Davids harp full of most delectable harmony, newly stringed and set in tuneDauids harpe ful of moost delectable armony, newely strynged and set in tune

But it is not to be gone over with ¹a light foot, as they use to say, that David calleth this church of Christ the handmaid of God, neither is it without a cause. For as a true, faithful and diligent handmaid have her eyes always fixed upon her mistress for to wait & see, what ²shall be her pleasure to command her to do, that she may do it with all readiness & speed, even so becometh it them of Christs church diligent lyto wait upon their Lord God, & to mark what his most godly ³will, pleasure and commandment is that they should do. And this shall they assuredly know by searching the holy Scriptures. And as it becometh not an honest hand maid to leave the commandment of her mistress undone, and to busy ⟨image 80⟩herself about such things, as she ⁴her self thinketh best to be done of her own brain, even so doth it not become them that profess them selves members of Christs church to leave the commandments of God undone, & to fall in hand with doing things of their own fancy & imagination. For they that do so show them selves no handmaids, but mistresses, nether are they obedient subjects unto God, but rather take upon them to be arrogant superiors, & presumptuous checkmates. Let them therefore that will ⁵be of Christs church learn to be handmaids & no mistresses, to be obedient subjects, & not arrogant superiors & presumptuous check mates, unless, while they follow their own fantasies and dreams they fall from the church of Christ unto Antichrists Synagogue, as we may see in the Papists, ⟨image 81⟩Anabaptists, Sacramentaries. &c.

But it is not to be gone ouer wt ¹a lyght fote, as they vse to say, that Dauid calleth this chyrch of Christ the handemayde of God, neither is it withoute a cause. For as a true, faythfull and diligent handmayde haue her eyes alwayes fyxed vpon her mastres for to wayte & se, what