of the holy Ghost And I pray you what part of the Bible is there that doth not thereof consist be not men the grounde and cause of all the matter there And how can we knowe the matter as we ought vnlesse we know the men of whom the matter speaketh As for example yf the holy Ghost say Sheba and Seba shall bring gyftes or Nebaioh and Kedar shall come and serue how can we know rightly what is meant hereby vnlesse we know the people of whom the holy Ghost doth speake and also the cause why they were estranged from the Lord and now shoulde come agayne Or yf the Lorde do tell you how that he will subdue the Canaanites Heuites Iebusites Gergesites and the rest of those nations to geue vnto Israel their possessions must you not of necessitie yf you wyl know the cause cleerely vnderstande what these people are and of whom they come and also vpon what former prophesie and promises these matters do depende Yes you are bounde to know them for the holy Ghost commaundeth you and all the world to consider of it euen of this how that when y ◠most High God deuided to the Nations their inheritaunce he appoynted the borders of A people meanyng Canaan and his sonnes according to the number of the sonnes of Israel that in tyme they might haue it So that yf you wyll know any thing in the Booke of God cleerely as all thinges therein you are bounde to knowe you must of necessitie knowe the persons that the holy Ghost doth intreate of For when as the holy Ghost doth tell you of blessednesse to befall Sem and his posteritie and lykewyse the contrarie vnto Canaan and his posteritie and also of a reuersion of Sems blessednes to befall Iapheth in the ende and his posteritie and also how Canaan his posteritie shall be seruantes vnto both them and theirs how is it possible I say for you to vnderstande any thing with iudgement vnlesse you be able in some good sort to distinguysh of these Families For all the whole Bible from the ninth of Genesis to the ende of the Reuelation dependeth vpon this one Prophesie euen on this which by the spirite of God was vttered in the Chapter before cyted Or agayne yf the holy Ghost do tell you of Moab Ammon Edom and diuers mo with them to be ioyned in league agaynst the people of God must you not of necessitie also yf you wyll know the cause cleerely herein vnderstande of what rootes those wicked branches do also proceede and likewise how for what cause they became suche rotten ones as they were and also how for what cause the other the Israelites became the people of God of whom they also come Yes in deede must you or otherwyse your hart shall remayne that hard way and stony grounde vnfallowed vp vpon the which the seede of the Worde being cast is not able to take roote to the bringing foorth of fruites And why because without the knowledge of these thinges you are neyther able to heare or reade the worde of God with vnderstandyng Therefore in the name of God take heede that you be not so perswaded by them to beleeue that the Genealogies in the holy Scriptures be endles or vnprofitable or superfluous for yf you so thinke then do you nothing els but take away from the Scripture and so the cursse of God wyll come vpon you euen to your vtter damnation Therefore yf it be so as Moses sayth that the thinges reuealed in the holy Scriptures are for vs and our chyldren for euer And also that the same Apostle that you spake of doth tel you that All thinges that are therein written are written for our learning You must in any wyse take vnto you the whole armour and instrumentes that God hath you appoynted that so your buylding may be so coupled and knit togeather in euery ioynt of the furniture thereof and so surely grounded vpon that precious foundation of the Apostles and Prophetes Christ him selfe being the chiefe corner stone as that it may stande firme and sure against all the assaultes of the Deuyll in the stormy and euyll day Wherefore seeing that these blinde Guydes whose lyppes do not preserue knowledge but woulde take away the key thereof and neyther enter in them selues nor suffer you that woulde Be you carefull your selfe to lay your grounde-sieles so sure and fast vppon the former Rocke as that your spirituall buyldyng may grow vp as an holy Temple for the Lord and in any wyse geue an entrance to the buylding therof by the holy worde of God and assure your selfe the Lorde wyll geue you lyght yea such exceeding shyning lyght as that the hardest knot and darkest place therein wyll seeme most cleere and bryght yf you wyll the Lord beleeue For you shall vnderstande that he doth tell you that yf you woulde but seeke after knowlege as you woulde do after syluer and search after vnderstanding as you would do after treasures then you should be sure not onely to fynde the knowledge of the hardest Genealogie in his Booke conteyned but also in them and by them the feare and knowledge of the Lorde your God Therefore leaue of so much your seeking after trashe which perisheth and seeke for that true knowledge which neither Moth nor Canker nor Theefe decreaseth as our 〈◊〉 you commaundeth Yea but you wil say that some of our guydes do also tel vs that if we shoulde get this great knowledge vnderstanding that you speake of it woulde be very hurtfull vnto vs for it would puffe vs vp make vs vnreasonable proude for so say they the Apostle sayth and it is more meete say they that we should learne Mortification to do good workes and as for such great knowledge it forceth not It is true in deede that the Apostle sayth that knowledge puffeth vp and it is most meete also that you should learne Mortification also to glorifie y ◠Lord through your workes But you must know what knowledge it is that the Apostle speaketh of a man woulde thinke not heauenly knowledge for who knewe more then he
