the use of images in the church, before he can prove by the authority of God's word that they may be suffered in the church, doth not well. They have been the occasion of great hurt and idolatry. The church of the Old Testament or the New never taught the people with images.

Therefore it shall be the office of every man that loveth God and his word to follow the Scripture only, and to bewail the ignorance of such, as have before our time, or now in our time, by words or writing defended the same; and with all humility and humbleness submit himself to the judgment and censure of the judge of all judges, the word of God, that he may wisely and godly discern what is to be believed and accepted of any doctor's writings, and what is not to be accepted; what is to be pardoned, and what is not to be pardoned; and by the perils and dangers of others learn to be wise, that we commit not the same fault.

A fine gloss and free interpretation cannot make good an ill thing. If I should say, an image provoketh devotion, holy water teacheth that the blood of Christ was sprinkled for my sins, the holy bread teacheth that Christ's body was torn for my sins, what shall these glosses excuse the fact? Nay, nay, Christ, that died for our sakes, would not his death to be preached this way, but out of the Scripture by the tongue of man, and not out of the decrees of bishops by a drop of water or a painted post. He, that took the pains to die and suffer his passion for the redemption of the world solely and only, solely and only hath taken the pains to teach the world how and which way they should keep this passion in mind, and left it unto the world in writing by the hands of his holy Apostles: unto the which writing only he hath bound and obligated his church, and not to the writings of men.

In this passage I admonish the Christian reader,

that I speak not of the laws of magistrates or princes that daily ordain new laws for the preservation of their commonwealth, as they see the necessity of their realms or cities requires; but of such laws as men have ordained for the church of Christ, which should be now and for ever governed by the word of God. In this case, like as Eve offended, obeying the persuasion of the devil contrary unto the commandment of God; so doth every man offend, obeying any laws or decrees that command any thing contrary unto the word of God. This law must prevail, "We must obey God, rather than man." The example hereof we have in Daniel, of the three children, who chose rather to burn in the fiery furnace, than to worship the image that Nebuchadnezzar had made. So did the Apostles. (Acts, v.)

Let all the world consider, whether such laws of the bishops, as the mass, which is a profanation of Christ's supper to bind men's consciences to pray unto dead saints; to say, that images are to be suffered in the temples; and to constrain the ministers of the church to live sole, contrary to their vocation, are to be obeyed or not. They do no less offend God in obeying these laws, than Eve did in obeying the voice of the serpent. The wisdom of all the wits in the world cannot comprehend the greatness of this ill. Make what laws they will for the body, so they leave the conscience free, with patience it is to be suffered; only I lament the bondage of the conscience. Cursed be those, that make such laws, and cursed be those, that with sophistry defend them. That parasite and bondman of the Bishop of Rome, Pighius, in his writings shameth not to say, "It is less sin for a priest to keep another man's wife, than to have a wife of his own.

Concerning acts indifferent, which of themselves are neither good nor ill, as, to refrain from eating

of flesh on the Friday, observing of the feasts kept holy in the remembrance of such holy martyrs, as died for the faith of Christ, or in keeping holy, Easter and Whitsunday; there are two respects most diligently to be observed, the one good, and to be suffered; the other ill, and to be eschewed. Such, as abstain from flesh, and think they do better service to God, and would likewise obtain remission of their sins by those works, do declare both themselves and their works to be ill. But such, as abstain because the spirit may be more ardent, and the mind more given to study and prayer, do well, and as they be bound to do. And they, who come unto the temple to pray for themselves and the church of Christ, and to hear the word of God, do well. For, as God commandeth his word to be preached and heard, so he hath appointed a certain time, as the Sabbath, when people should hear it. And not only is this order to be observed in the church, but also in every family and household, of what degree soever they be. Each should cause his family and children to read some part of the Bible for their erudition, to know God. Likewise, he should constrain them to pray unto God for the promotion of his holy word and for the preservation of the governors of the commonwealth, so that no day should pass without prayer and augmentation of knowledge in the religion of Christ.

But our new Evangelists have another opinion; they dream of faith that justifieth, the which neither repentance precedeth, neither honesty of life follow-. eth, which shall be to their double damnation, if they amend not. He, that will conform his knowledge unto the word of God, let him likewise convert his life withal, as the word requireth, and as all the examples of Christ and his Gospel teach; or else what will he do with the doctrine of Christ, which

only teacheth, and sufficiently teacheth, all verity and virtuous life? Let him tarry still in the doctrine of man, and live as manly and as carnally as he list, and not profess to know God, nor his truth, rather than so to slander them both. This sufficeth to prove the only word of God to be sufficient to teach the truth. All other men's laws be neither necessary nor profitable; and certain we be, that the church of the Apostles did want those decrees that Papistry of late days faithed the church withal.

CHAPTER V.

Of the Intercession of Christ.

The second office of Christ is to pray and to make intercession for his people. This office John writeth of in his first Epistle: "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, that maketh intercession for us." And as Paul saith, Christ, who was dead, yea, who is also raised again, who is even at the right hand of God: who also intercedeth for us." In his name, and in the belief and confidence of his merits, we may obtain the mercies of God and life everlasting, as Paul saith: "Let us draw nigh to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." This intercession of Christ only sufficeth. No man should seek any other Mediator of intercession or expiation of sin, as Paul saith, declaring the sufficiency and ability of Christ's death and intercession. "Christ remaineth for ever, having a perpetual priesthood. Wherefore he is able to save to the uttermost those that come to God by him; being alway living to this end, that he may intercede for them."

Unto this intercession and prayer in Christ's name he bound his church by express commandment : "Ask, and it shall be given you." And in the same place he sheweth the cause, wherefore it shall

be given. "Whatsoever ye ask in the belief and confidence of my merits, it shall be given unto you." St. Paul calleth Christ, sitting at the right hand of God, the minister and servant of the saints; that is to say, of such as be here living in this troubled and persecuted church, to solicit and do all their affairs, as a faithful ambassador with the Father of heaven, until the consummation of the world.

This doctrine of Christ's intercession must be always diligently preached unto the people; and likewise that in all necessities, calamities, and trouble, the afflicted person must seek none other means to offer his prayers unto God, but Christ only, according as the Scripture teacheth, and as we have example of holy saints in the same. Not only in the New Testament, where he commandeth us to pray in his name; and Stephen in his martyrdom commended his spirit unto this only Mediator, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." But also in the Old Testament thus prayed the Patriarchs and Prophets. Jacob, (Gen. xlviii.) "God and the angel who delivered me from all evil, bless these lads." And David, (Psa. lxxi.) " And they shall worship him alway." Forasmuch as Christ is daily in heaven, and prayeth for his church, the church of Christ must pray, as Christ hath taught it; as the Patriarchs, Prophets, and the Apostles have given us example, who never prayed unto dead saints; yea, as Christ hath given us example, hanging on the cross, saying, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."

What intolerable ill blasphemy of God and ethnical idolatry is this, to admit and teach the invocation of saints departed out of this world! It taketh from God his true honour: it maketh him as nothing, that only hath ordained Christ to be Mediator between man and him: it diminisheth the merits of Christ; taketh from the law of God her perfection