him be accursed. For now, do I preach man's doc trine or God's ?" The Sadducees erred touching the resurrection, because they searched not the Scriptures. God teacheth us by the Prophet Isaiah (chap. viii.) to make trial of teachers and doctrines: "When they shall say unto you, Inquire of them that have a spirit of divination, and at the soothsayers, which whisper, and murmur, Should not a people inquire at their God? from the living to the dead? to the law and to the testimony? If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Paul putteth Timothy in mind wherefore he left him at Ephesus, " to command some, that they teach none other doctrine;" and to warn both the teachers and the hearers, "that they give no heed to fables and genealogies, which are endless, which breed questions, rather than godly edifying, which is by faith."

Thus are the people of God called to try the truth, to judge between good and ill, between light and darkness. God hath made them the promise of his Spirit, and hath left unto them his word. They of Berea, when they heard the preaching of Paul, searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so, as he taught them, and many of them be. lieved. So do you give heed to instruction, and yet receive not all things without proof and trial, that they are not contrary to the wholesome doctrine of the word of God.

Keep that which is good. When you have tried and found out the truth, be constant, and settled in it. A wavering-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Follow the truth, and be not carried about with every wind of doctrine. The devil will come in the name of God, and change himself into an angel of light. Let him not take the love of the truth from you; let him not remove you from faith and a good

conscience; return not like swine unto your mire. God hath purged your hearts, and made them clean. Except they be preserved and kept occupied, the unclean spirit will return, and enter in, and dwell in you; so the last state of you shall be worse than the first.

We have great cause to hearken diligently to the Apostle, to keep that is good. We see this day great confusion in all places. Satan would fain entangle us again with the error of the wicked, and seeketh to draw us from our steadfastness. Now is the time wherein God maketh some trial of his servants; now iniquity seeketh to have the upper hand. They seduce the people, and say, Here is Christ, there is Christ; here is the church, there is the church.--God give us his holy Spirit, to guide us in judgment, that we may discern the truth from falsehood, and know' the blessed and gracious will of God, that we may walk in his ways, and serve him in reverence and fear all the days of our life.

In this world, as there is a Jacob, so is there an Esau; as there are many that love Christ with an unfeigned heart, so are there many that serve antichrist; and as there be many true professors of the truth of God, so are there many despisers of the same. This we may see here at home within this realm. We may see it, and mourn and lament for it in our hearts.

Their practices are opened; they have broken out into open rebellion, to the breach of the peace both of God and man: they say with their lips, God save Queen Elizabeth; yet they hold up their sword against her. Alas! what hath she deserved at their hands? She hath always dealt mercifully, without cruelty, without shedding of blood. God preserve her, that she may long reign over us, and bring all her enemies to confusion!

What pretence make they for this their doing, that hereby they seek to have religion reformed?. Thanks be to God, religion is reformed far better than our fathers knew it these many hundred years. If those which lived before us might have seen and heard, as we see and hear, they would have rejoiced, and thought themselves happy.

But they would have the mass. What find they or see they in it, wherefore they should so desire it? Try all things, saith Paul; therefore, examine and try the mass. What do we learn by it? what doctrine, what godliness in life, what comfort for salvation? It is a dumb and deadly service; the people are forced to be at it; it is the very key of their religion: the people are bound to be present at mass; yet they neither receive any thing, nor eat, nor hear, nor understand any thing. You are wise, you have reason, you are the children of God; be you judges herein, and judge uprightly; for it is God's cause. Will they call this the Lord's supper? is this the sacrament of our redemption? is this that which Paul received of the Lord, and delivered unto the church is this the shewing forth of the Lord's death until he come?

They would have the Pope's authority restored. What is the Pope? They say, he is the successor of Peter. What, doth the Pope as Peter did? or what, did Peter as the Pope doth? He is a mortal man. And cursed are they of God that put their trust in man. He feedeth not the flock, he teacheth not the simple, he strengtheneth not the weak. I will say no more. God make him a servant of Christ, and a faithful disposer of the mysteries of God.

They are offended at the marriage of the ministers of the church: yet Gratian, their great master, saith, "The marriage of priests is not forbidden by any authority, either of the law, or of the Gospel, or af

the Apostles." The holy fathers that lived in the Apostles' time, and shortly after, report, that Peter and all the other Apostles, excepting only John, were. married, and had wives; the Prophet Isaiah was married, and yet he saw the Lord sitting upon an high. throne; Moses was married, and yet he saw God face to face.

Will they reform the Prophets and the Apostles? will they account that to be unholy, which the Apostle calleth honourable in all men? Ignatius, the scholar of St. John, saith, "I wish to be found meet for God, as was Peter and Paul, and the other Apostles that were married."

They paint their banner with the cross and fierce wounds. Why bring they those arms against us?: Do not we believe the cross of Christ? do not we rejoice and comfort our hearts by the remembrance of his wounds? do not we read and shew forth to the people the story of his passion? God knoweth it, and you can bear us witness, and they cannot deny it, that we make this work of our redemption, wrought by the passion of our Saviour Christ, the chief and principal rock and foundation of our faith.

Therefore say we with the Apostle, "God forbid that we should rejoice in any thing, but in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Nay, rather, they are become our enemies, because we believe in Jesus. Christ crucified; because we say, as God's word teacheth, that Jesus Christ is the only advocate to the Father for our sins; and that "he hath with one offering consecrated for ever them that are sanctified;" and that "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (Heb. x. 1 John, i.) For this cause are they become our enemies.

Let us nothing fear their treacheries and attempts; let us keep that is good, and hold it fast until death. Now we have tasted the word of God, and have re

ceived the comfort of the Gospel, let us not despise it, nor be weary of it; let us pray unto God, that he establish the love of his truth in us; and that he will open the eyes of their hearts, and bring them to be partakers of those mercies, which yet through ignorance they have despised.

Ver. 22. Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Keep yourselves not only from doing those things which are evil, but also from all appearance of evil. Offend not the conscience of thy brother, that he may have no occasion to think evil of thee. Commit not adultery, and withdraw thyself from the company of such unthrifty and light and suspected persons. Be not like to them that are such. Lay not out thy money to usury, nor do any thing whereby others may think so of thee. Beware of uncharitable conveyance of thy money. Be not idolaters, and leave off to do any thing that may bring you into suspicion of idolatry.

Give not that honour unto any creature which is proper to God; have no fellowship with their works; bear no appearance of liking their evil; go not as they go; live not as they live. St. Paul reproveth the Galatians (chap. iv.), "Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am in fear of you, lest I have bestowed on you labour in vain." So doth he the Colossians also (chap. ii.), " If ye be dead with Christ from the ordinances of the world, why, as though ye lived in the world, are ye burdened with traditions? as touch not, taste not, handle not? So do the idolaters; you should not be like unto them."

They are the children of darkness, you are the sons of light; they will not be like unto you, and forsake their false gods. Why should you become like unto them, and forsake the God that made the heavens and the earth? You cannot make them