heard of this We perceiue now that God hath also graunted vnto the Gentiles repentance vnto lyfe So that the necessitie of this poynt is farre greater then I can wel declare because men are geuen generally to thinke that yf they can frame them selues to do well as they tearme it and to mortifie the lustes of the fleshe that that is the onely thing the Lorde requireth and accepteth of but they are marueylously deceyued For the Lorde delighteth more that men shoulde haue the sounde knowledge of him then he doth in all the workes which we call good be they neuer so many by vs perfourmed for yf it stoode onely vpon good workes and mortification wherewith the Lorde woulde be pleased I am sure you can not denie but that all the people in the worlde were then in as good case one as an other For who can deny but that the verie Insidels for outwarde actions behaue them selues as well as men can do and yet notwithstanding they go to eternal destruction And why Because they know not God in Christ. For this is an eternall rule whch you are bounde to holde that is that who soeuer knoweth not the Sonne of God nor beleeueth in him shal neuer see lyfe but the wrath of God abydeth on him Therefore yf you be one of those which loue eternall lyfe you must haue an earnest minde to know him aright that so your beliefe in him may stande most firme and constant and then assure your selfe you haue perfourmed the chiefest worke that God requireth at your handes For when the people demaunde of our Sauiour what they shoulde do whereby they myght worke the workes of God His answere is that they shoulde Beleeue in him whom the Father had sent for that in deede was the onely worke that God required at their handes as he also telleth them Agayne when the keeper of the Prison demaundeth of Paule and Silas what he shoulde do whereby he might be saued Their answere is in like maner that yf he woulde beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ he shoulde then be saued Now it may be you wyll say vnto me in this place yf that be all in all to beleeue in him what neede you then to bestowe such long speech in this poynt For we beleeue in the Lord Iesus and know well enough that all the workes in the worlde will not helpe vs vnles we do so Then must I say vnto you agayne yf it be so that you do beleeue in him as you say you do it must folow then of necessitie that you haue a minde to knowe him for those that beleeue in Christe the Sonne of God the Lord hath geuen a minde to knowe him sayth the Apostle Iohn therfore if you haue an earnest minde to be increasing in the knowledge of the Sonne of God then may you safely say that you are one of those that do beleeue in him and then agayne yf you be one of those that do stedfastly beleeue in him you haue then perfourmed the chiefest worke that God requireth at your handes yea then haue you also learned true mortification in deede otherwyse you haue it not For true mortification consisteth not only in humilitie or in not sparing of the body or in not satisfiyng of the fleshe to fulfill the lustes thereof Neyther do good workes as you see onely consist in the doing of that which is required vnto men for so the Papistes and many others as the forenamed woulde goe before you in that kinde but they both consist chiefly in the soundnes of your knowledge which you ought to haue of the Sonne of God Therefore whereas the most part of people are brought to this passe that is euen to thinke that yf they can say they do beleeue in Christ and learne withall to bring foorth the fruites of a christian lyfe which is to feede the hungrie to cloath the naked to visit the sicke to relieue the prisoners to do vnto all men as they woulde be done vnto and to mortifie the lustes of the flesh all which in deede are their dueties concerning the seconde Table and therefore worthy of commendation for so much But whereas they are brought to this passe I say which is to thinke that yf they can performe these thinges that they haue then performed the only thing the Lord requireth they are greatly deceyued for the Lorde requireth a great deale further matter at their handes then so For knowe you not the answere of our Sauiour vnto the Ruler who had asked what he might do to inherite eternall lyfe yf you do not this is it Yet lackest thou one thing sayth our Sauiour Now what this one thing was that he then lacked I wyll shew you First then the Ruler demaunding of our Sauiour what he myght do to inherite eternall lyfe and our Sauiour reciting the dueties of the seconde Table and he replying that he had kept them all euen from his very youth Our Sauiour trieth him then with a further and more chiefer poynt that is with his duetie concerning the fyrst Table and telleth him playnely that he lacked one thing yet and that in deede the most chiefest thing of all which was his loue towardes our Sauiour Christ and therefore sayth our Sauiour vnto him Sell all that thou hast and come and folowe me thinking thereby to try his obedience towardes the first Table that is to see whether he did so loue the Lorde in hart mynde and soule as that he coulde be contented to leaue all that he had and folow him as Abraham Moses Dauid Daniel and diuers others in the Gospell did but when he came to that poynt the case was altered whereby you may playnely see that yf men neuer so well performe their dueties concerning the seconde Table and yet misse therein as touching the chiefest poynt of the fyrst it profiteth them nothing at all Therefore this is the marke the which most earnestly I do shoote at euen this to haue you and all men well to know that the Lorde requireth most chiefly your whole duetie as touching the fyrst Table which is not fulfilled onely in saying there is but one God Father Sonne and holy Ghost nor in saying you beleeue to be saued by the seconde person in the trinitie but you must well knowe that the Lorde doth also require a most intire loue to be shewed towarde him that is he wyll haue you to loue him euen with all your hart with all your minde with all your soule with all your strength the which loue can in no wyse be so greatly expressed as when you haue a most earnest desire to heare his voyce and when as rather then you woulde be hindered from the hearing thereof by worldly matters you woulde rather be contented to forsake them all Therefore it is not enough onely to say you know this or beleeue that but you must shewe a willing minde to know beleeue according