28 e[tions and Anfweres z. Command. yet his owne tongue fpeaketh it, that if I either ferue with him any other, as Saintes, Angels, Images, or whatfoeuer, or him alone after any other way, than he prefcri- beth, I loue him not, but hatehim, yea men extremely hate him, and (hall at his hands finde the reward ofa deadly enemy to his glory ? Now Chrift for his mercies fake touch vs and giue vs feeling. Secondly, let vs marke againe in thefe thecorn- pardon of mercy and iudgement together, how farre the one exceedeth. His eni- mies and haters of his will he punifheth but to the third and fourth generation, but fheweth mercy to thoufandes of them that loue him and keep his Commandements: Who would not lime then, and onely ferue a God of fuch a nature ? Yea what heart is it that will not feeke to pleafe according to his will fo good a Lord as powreth mercy fo long after his difceafe vpon his offpring and pofterity? Laft of all , it is very worthy obferuation, how that (peakingheereofhisCorn- maundements, he placeth loue before it, faying he will Phew kindeneffeto thoufands oftheni that loue him,and keepe his Commaundements. As though he would haue vs know that thefe two cänot be feperated, hut whofoeuer frameth himfelfe to obey the Lord, he mull needs loue him before, for out ofthat, as out of his fountaine and proper head, floweth the other, not accepted elfe nor liked if it doo not, and contra - riwife if wee doe loue the Lord in deede, in trueth, in verity,then will wee keepe His Commeundements, marke it, His Commaundements, hee doth not fay then will we deuife this thing, and that thing, with twentie thinges moe of a good minde and meaning to pleafe God withall, but weewilithenkeepe His Commaundements, that is, we will then feeke and fearch, we will then read and heare euery man, we will endeuour to bee inftru &ed what God in his Worde bath prefcribed vs to doe, and wee will keepe His Commaundements. Now then Once againe,euenas the blood of lefus Chrifl is deare voto vs, let ourBrethren of the Church of Rome, ( for fo wee yet call them in hope of amendment) looke and marke what loue of God is in them. Heere is a note, and elfe often repeated in the Scripture to know their loue by. A- las they deuife Lawes, wales, andmeanes,euery day toferueGod withall oftheir owne heades,but his prefcribed rule in his w orde they vererly contemne and negle&. Now where true loue of God is , out of it floweth a burning confiant care to keepe Hù Commaundements, not our owne. They keepe their owne and with fire and faggot doe reuenge thebreach of them, but the Lords worde not fo,with abfiaining from this meareand that meate, this day and that day , with tingle life, though mofi impure, with prayers in an vnknowne tongue , and thus often repeated ouerand o- uer,with croffings,and creepings, Paxes, and Beades, holy Water and Crearne, A. (hes & Spittle, with a thoufand fuchthinges haue they deuifed to worfhip the Lord, and who fo breaketh thefe, an Heretike hee is, aRunne -awayfrom the Church, cite him and fummon him, excommunicate him and imprifon him, burne him and hang him,yea away with fuch a one, for he is notworthy to huevpon the earth. But if he Read the blafpheame the name of the Lord byhorrible fwearing, if he offend mofigrieuoufly Lord s.bbrmr in pride, in wrath, in gluttonie, and couetoufneffe, if he bee a drunken Ale -flake, a lath examina. ticktack Tauerner, keepe a Whoore or two in his ovinehoufe and moe abroad at Lion in the be- boord with other men, with a number fuch like grieuous offences , what doe they? ginningofit. Either he is not puni(hed at all, and mofi commonly fo, or ifhe bee, it is a little pen - nance oftheir ovine indenting bybelly or purfe,or to fay a certaine ofprayers, to vi- fite fuch an Image in pilgrimage, &c. But all this deferueth neither fire nor faggot. Is not this for that man of finneto exhalt himfelfe againfi all that is called God, or that is worfhiped ? Can it be deny - ed but that he that puni(heththe breach of his ovine lawes aboue thebreach ofGods lawes, in that prefetreth himfelfe before God ? Surely it cannot, it is too plaine,and therefore once againe remember, that the loue of God in man or woman draweth them to the keeping of His Commaundements fet downe in the worde, and not of their owne confiitutions deuifedbythemfelues. And thus much in briefe of this Commaundement. The
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