matter what it is to let the true Christian religion I do meane those which are confirmable and agreable to the Christian rule and good manners On the contrarie I beséech them to remember a lawe of the Aegyptians by the which the kings of the countrie did adiure and sweare the iudges not to iudge any thing wrongfully yea when the king hath commaunded them expresly and if they do disalowe me in this matter I wil put before their eyes the exhortation which Iehosaphat made vnto the Iudges of Iuda admonishing and warning them to consider that they doe not exercise the iudgment of men but of GOD and that it shall be with them according to the thing iudged to haue the feare of the Lorde before their eyes to know that there is no vnrighteousnes in the Lord your god nor the regarding of persons nor taking of rewardes They haue written this lawe not with ynke but with the spirite of the liuing God not in tables of stone but in the fleshly tables of their heartes To the end that by their arrestes and Edictes they haue moued by that afore the people vnto a rage and furie more then barbarous and Scythian they may be also an occasion that hereafter the Christian people doe breake their swordes and speares to make sithes sickles and sawes thereof From that time foorth shall not one people lift vp weapon against another neither shall they learne to fight from thencefoorth but as the prophet Iob saith that we may all walke in the feare of the Lord let vs acknowledge also on our parte that God hath ben prouoked iustly against vs for our demerites and transgressions according as he doth menace and threaten some time his people by the Prophet that he wil take from them the Captein the Souldier the Iudge and the Prophet the wise and the aged man the worshipfull of fiftie yeare olde and the honourable the Senatours and men of vnderstanding the maisters of craftes and Oratoures and shall giue vnto them to be their Princes children and babes shall haue the rule ouer them The people shal be pilled and polled one shall euer be doing violence and wronge to an other The boye shall presume against the elder and the vile person against the honourable Bicause saith the Prophet that both their wordes and counseils are against the Lorde they prouoke the presence of his maiestie vnto anger Wherefore O Christian and faithfull people let vs consider our wayes and search them and let vs returne vnto the Lorde and bewaile vs for our sinnes Let vs lift vp our heartes with our handes vnto the Lorde that is in heauen saying We haue bene dissemblers and haue offended wilt thou therefore not be intreated thou hast conuerted vs in thy wrath and persecuted vs thou hast slaine vs without any fauour thou hast hidde thy selfe in a cloude that our prayers shoulde not goe thorowe thou hast made vs outcastes and to be dispised among the heathen All our enimies gape vppon vs feare and snare is come vpon vs yea dispite and destruction O Lorde be not so sore displeased and kéepe not our offences too long in thy remembrance but consider that we are all thy people The cities of thy Sanctuarie lie wast Syon is a wildernesse Ierusalem a desert Our holy house which is our beautie where our fathers praised thée is brent vp yea all our pleasures and commodities are wasted away remember not Lorde our offences but finish the worke which thou hast begunne in vs in this meane libertie of the religion that we may all sing in great hope and assurance with the Prophet Dauid mercie and truth are met together righteousnesse and peace kisse each other truth shal rise out of the earth and righteousnesse shall looke downe from heauen Graunt vs O Lorde that grace in the name and fauour of thy welbeloued sonne our Lorde Iesus Christe vnto whome be glorie for euer Amen ESAY 11. c. The Lord shall set vp a token among the Gentils and gather together the dispersed of Israel yea and of the outcastes of Iuda from the foure corners of the worlde A prayer O Lord which doest disperse and breake the counsells of the nations dost bring too nothing the enterprises of the people shed out the bowels of thy mercies vpon those which do fight daily against thée as their forefathers and woulde chase and driue thée from thy celestiall throne as the king of Babilon To conclude doe put and set them selues against thy sonne Christe teachers and liers as that sonne of perdition for to pull vp by the roote that which thou hast planted to destroy to ruinate that which thou hast builded to hinder and stop that which thou hast shed out euen vnto the vttermost ends of the earth yea do go about by all meanes to marre and to spill that which thou hast tried in the furnesse of the earth and purified seuen times in the fier to ad vnto that which thou hast ordeined in all integrie perfection To cōclud would suppresse abolish by force that which thou hast established for euer O Lord giue thē feare that they may acknowledg confesse him whom thou hast raised vp to set vp the kinreds of Iacob to restore the destruction of Israel and whom thou hast giuen for to lighten the Gentiles that he may be thy health vnto the end of the worlde our Lorde Iesus Christe vnto whome be glorie for euer Amen AN ADVERTISEMENT VNto these which doe crie dayly that wee must not suffer two religions Cap. 4. 