many thousands that are called christians pray at this day how desirous they are of all the worldly blessinges before heauenly and spirituall because they are vnregenerated and worldlyminded Vnto whome all thinges which they possesse are vncleane and cursed You haue hearde also who are those that feare God and not loue him euen suche I say that doth not knowe howe to honour God not how to serue him nor when they commit spirituall Idolatrie nor wheÌ„ they do abuse gods holy name nor when they prophane or abuse the Lordes day neyther yet knowe the great difference betwéene the first table and the seconde that is they knowe not holynesse from righteousnesse I saye gods right from mans weakenesse that is a true fayth froÌ„ mans workes which are corrupt actiue from profound passiue righteousnesse which is as great difference as is betwéene gods almighty maiestie and mans weake imbessilitie such I say that neyther knowe the articles of their fayth nor vnderstande what true beléefe is neyther yet knowe what prayer is nor do knowe howe to pray neyther yet know what a Sacrament is yet dare presume to saye that they are saued onely because they are baptised yet do lyue worse thâ—n Infidells yea dare presume to receyue the holy communion yet violate pollute the seales therof these are those which are a sléep yea dead yet aliue these are papistes Atheistes Epicures Earnall Protestants and all those wise wordly wisards whose kitching is their church and belly their God and all their glory euerlasting shame and confusion Oh Lorde reclayme them if it be thy will with thy loud cal or lure the preaching of thy Gospel that they may be brought into the tentes of Sem being yet rammish haughtie haggerdes descended from the vncleaÌ„e cage of Iaphet as some learned affirme the elder brother of Sem. Graunt this O God for Christes sake our onely Lorde and sauiour An other question of the sonne â—7 Father I haue heard you say manye times when you haue reproued manye that sweare by their fayth you haue sayd that they were as good sweare by the Trinitie the father the sonne and the holy Ghost Howe can that be doo wée sweare by them when we sweare by our fayth The fathers aunswere Yea is not your faith a stedfast beléefe in God the father the sonne and the holy Ghost And is it not the whole somm of our beliefe which we daylie confesse when we say I beléeue in God the father almightie and in Iesus Christ his onely sonne our Lorde and the holye Ghost c. Do you not then sweare by the Trinitie when you sweare by your beléefe whiche is the verye Christians fayth and is not your fayth a sure hope hold and confidence on and in the father the sonne and the holy Ghost by and through the merits and passion of christ Iesus with a sirme beléefe true and pure vnderstanding of his holy worde and Sacramentes vnto life euerlasting The wife and sonnes aunswere with an other Question Yes verily and so we now confesse and are fully resolued but nowe we praye you let vs vnderstand the sence or meaning of a Sacrament and what it is The fathers aunswere or difinition A Sacrament is when the holy word of God is ioyned with an element as in Baptisme the word is ioyned with the element water and in the Lordes supper the word is ioyned with elementes bread and wine the whith elementes and word ioyned together doth make the definition of a Sacrament and the meaning of a Sacrament is a true and visible signe of an inuisible grace that is the .3 Elements to be séene as the very water bread and wine is veryly present in our sight euen so that inuisible grace working in our harts by the spirite and power of God by faith althings necessary for our saluatioÌ„ by through Iesus Christ and they are also sure seales of the certaintie of our fayth The sonnes .19 Question We pray you sir whether do the Sacraments of them selues giue grace to the faithful receyuers or no We praye you certifie vs or ought we to worship them as God The fathers aunswere They neyther of them selues nor in them selues doth include or giue anye grace for it is the onely gift and worke of the holy Ghost neyther are they to be worshipped as God but we ought to eleuate or lift vp our hartes vnto Iesus Christ who is in heauen our onelye mediator and aduocate vnto God our father for vs and that onely by fayth who is the onely author of these sacramentes commaunding so often as we vse them to do it in the remeÌ„brance of his last comming when we shall receiue it in full ioy with him in his euerlasting kingdome yet they are holy signes seales of our fayth as it were by an instrument God doth worke and seale grace in our harts only by the hande of fayth neither yet are they bare naked signes but grace is truely presented to our fayth when and so often as we receiue the same with a firme fayth constant beléefe in the only merites of christe Iesus our onely Lord and Sauiour The .20 Question We pray you sir is there any more sacraments then two for I haue heard some say there are fiue some affirme there are seuen but we are taught in our church there are but only two The fathers aunswere Howe many soeuer the pestilent papistes haue in their sinfull sinagogue whether they haue fiue seuen or seuen hundred that is nothing to vs for euery seremoniall thing or seremony or any thyng els whiche they thinke is holye in theyr Holye Holie Church or sinnagogue must vpon payne of the Popes cursse be holy adorned and worshipped for it is with them a sacrament or as great yea the very dust and swéeping of their Sinagogue but in Christes holye Churche there