Wisd. xiii. 1. 18: John xii. locis. and destruction unto them if they fail thereof. And the Wise Man saith to all men universally, Prov. xix. 2: princes, priests, and people, Where is no knowledge, there is no good nor health to the soul; and that all men be vain in whom is not the knowledge of God and his holy word; that they who walk in darkness Prov.xvii. 44: wot not whither they go; and that the people that iv. 17, will not learn shall fall into great mischiefs; as 35. did the people of Israel, who, for their ignorance Isa. v. 13. in God's word, were first led into captivity; and, when by ignorance afterward they would not know Luko xix. 44; the time of their visitation, but crucified Christ our xxiii, 34Saviour, persecuted his holy Apostles, and were Acts multis so ignorant and blind that, when they did most wickedly and cruelly, they thought they did God John xvi. 2. good and acceptable service, (as do many by ignorance think even at this day,) finally, through their ignorance and blindness, their country, towns, cities, Hierusalem itself, and the holy temple of God were all most horribly destroyed, the most chiefest part of their people slain, and the rest led into most miserable captivity: for he that made Isa. xxvii. 11. them had no pity upon them, neither would spare them; and all for their ignorance. And the holy Hos. iv. 6: Scriptures do teach that the people that will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, to Isa. vi. o: learn and to understand with their hearts, cannot Matt. xiii. 14, be converted and saved. And the wicked them- 40. selves, being damned in hell, shall confess ignorance in God's word to have brought them thereunto, saying, We have erred from the way of the truth, Wied. v. 6, 7. and the light of righteousness hath not shined unto us, and the sun of understanding hath not risen unto us. We have wearied ourselves in the way of wickedness and perdition, and have walked cumbrous and crooked ways: but the way of the Lord have we not known. And as well our Saviour himself as cause Bar. iii. 10-12, 28. 15: John xii. a Cor. iv. 3, 4 his Apostle St. Paul do teach, that the ignorance Matt. xiii. 19: of God's word cometh of the devil, is the of all error and misjudging, (as falleth out with ignorant subjects, who can rather espy a little Matt. vii. 3. and xiii. 9,43: Luke viii. Jolin v. 39 Ps. i. 1-3: Luke xi. 9. mote in the eye of the prince or a counsellor than a great beam in their own,) and universally it is the cause of all evil, and finally of eternal damnation; God's judgment being severe towards those John ii. 19. who, when the light of Christ's Gospel is come into the world, do delight more in darkness of ignorance than in the light of knowledge in God's word. For Matt. xi. 15; all are commanded to read or hear, to search and study, the holy Scriptures, and are promised understanding to be given them from God if they Matt. vii. 7: so do; all are charged not to believe either any dead man, nor if an angel should speak from 31: Gal. i. 8. heaven, much less if the pope do speak from Rome, against or contrary to the word of God; from the Deut v.32,33. which we may not decline, neither to the right hand Deut. xvii. 14, nor to the left. In God's word princes must learn how to obey God and to govern men: in God's word subjects must learn obedience both to God and their princes. Old men and young, rich and poor, all men and women, all estates, sexes, and ages, are taught their several duties in the word of God. For the and cxix. 105. word of God is bright, giving light unto all men's eyes, the shining lamp directing all men's paths and steps. Luke xvi. 30, 15 &c. Rom. xii. 1-7: Pet, ii. 13-17. Ps. cxix. 9. Ps. xix. 8; Eph. v. 14: I Thess. v. 4- : Rom. iii. 11, 12. 30. Let us therefore awake from the sleep and darkness of ignorance, and open our eyes, that we may see the light let us rise from the works of darkness, that we may escape eternal darkness, the due Jolin xii. 35, reward thereof: and let us walk in the light of God's word whiles we have light, as becometh the children of light; so directing the steps of our lives in that way which leadeth to light and life everlasting, that we may finally obtain and enjoy James i. 17. the same. Which God the Father of lights, who 1 Tim. vi. 16. dwelleth in light incomprehensible and inaccessible, John iii. 19; grant unto us, through the Light of the world our viii. 12; ix. 5. Saviour Jesus Christ. Unto whom with the Holy Ghost, one most glorious God, be all honour, given here in the 5. A THANKSGIVING FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF THE LAST REBELLION. O HEAVENLY and most merciful Father, the Defender of those that put their trust in thee, the sure Fortress of all them that flee to thee for succour; who, of thy most just judgments for our disobedience and rebellion against thy holy word, and for our sinful and wicked living, nothing answering to our holy profession, whereby we have given an occasion that thy holy Name hath been blasphemed amongst the ignorant, hast of late both sore abashed the whole realm and people of England with the terror and danger of rebellion, thereby to awake us out of our dead sleep of careless security; and hast yet, by the miseries following the same rebellion, more sharply punished part of our countrymen and Christian brethren, who have more nearly felt the same; and most dreadfully hast scourged some of the seditious persons with terrible executions, justly inflicted for their disobedience to thee and to thy servant their Sovereign, to the example of us all and to the warning, correction, and amendment of thy servants, of thine accustomed goodness turning always the wickedness of evil men to the profit of them that fear thee; who, in thy judgments remembering thy mercy, hast by thy assistance given the victory to thy servant our Queen, her true nobility and faithful subjects, with so little, or rather no, effusion of Christian blood, as also might justly have ensued, to the exceeding comfort of all sorrowful Christian hearts; and that of thy fatherly pity and merciful goodness only, and even for thine own Name's sake, without any our desert at all wherefore we render unto thee most humble and hearty thanks for these thy great mercies shewed unto us, who had deserved sharper punishment; most humbly beseeching thee to grant unto all us that confess thy holy Name, and profess the true and perfect religion of thy holy Gospel, thy heavenly grace, to shew ourselves in our living according to our profession; that we, truly knowing thee in thy blessed word, may obediently walk in thy holy commandments; and that we, being warned by this thy fatherly correction, do provoke thy just wrath against us no more, but may enjoy the continuance of thy great mercies toward us, thy right hand, as in this, so in all other invasions, rebellions, and dangers, continually saving and defending our Church, our realm, our Queen, and people of England; that all our posterities ensuing, confessing thy holy Name, professing thy holy Gospel, and leading an holy life, may perpetually praise and magnify thee, with thy only Son Jesus Christ our Saviour, and the Holy Ghost: to whom be all laud, praise, glory, and empire for ever and ever. Amen. GENERAL INDEX. Abbeys, made dens of thieves, 289. Absolution, not a sacrament, 377. Adultery, what forbidden under this Agathe, or Agatha, letters of, 60; letters Alms, the benefit of, 106; to be given Amends, none possible to be made by us in order to our justification, 21. Anthropomorphites, heresy of, 226. Apple, forbidden, eaten by Adam, Appointed to everlasting life, character Baptism, the case of infants dying after, Basilica, name of Christian Churches Believers (or those who are joined to Bell, book, and candle, the Romanists |