1. TIMOTH 4. ¶ Therfore we labour and suffer rebuke bicause we beleeue in the liuing God which is the sauiour of all men but especially of all those that beleeue IT is most euident and knowen by the discourse of the holy scripture that as the Lord is true entire perfect so doth hée require of vs an acknowledging of him neither fained nor cloked That is the cause wherfore he did regard rather the sacrifice of Abel then of Cain did commaunde in the lawe that is written that wée must haue a perfecte and a iust measure and weightes and not to haue two manner of weightes he did rebuke Saul because that he did not wholy and fully accomplish his will and desire inasmuch as he did reserue some of the spoiles which they had gotten against the king of Amalech And in the Gospell is more praised the prayer of the Publican then that of the Pharisie To conclude in the booke of the Actes of the Apostles Ananias is punished bicause he deceiued the Apostles of the price of his possession In the same respect also we do greatly abhorre those which do mingle the sacrifice of the liuing God with that of Baal the doings of the Iewes with the fame of the Samaritans the baptisme with the circumcision the Christian lawe with that of Antichrist And yet
peace Cap. 7. Philip. I. d. Continue in one spirite and in one mynd fighting altogether through the fayth of the gospell in nothing feare your aduersaries FOrasmuch as the Scripture doth teach vs that God is not the God of confusion but of peace And that the Gospell of the Christians is called by the Prophet the message of peace And the christian church the congregatioÌ„ of saincts which doe liue in the peace of god Insomuch that the propht Esaie speaking of the church of God saith that God will let peace into her as a water floud and the might of the heathen as a flowing streame And in Baruch the god shal name his church with this name that is to say the peace of righteousnesse and the honoure of gods feare Finally forasmuch as the Church of GOD is the piller and staye of gods truth truely they maye knowe plainely howe wee ought to bee all diligent to keepe the vnitie of the spirite through the bande of peace to the ende that wée all agréeing together may after the ensample of Iesus Christ with one mouth as saith Sainct Paule praise Gâ—D which is the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ And that we hence foorth be no more as chyldren wauering and caried about with euery winde of doctrine But let vs followe the truth with loue and in all things grow vp in to him which is the head that is to say Christ On the other side we are taught to auoide as much as we may possible the debates and contentions of the lawe and the parcialities touching the dooing of the religion According as Saint Paule did exhorte the Corinthians in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ that they all speake one thing and that there be no discentions among them But that they be knit together in one minde and in one iudgement that they doe continue of all one minde al fighting of one courage by faith And also hee dyd warne and admonish the Philippians that they bée lyke minded hauing the selfe same loue béeing of one accorde and of one iudgement that nothing be done through strife or vaine glorie but that in méekenesse of minde euery man estéeme other better then himselfe On the other side he writeth vnto Titus that he do suppresse foolishe questions and genelogies and brawling and strife about the lawe as vaine and superfluous Also the same Saint Paul doth complaine to the Philippians that some there are which preach Christ of enuie and strife and not purely Also in his seconde Epistle to the Corinthians he saith that hée and Siluianus haue preached vnto you Gods sonne Iesus Christ not in double worde yea and nay but in this worde which is true that is to say yea The same Apostle doth giue vnto vs the reason of this doctrine when he saith that questions and strife of wordes do ingender enuie strife railings euil furmising vain disputations of men with corrupt mindes And saith also in an other place that if there be enuyâ—ng strife sects among vs we do declare that we are carnall and walke after the manner of men For verily he that is contentious in the church especially touching the doing of the religion he sinneth many wayes First in that hee breaketh the vnitie of the Christian Church which ought to be vnited and ioyned together not onely by naturall coniunction and amitie but also by vnitie of doctrine For as Iesus Christ saith that by this shall al men knowe that we are his disciples if we