is nor neuer was more then two th one is Baptisme the other is the Lords Supper for by the first we are receyued into Christes Church and by the other we are nourished by fayth in our soules into life euerlasting and also remember Christes death vntill hée come agayne to be our ioyfull iudge The sonnes 21. Question We pray you sir certifie vs more plainly what is the true sence substance and meaning of Baptisme The fathers Aunswere Baptisme is the holy sacrament of our regeneration or newe birth vniting and incorporating of vs vnto the body of Christ being therby made a member of his Church by which Sacrament we are purged and washed from al our sinnes for as the water washeth awaye all our filthinesse of the bodie euen so by fayth the blood of Christ sprinckled on our soules by the hand of faith washeth away all our sinnes yea and also all our paynes due vnto the same so being made members of Christes owne body we are partakers of all the benefites and blessinges of Christ our elder brother and head if we
saying that he whiche sayth he hath no sinne is a lyer c. but they wrest the Scripture as Sathan dyd to Christe and too clooke theyr fylthinesse too dwell in theyr sinnes and naughtinesse And therefore this laste péece of Scripture that you recited in the third Chapter of Saint Iohns Epistle is written for a iust condemnation vnto all these wise worldly wisardes the Atheistes and bellie gods whose Ritchin is their Church and bellie their God and glory ende with shame And so these be true and all men liers A Christian caueat The holy Prophet Ieremie in his .48 Cha. of his prophesie hath these words cursed is he that doth the Lords worke negligently which curse taketh holde of all suche that abuse the first table yea the seconde also but especially the first for the first table excelleth the seconde as much as God excelleth a man Therfore he that breaketh the first table in any precept committeth sinne direct agaynst God his creator and as the first table teacheth vs our duty towards god the 2. our duty towards our neighbours brethreÌ„ And as the Lords prayer is deuided into 2. parts which .1 part teacheth vs to aske althinges necessary for our soules and the seconde parte althinges necessary for this present lyfe therefore if God hath taught vs in this firste table first to honour reuerence him and as Christ hath taught vs in his thrée first petitions first to aske althings necessary for our soules if then we practise not first the contentes of the firste table which is to honour God also if we do not first aske all things necessarie for our souls as christ hath taught vs in the 3. first petitions so practise them first in al our life and actions that man runneth I say into the euerlasting curse of God because he doth the Lords worke negligently which he ought first to obserue and practise As for example God commaundeth in the first table first to honour him and in the thrée first petitions Christ teacheth vs first to aske althinges necessary for our soules yf then we do not first practise these in all our life and actions but séeke our owne honor and profite and fulfiill our owne will and pleasure first then we runne headlong wilfully and desperatly into the daunger of this damnable curse because we neglect the Lords worke wil and commaundement as for daylie example in these dayes to to much practised if a man hauing seruants and familie dare presume to prefer his owne commoditie and profit more then the obseruation of the Lords day that man I say most presumptuously prouoketh the Lordes great cursse vpon him and all his house for if God by his owne mouth commaunded to stone to death that man that gathereth but a fewe stickes on the Sabboth day what wyll he doo thinke you vnto those that for their owne pleasure commoditie and profit dare presume to breake violate and prophane the Lord gods expresse holy day will not he thinke you cursse condemne and vtterly reiect all suche wise presumptuous worldly wicked rebelles such Atheists Epicures and bellie gods whose Kitchin is their Church and bellie their God glory euerlasting shame and confusion Euen such I say that prouoke their seruants to woorke and drudge on the Lordes day suche vile Epicures that make their seruants grone vnder their burthens which they carrie to their vile sodomite and filthy Gardens of vanitie on the Lordes day water to water their Gardens baskets of victuales or wine in bottels and so spende all the Lordes day in glottonye and drunkennesse which seruants wish rather .6 wéeke daies then on sunday Or in what desperate daunger liueth the diuelish wretches that drudge all the wéeke and yéere to spend vainely on the holy dayes or els on their owne pleasure and neyther haue respect to remeÌ„ber that which God hath commaunded vs to remember Therfore I feare that kyng Balthasar trembled not so muche when he sawe the hand writing on the wall as these prophaners shall tremble when Christ shall come in iudgement with Ieremies cursse with ite maledicti or all these prophaners of the Lordes day except this cursse be their caueat to repentance An other christian caueat to beware of .3 kinde of people The holy Ghost sayth in the .16 of the Prouerbs and the .25 verse that there is a way which séemeth right to a man and the Isue thereof leadeth straight to hell Also in the .30 of the same Prouerbes in the .11.12.13 and .14 verse By the mouth of Agar the holy Ghost describeth foure wicked generations whiche are these The first is a generation which curseth father mother The seconde is a