77 / 772
Of
the
girdle of
Veritie.
49
with
true valour
and Chriflian fortitude,
in
the
next
place
he
oftbegirdleof
defcribeth the armour
of
God
which we
are
to
buckle vnto
veritte.
vs.
Where
firft
we
are
generally
to abferue,that
we
are
not
curioufly
and
fcrupuloufly
to
fearch
out the
reafonwhy
fuch
and
fuch
vertues
are
likened to
thefe
or
thofe
peeces
of
ar-
mour
:
as
for
example,why
he
calleth
truth
a
girdle, rigltte-
oufnes
a
breaft-
plate,faith
a
fhield,
&c.
for
it
was
not
the
A-
poftles purpofe
fo
exacîlie
to
fit
the
fimilitudes,
as
may
ap_
peare
I.Thef.5.8.
where
he
indifferently
afcribeth
the naine
ofbreafi
-plate
both
to
faith and
charitie,
by
which here
he
vnderfiandeth righteoufneffe;
but
onely briefly and
gene-.
rally to íhew
what
vertues and graces
of
Gods
fpirit
are
molt
neceffarie
for
a
Chriflian, wherewith he
may
be enabled
to
refit
his
fpirituall enemies,
continuing
his
former
allegorie
taken fromwarres.
But
let
vs
come
to
the armour
it
felfe,
which
is
both
de-
fenfiue and offenfiue:the
firfi
part
is
the girdle
of
veritie.The
word
here
vfed
fgnifieth
a
broad
fiudded
belt
vied in wars
in
ancient
times,
wherewith the ioints
ofthe
brcaft-
plate,
and that
armor
which
defended
the belly,loines
and
thighes
were couered.
And by this,
truth
is
refembled
:
whereby
fome
vnderfland the
truth
of
religion and
of
the
do&rine
which we
profeffe
;
others vnderfland hereby
truth
and
vp-
rightnes
of
heart, or
the
integritie
of
a
good
confcience,
whereby
we
performe
all
duties
of
religion belonging
to
God
and our
neighbour
in
fimplicitie,without
all
hypocrifie
and
diflìmulation.But
becaufe
both
are
notable and
neceffa-
rie parts
ofour
Chriftian armour,
I
fee
no
reafon
why
wee
What
vveare.
may
not
take
it
in
both
fenfes,
feeing
the
Apofile
Both
of
to
vnderfland
purpofe fet
downe vnder
thefe metaphoricall
words, the
verities
irdleof
chiefe
vertues
and
graces
wherewith
wee
are
to
arme
our
felues
againft our fpirituall enemies. Firft therfore here
is
re-
quired
truth
of
our
religion which
we
profeffe:and
fecondly,
that
we profeffe
it truly,that
is,with vpright
&
Pimple
hearts.
For the
firft
:
it
is
the
foundation
vpon
which
all
other
du- §Sec`t.2.
ties
to
God
or inan are
to
be
built;
for
if
they bee
not groun-
That
our
rtli-
ded
on
Gods
truth,but
deuifed
by
mans
brame,
they
are
roun"defi
ex
humane dotages
which the
Lord
will
not
accept
;
neither
is
Gods
truth.,.
E
it