haue loue one to an other Also saint Paul doth warne vs to beware of them which cause diuision and offences contrarie to the doctrine which they haue learned and auoide them Consequently he which is contencious in the church concerning the doctrine or doing of the religion First of all he sinneth against Iesus Christ which is the head of the Christian church and prince of peace as saith the prophet inasmuch as he hath reconciled all things vnto himselfe to set at peace through the bloude of his crosse both things in earth and things in heauen Secondly he doth giue occasion vnto the simple and foolish people to erre and go astray from the christian Church in the which doth lie and rest the piller of our saluation And that the same is greatly odious and hatefull vnto God Iesus Christ doth teach and declare it when he saith Wo be vnto him through whome offences come it were better for him that a great milstone were hanged about his necke and that he were cast into the sea then that he shoulde offende one of these little ones The which his Apostle doth confirme shewing vnto the Galathians that he that troubleth them shall beare his condemnation whosoeuer he be and desireth that they that trouble them may be cut off from them Finally he doth giue occasion vnto straungers and enimies of our religion to blame the name of God. According as the prophet did rebuke the gouernours priestes of the house of Israel that they haue caused the multitude to be offended at the lawe And Sainct Paul writing vnto the Romanes saith that the name of God is euil spokeÌ„ off among the Gentiles through them And by good right a certeine auncient authour did complaine that we many wayes in the church do teare and rent Gods coate through our contentions the which the Souldiours durst not deuide in his passion the whiche did moue sometime the Iewes as Clement Alexandrinus doth witnes to swell and rise vp euen there against the Christians to say that the Christian religion was not of God but some pernicious sect and false religion Because that the Christians had debates and contentions in the church For the same occasion that great heriticke Celsus and chiefest enimy of the christians did rebuke daily the christians of their diuisions and parcialities saying that it were not expedient that they shoulde growe and increase to any more greater number Bicause that being but a fewe in number they would be of one accorde and agrée well together but assone as they did multiplie and waxe many they woulde fall into diuersities of opinions Also Samosetanus in the ecclesiastical history doth witnesse that the Emperour Constantine did suffer verie impatiently the controuersies and contentions of the christians saying that by that means they do turne many men from the christian religion Vnto whome Themistus a christian Philosopher aunswered that the differences controuersies of the christians were nothing in respect of the confusion of the sect of the Gentiles Also the same authour saith moreouer that for certeine small contentions which do chaunce and happen to the churches the church must not therefore leaue and forsake the principall foundation of the true religion nor to be the true churches but that by that means the Lorde doth trie and proue the hearts of many doth declare make plaine the
blame the poorenesse and littlenesse of our church forasmuch as it is staied vpon the worde of the Lorde which abideth for euer But we must rather accuse the malice of those which do rise vp against vs for to destroy and ruinate that principall foundation whiche is Iesus Christ in whom all the building coupled together groweth vnto an holy Temple in the Lord in whom we also are built together made the habitation of God by the spirite for as we ought not to blame Moses nor to attribute vnto his doctrine that the people of God did not multiplie and increase but vnto king Pharao which did force them vnto an extréeme and miserable seruitude and bondage euen vnto the killing of the first borne of the people neither vnto the prophet Helyas that in his time the true Prophets were no more at commaundement but rather vnto king Achab and Iesabel his wife whiche did followe and chase them vnto death No more also then we ought to blame Sainct Iohn Baptist the messenger or forerunner of the sonne of God or the Apostles of Iesus Christe because that so many people did put themselues against the Christian lawe But to accuse the ambition of the Romaine Emperours together with the priuie hatred of the Scribes and Pharises willing to deface in the earth the memorie of Christ In like manner we ought not to condempne the true Christian religion or to stay vs or tarrie vppon the default of those which do professe it but to acknowledge the rage furie of the enimies of the crosse of Christ and in the meane season to beare patiently the manners of our domesticalls teaching them with gentlenesse prouing if God at any time will