generation that is pure in their owne eyes and yet are not washed from their filthines The third is a generation whose eies are hautie and eye liddes are lift vpon hye The fourth generation is whose téeth are as swordes and their Iawes are as kniues to eate the afflicted and poore from among the children of men And these foure generations are to be compared vnto thrée kindes of Christians the first kind are the Anabaptists Familistes Papists Libertines Sismatikes and Sectuaries these are the two first generations which blaspheme and curse God their father and the holye Church their mother these thinke that they are are pure and yet are not washed from theyr filthinesse The seconde kinde of counterfeit christians are the third generation whose eyes are hauty and eyeledds are lift on hie these are the proud loftie vayne and welthie Protestantes whose eyes and eye lidds disdayne to salute or speake to the poore These perswade them selues that they are greatly in gods fauour because they haue a fewe of the childrens cromes and a little knowledge and can make some arguments of the holy scriptures and haue abilitie to inuite the presisest preachers to dinner or supper to haue familiaritie with them to cloake their déep resembled hippocrisie but yet they are no lesse proude no lesse couetous no lesse cursed Vsurers and extortioners yea full as nice fine and vayne as the vilest Atheists bellie gods or Epicures But as for mercy or compassion on the poore néedie fie how they spy prie and practise to helpe the poore brother vntil they be too to wearie for they feare not pouertie by their liberalitie but their hautie eies and loftie eie lidds bewraieth their déepe double counterfeite cankered fidelitie Vnto the great shame of all faythful true professers The third kinde is the fourth generation are as swordes and chawes as kniues to eate vp the poore These are the great mightie wise worldlings whose word must be a law which terifie men with their hye wordes and lookes by which they eate vp the poore These are the Atheistes Epicures and bellie gods These godlesse persons breake through the laws as Lions through nets for they are to theÌ„ but as spiders cobwebs these force neither for Gods sake nor mans and yet they wil be called christians but yet they liâ—â— and spende their daies all in vaniâ—â—e as though there were neyther God nor diuell heauen nor hell resurrection or iudgement these differ nothing from Iewes Turkes Pagans yea worse then infidels yet they hope to be saued because they haue the name of Christians and are Baptised and so they shall as soone as the vnbeléeuing that were circumcised which is not possible without repentance For if the Iewes with their iudisme and Turkes with their Mahomet and turkchisme Pagans with their Paganisme euen wheÌ„ these Infidels with their infidelity shal be saued so shall the Anabaptistes Famiâ—â—â—s Papistes ciuil protestants â—â—â—â—â—es Epicures bellie gods and worldlye wise wiswards come to heauen in hast but it is vnpossible for without fayth it is vnpossible to please God muche lesse to come to heauen Vnto the which place of rest God for his sonne Christes sake bring vs vnto whom with the father and the holy Ghost be all honour glory and dominion now and euer Amen A péece of glasse taken out of the holy scripture to be ware of pride couetousnes pleasure and ambition Ioab striued for honor Antiochus for gold and possessions the Sodomites for pleasure pride and wanton idlenesse But Ioab was destroyed by wise king SalomoÌ„ proude Antiochus was eaten vp with wormes aliue the mercilesse vayne Sodomits sunke downe to hell Looke now and sée the ende of proude ambition the ende of couetous caitifes and such as delight in worldly pleasure But the faithfull christians 〈◊〉 for fayth and true religion obtaiâ—â—â— the euerlasting crowne of immortality there for to conclude let vs heare the ende of all Feare God kéepe his commaundements for this is the whole duty of maÌ„ for God will bring euery worke vnto iudgemeÌ„t with euery secret thing whether it be good or euil Eccle. 12.13.14 Therefore remember thy creator FINIS William Cotes Imprinted at London by Iohn Charlewood dwelling in Barbican at the Signe of the halfe Eagle and the keie POST â—ENEBRAS LVX
To the right Worsâ—ful and his especiall friendes M. G. Stock meede Citizen and Grocer of Loâ—â— and Mâ—â—chant Aduenturer And also vnto 〈◊〉 other approued friende M. Iohn Faâ—ter Gentâ—◠〈◊〉 Willam Cotes wisheth 〈…〉 health felâ—◠〈…〉 â—ood prossperitie now alâ—◠〈…〉 WHen I remeÌ„bred what great sin it is to be vngratefull I was angry with my selfe to thinke what a wretch I am that haue had neither grace abilitie power nor oportunitie to shewe some duetifull token of thankefulnesse vnto you mine â—speciall faithfull friendes These are therefore most humbly and hartily to craue parâ—â—n of you for this mine obliuiou◠〈◊〉 grosse ing â—â—â—â—â—nesse hauing found and felt both of you right good and bountifull vnto me your dayly Orator but being perswaded that a faithfull liberall man is alwayes posâ—essed with charitie such neuer thinâ—th any euill and also with the mobâ— royall shining pearle and pretiâ—â—â— one liberalitie which euer ouerâ—â—neth and disgraceth pride and prodigalitie neuer expecteth either glorious praise or recompence for he is noâ—hing kinne to the riche miserly couetous carle Naball And because you shal â—ot thinke that I am sufficed with the dayly remembrance of you in my prayers I haue presumed to dedicate vnto you this my rude vnlearned labour Yet