Seven godly and learned sermons preachedSeuen godly and learned sermons preached

For the better understanding of these words written by the Apostle S. Paul, we must consider that there be two Princes of contrary dispositions ⟨image 36⟩and natures, which have the rule and governance of this world, that is to wit, God, and the Devil; and that never was there man, sithence the first foundation of the world, but was in subjection and under obedience either of the the one, or of the other: And as God is the father of light, the God of all good men, so is the Devil the father & Prince of this world, the Lord of darkness, the king of this age,¹ as saith S. Paul, and ruler of the wicked: And like as all good men fight under the banner of God their Lord, so all ungodly fight under the standard of the Devil their Prince: And even as the just man hath his reward of God, so hath the wicked man his stipend of the Devil. And thus be Infidels, Turks, Jews, and all Heathen people, under the power and dominion of the Devil, under the standard of Satan: and therefore are they not able to think any good, to conceive one good thought, because they fight under his Banner, because they have given over all their members to be ordered of the Devil, without any feeling of good, ⟨image 36⟩without any fear of God. And thus, as I said, do the Turks, thus do the Infidels, thus do all Heathen people at this day, and so did the Jews in the time of Paul, In umbra mortis ambulaverunt, ²saith he, They walked in the shadow of death. But after that it pleased God the Father, by the coming of his deer Son Jesus Christ, to reveal himself unto them, to open and declare his Gospel among them, then began the people to renounce the Devil, to forsake his Law and service, and to betake themselves wholly to the governance of God. And therefore S. Paul, the further to encourage them thereunto, willeth them in this Epistle of his, That like as before time they gave over their members to the service of uncleanness, from one wickedness to another, so should they now give over the same their members, to the service of righteousness. For, to this end was Christ borne into this world, to this end lived he here among us, to this end preached he, and taught the people Gods holy word, that we by his example, and the ⟨image 37⟩