which have been before us did, and so have from time to time received that which for their souls' health, they did at any time desire.

zandis Rudi

St. Augustine seemeth to bear in this matter: for he saith thus of them which, being brought up in grammar and rhetoric, are converted to Christ, and so must be instructed in Christian religion. "Let them know also," saith he, "that it is not De Catechithe voice, but the affection of the mind, that cometh bus. to the ears of God. And so shall it come to pass, that, if haply they shall mark that some bishops or ministers in the Church do call upon God either with barbarous words, or with words disordered, or that they understand not, or do disorderly divide the words that they pronounce, they shall not laugh them to scorn." Hitherto he seemeth to bear with praying in an unknown tongue; but in the next sentence he openeth his mind thus: "Not for that these things ought not to be amended, that the people might say, Amen, to that which they do plainly understand. But yet these things must be godly borne withal of these catechists, or instructors of the faith, that they may learn, that, as in the common place where matters are pleaded the goodness of an oration consisteth in sound, so in the Church it consisteth in devotion." So that he alloweth not the praying in a tongue not understand of him that prayeth, but he instructeth the skilful orator to bear with the rude tongue of the devout simple minister.

To conclude. If the lack of understanding the words that are spoken in the congregation do make them unfruitful to the hearers, how should not the same make the words read unfruitful to the reader? The merciful goodness of God grant us his grace to call upon him as we ought to do, to his glory and our endless felicity; which we shall do, if we humble ourselves in his sight, and in all our prayers, both common and private, have our minds fully

fixed

upon him. For the prayer of them that humble Ecclus. xxxv. themselves shall pierce through the clouds; and till 17, 18.

and

it draw nigh unto God, it will not be answered; till the Most High do regard it, it will not depart. And the Lord will not be slack, but he will deliver the just, and execute judgment. To him therefore be all honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

AN

INFORMATION

FOR THEM WHICH TAKE OFFENCE AT CERTAIN PLACES OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE.

THE FIRST PART.

THE great utility and profit that Christian men and women may take, if they will, by hearing and reading the holy Scriptures, dearly beloved, no heart can sufficiently conceive, much less is any tongue able with words to express. Wherefore Satan, our old enemy, seeing the Scriptures to be the very mean and right way to bring the people to the true knowledge of God, and that Christian. religion is greatly furthered by diligent hearing and reading of them, he also perceiving what an hindrance and let they be to him and his kingdom, doeth what he can to drive the reading of them out of God's Church. And for that end he hath always stirred up, in one place or other, cruel tyrants, sharp persecutors, and extreme enemies unto God and his infallible truth, to pull with violence the holy Bibles out of the people's hands, and have most spitefully destroyed and consumed the same to ashes in the fire, pretending most untruly, that the much hearing and reading of God's word is an occasion of heresy, carnal liberty, and the overthrow of all good order in all well ordered commonweals.

If to know God aright be an occasion of evil, then must we needs grant, that the hearing and reading of the holy Scriptures is the cause of heresy, carnal liberty, and the subversion of all good orders.

2 Pet. i. 21.

But the knowledge of God and of ourselves is so far off from being an occasion of evil, that it is the readiest, yea, the only mean to bridle carnal liberty, and to kill all our fleshly affections. And the ordinary way to attain this knowledge is with diligence to hear and read the holy Scriptures. For 2 Tim. iii. 16. the whole Scriptures, saith St. Paul, were given by the inspiration of God: and shall we Christian men think to learn the knowledge of God and of ourselves in any earthly man's work or writing sooner or better than in the holy Scriptures written by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost? The Scriptures were not brought unto us by the will of man; but holy men of God, as witnesseth St. Peter, spake as they were moved by the holy Spirit of God. The Holy Ghost is the Schoolmaster of truth, which leadeth his scholars, as our Saviour Christ saith of him, John xvi. 13. into all truth. And whoso is not led and taught by this Schoolmaster cannot but fall into deep error, how goodly soever his pretence is, what knowledge and learning soever he hath of all other works and writings, or how fair soever a shew or face of truth he hath in the estimation and judg ment of the world.

1 Cor. xi. I.

1 John ii. 6.

If some man will say, I would have a true pattern and a perfect description of an upright life approved in the sight of God, can we find, think ye, any better, or any such again, as Christ Jesus is, and his doctrine? whose virtuous conversation and godly life the Scripture so lively painteth and setteth forth before our eyes, that we, beholding that pattern, might shape and frame our lives, as nigh as may be, agreeable to the perfection of the same. Follow you me, saith St. Paul, as I follow Christ. And St. John in his Epistle saith, Whoso abideth in Christ must walk even so as he walked before him. And where shall we learn the order of Christ's life but in the Scripture?

Another would have a medicine to heal all diseases and maladies of the mind. Can this be found or gotten otherwheres than out of God's own book,

his sacred Scriptures? Christ taught so much, when he said to the obstinate Jews, Search the John v. 39. Scriptures, for in them ye think to have eternal life. If the Scriptures contain in them everlasting life, it must needs follow, that they have also present remedy against all that is an hinderance and let unto eternal life.

20.

If we desire the knowledge of heavenly wisdom, why had we rather learn the same of man than of God himself, who, as St. James saith, is the Giver James i. 5. of wisdom? Yea, why will we not learn it at Christ's own mouth, who, promising to be present with his Matt. xxviii. Church till the world's end, doth perform his promise, in that he is not only with us by his grace and tender pity, but also in this, that he speaketh presently unto us in the holy Scriptures, to the great and endless comfort of all them that have any feeling of God at all in them? Yea, he speaketh now in the Scriptures more profitably to us, than he did by word of mouth to the carnal Jews, when he lived with them here upon earth. For they, I mean the Jews, could nother hear nor see those things which we may now both hear and see, if we will bring with us those ears and eyes that Christ is heard and seen with, that is, diligence to hear and read his holy Scriptures, and true faith to believe his most comfortable promises.

If one could shew but the print of Christ's foot, a great number, I think, would fall down and worship it but to the holy Scriptures, where we may see daily, if we will, I will not say the print of his feet only, but the whole shape and lively image of him, alas, we give little reverence, or none at all. If any could let us see Christ's coat, a sort of us would make hard shift, except we mought come nigh to gaze upon it, yea, and kiss it too: and yet all the clothes that ever he did wear can nothing so truly nor so lively express him unto us, as do the Scriptures. Christ's image, made in wood, stone, or metal, some men, for the love they bear to Christ, do garnish and beautify the same with