hoping very profitable both for parentes and children masters and seruauntes dayly to acquaint theÌ„ in the principles of the ChristiaÌ„ faith also from prophâ—ning of the Lords day And also keepe them in true feare and obedience without the which it is impossible to please God for miserable and most vnhappie â—s the houshold or family when the master and parents are not able to teache â—heir children and seruants to resolue them in the principles of the Christian â—aith For such sayeth the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 the mouth of the Prophet Dauid arâ— no better then horse and Muleâ— And the holy Apostle S. Paul also affirmetâ— them to be worse then Infidels for the Infidels will prouide carefully for carnall prouision for their owne housholdes and families So that those Christians that careth not to be furnished with spirituall foode for their children and families are worse then the Infidels and such loueth their beastes as well as they doo their children and families for they will carefully prouide for their pampering to doo their businesse Yea such Atheistes and Epicures there are too too many in these dayes yea belly Gods whose kitchin is their Church belly their God and glory end with shame and confusion but God conuert them if it be his will for such doo neuer any good to a poore Christian except it be either for his glory pleasure or profite or else to win credite among Christians for their faith and charitie is soone cold and frosen Such the Preachers terme winter Protestants for in the sommer the pleasures of this worlde and the loue of the same carrieth them farre from flocking to the Lectures as they doo in the winter to saue their fire and candle or else to keepe their credite But the almightie that made the heart of man sitteth and seeth their hipocrisie and will iudge if they repent not vnto whom I commend both you and all yours this 20. of Iune 1585. beseeching the same almightie to increase your faith health and prosperitie vnto euerlasting felicitie Amen Your humble Orator VVilliam Cotes ¶ Vnto the humble and and simple schollers in Christes schoole I a poore scholler and the most simplest sendeth these my humble and faithfull salutations as followeth IF the holy Prophet of our God King Dauid coulde say Psal 119 that trembling and feare was come on him because the wicked did set light the law of God Oh what feare trembling ought now to be in these our last dayes daungerous times that froÌ„ the pessant vnto the Prophet all Oh almost all are become either Atheistes Papists Epicures belly goddes or else bee settled in that pestilent chayre of scorners deriders dehorters or daunters of such as eyther professe teache or preach the trueth But if either the lawe of God were feared or our faith in Iesus Christ throughly grounded or his holy worde or Gospell embraced or prayers to God pearced or loue among brethren practised or Christ and his preachers any thing esteemed then should not our Prince peace countrey bee cominazed or threatned neither wee that liue in these daungerous dayes be so much louers of our selues yea onely selfe louers and care neither for Gods law beleeue Christes Gospell prayer Prince Countrey brethren Kindred Councell Cominations nor threatnings from the almightie Who woulde not therefore nowe feare yea tremble quiuer roare for very griefe of hart to see those that seme to be gods children to lick of the butter froÌ„ Gods word and cast the bread vnto the dogs I meane feede theÌ„selues with the fleece and cast the holy worde at their tayles or giue the fleece vnto such dogs that can not barke and the holy bread vnto such that cannot tell howe to breake it nor to whom to giue it and therefore they feede themselues and sterue Gods children If a lord or king exalt a poore man and make him his steward and put him in credite trust with his treasure and then commaund him vpon paine of his high displeasure dayly to bestow it on his owne children his heires kings and princes If then this exalted steward keepe that treasure and portion vnto himselfe and vse it at his owne pleasure and sterue the young kings princes Will not thinke you this lord and King when he seeth his steward hath set so light his straight charge and commaundement take this steward cast him in his wrath into prison and there let him perish without either pittie or compassion Yes verily Euen so will our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ the King of kings and Lorde of lordes deale with all such stewardes that hee hath giuen any portion vnto in this world from the highest vnto the lowest if they vse it at their owne will but especially vnto al those whom he hath giuen that excellent treasure his holy worde to distribute the bread of life which licke of that butter and cast the holy bread vnto dogges and so prouoke our good God in his wrath to take away from vs the sweete bread of life the finest of the crop and giue vs in his wrath the course olde and sower bread that papisticall sower rotten leauen of the pharisies fit for dogges and beastes of this word but yee beloued let vs drop downe like water patiencely abyde our good Gods leasure vntill he hath tried vs in this his fornace vnto good and perfit gold For he hath promised that he will neuer forsake his little worme Iacob wil also remember poore Ioseph for the more misery that gods childreÌ„ hath the nerer is their ioy As for example the more was Caynes crueltie the nearer was Abels ioy The more Noe was scorned the sooner by the deluge he was deliuered The