giue them grace that being conuerted they may know the trueth And because that the haruest is great but the labourers are fewe let vs on our parte pray vnto the Lord of the haruest to send foorth labourers into his haruest and that for so many hired and vnprofitable shepherds he do send good shepherds into his folde looking for or beholding the cōming of the true shepherde of our soules our Lorde Iesus Christ vnto whom be glory for euer Amen 1. CORINT 1. d. VVhen the world by wisedome knewe not God in the wisedome of God it pleased god by folish preaching to saue them that beleeue A prayer O Lorde whiche hast spoken by thy Prophet I will destroy the wisedome of the wise and will cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent yea which hast chosen the foolish things of this world for to confounde the wise and the weake and féeble things for to confounde the strong and the vile and despised and those which are not for to abolish those which are to the end that no flesh doe glorifie himselfe before thée Poure out thy vengeaunce vpon those which are of a corrupt iudgement rebuke as concerning the faith Who as Iannes and Iambres withstode Moses also of a purpose doe resist the trueth of thy gospel and do count the worde of the crosse folishnesse Breake a sunder and confounde the enterprises and counsailes of all those which do eleuate themselues against thy holy Mounteine as thou hast destroyed the strength and force of all the kings and monarkes of the worlde by that little stone cut out of the rocke without any handes and hast abated the pride of the mightie through the humilitie of thy sonne to the end that all the worlde may knowe that thy kingdome is not of this worlde and that the felicitie of thine doth not lie in this present life but in the kingdome of the blessed Finally that the Christian Church is not an assemblie of proude and imperious Magistrates but of those which do humble themselues vnder thy obedience and do put themselues vnder the yoke of thy welbeloued sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde And yet Lord that bicause of vs thy name is blamed not among the Christians onely but also among the straungers in so much that our sinnes demerites do giue occasion vnto our enimies of slaunder and to vs of confusion and rebuke Neuerthelesse O Lord in asmuch as thorough the incredulitie of some of ours thy lawe is no lesse veritable and true as it is written That thou mightest be iustified in thy sayings and ouercome when thou art iudged Remember not O Lord for thy fatherly goodnesse our offences and haue not in minde the wickednes of those which do polute and blame thy name but beholde the face of him which was holden and taken to be of the companie of the malefactours and hath protested before thy maiestie that the rebukes of them which rebuked thée were fallen vpō him our Lorde Iesus Christ vnto whom be glorie for euer Amen ¶ THAT NONE CAN HINder or stoppe the course of the religion by fire and sword threatnings and bonds Cap. 6. 2. CORINT 13. c. ¶ VVe can do nothing against the trueth but for the trueth IF the Scripture doth teach vs in diuers places that the Gospel is none other thing but a message of peace according as Esaie saith that beautifull are the féete of him that bringeth the message from the mounteine proclaimeth peace that bringeth the good tidings precheth health saith vnto Syon thy God is the king if say I the same prophet speaking of the vocation and calling of the Gentiles and message of the gospel doth write in the persone of the Lorde that he will let peace into her like a water floud and the might of the heathen like a flowing streame and that in that same time men shall breake their swords and spears to make sythes sickles sawes thereof From that time forth shall not one people lifte vp weapon against another neither shal they learne to fight from thenceforth according to that we do reade that at the fist or new comming of the sonne of God that there was with the Angel a multitude of heauenly souldiers lauding God and saying glorie be to God in the hie heauens and peace in earth and towards men good will. As it is most euident that Iesus Christ our sauiour was borne vnder Cesar Augustus reigne a kingdome full of tranquilitie and peace truely the Ambassadour and herauld of one such message ought to obserue and kéepe a great méekenesse and gentlenesse in his charge profession For it is most certeine that Moses and Iesus Christ in that haue had a singuler prerogatiue aboue all other of Moses the scripture saith that he was a verie méeke man aboue all the men of the earth what Iesus Christ was he himselfe doth manifest and declare it when he cried with a loude voice come vnto me all ye that are wearie and laden and I will ease you Take my yoke on you and learne of me that I am méeke and lowely in heart In somuch that the Prophet speaking of his méekenesse saith he shall not be an outcrier nor