z pon the Lords Prayer. '34 but in this life runneth in a race,and after two fortes isilayned and impure. Firf+, with the manifold imperfcetions,frailties,and wants,which her bell chil- dren are burdened withal) cucr, feeling with the Apohle, that in their flefh dwel- Icth no good rising , that they are yoaked as bee was, and faire worfe, that when they would doe good, euill is prefent with them: and fecondly,with a grieuous mixture of many faire Hypocrites, and counterfeit pratlers,ariaongf+, her true chi)- Rom.7tó.ar. dren,whonte though thee ugh to be deliuered of and doe by her Aethoritie, as the may,drsburden her Idle of them, yet can fhee neuerdoe it fo cleanc,but that many vilde weeder will rcmaine till the Haruef+, to be thenplucked vp, and till then in the patience to be endured. Let vs confider the Church from her very cradle,and wee fipde the Aate,ofit after this fort. e4dam, in his Familie had Caine, with his wicked behauiour,and Calatl+.4a,0. yet aChurch. Noah bad Cham,,and yet aChurch. Abraham had JJmael,amçc- kei' and derider of Gods Promifes: A nan borne after the fiefli (that is) after the common cockle of Nature, and perfecuting hen that was borne after the Spirrçe, (that is)by the venue of Gods Promife, and after a Spiritual' manner, and yet a Church. Ifaack,had Efau,and yet a Church. Iaacob had great mifdemeanours commie -, 49 ted Pill in his Familie, by all his Sonnes, enuying, and malìcing,and moli vnbro_ therly vfing lofeph. By Ruben defiling his bed, bySameon and Lehi brethren in e_ uill,inf+rumentsof crueltie,& in their wrath fleying fo many : by Dinah his laugh - ter,by Rachel his wife,flealing her Fathers Idols,& but ouermuch deceyned with them, and by many othermeanes,ifwee fully perufe the florie,and yet a Church. Catu.vpontht Neither did euer Adam, or Noah,or Abraham., or the reff, fitrfake there Churches Place. in their feuerallFamilies , or refute to pray, and to doe all other duties enioyned them of the Lord,for any vnworthy ones among them. Thenhen it came into c/Egipt, was it without wrinckles ? When it was deliuered therehence,remember wenor,what falls and faults,what blots and blemi(hes f +ill;ftdl,and euer appeared in that chofen companie,out of all the Nations of the world ? Neede Itorepeate their murmurings,their reuiling s, their faintings, their manyand great impieties, mentioned in the Boric vnderc, 2zlofes ,vnderlofuah,andvnder the bulges ? Step to the Kings,andto the Proplrcts,wh at a (late is mentioned of this Church, militant under them alto euer? Were all things holy and perfe& then ? Let Efa', Jeremy, Joel, e/16a. cue, and the ref+fpeake. In the Priefles, in the Magif+rates, in the people, all Eby. .eeid things were then fo corrupt,that the Prophet Tray is not afraide to compare Hie- theChapt r. raralem to Sodom and Gomorrha. Religion was then partly contemned,partly de- filed,and many gricuous enormities in manners abounded: fo that from the foleof ;he tonne to the top ofthe head there was nothing whole,but wóundes,and fwel- rikizs,and foares,firll of corruptions, faith the Prophet Yet for allthis,neuer did the Prophets, all, or any of them,ere& new Churches for themfelues,wherein theymight haue theyr feparated Sacrifices from the ref+, offered upon any newe Altars,butlded to that ende as more holy. But what man- ner of men foeuer they werc,becaufe the Worde was there,an d a courfe of Seruice In medio un- warranted in the thicke of the wicked,and in the middeftof mifdoers,they lifted Iii cat vp pure hands to the Lorde, and came together mien with the wicked to pray, to Pr" u mama Sacrifice, to heare the Worde,and to doe theyr duties in the places appointed. p Trudy wee muff thinke this of thofe holy Prophets,that if they had iudged o- eztendebant, theroreos finnes could haue defiled theyr holle duties, or that any infe &ion or r`ca pupal.' contagion might haue conic to them,by meeting in thofe places of Gods Set-trice inrquo C7per- with the wicked, they would haue dyed an hundred times,rather then haue fuffe_ uerfo canoe_ red themfelues to be drawee thither. But they knewe it could nor,and hauing a raebat. Cal44 fingular care of peace and vnitie in the Church, they therefore abhorred to make any fehifneinthe fame,by feparating themfelues from the Church. M m m Now,,
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