The first part of the Christian instruction, and general so[m]me of the doctrine, contained…The firste parte of the Christian instruction, and generall so[m]me of the doctrine, conteyned…

¶ What tokens God gave of his presence in the mount Sinai, when he did give and publish his law.

¶ VVhat tokens God gaue of his presence in the mount Synay, vvhen he did geue and publish hys lavv.

1. 1Exod. xi•

¶ Of the signification of the signs which God did give in giving his law, and of the reasons why, and how much they are agreeable with the nature of the law.

¶ Of the signification of the signes vvhich God dyd geue in geuing his lavv, and of the reasons vvhy, and hovv much they are agreable vvith the nature of the lavv.

T. What was the meaning of all that? for it was not done without cause. D. It served for the more strong confirmation of the things whereof we have already spoken: for there was none of them but that they did know right well that there was neither illusion nor enchantment in those things, and that they were done by no power of man, but of God: wherefore, they served again as a new seal for the confirmation of the ministry, and vocation of Moses, & of the majesty and power of God to save his, & to destroy his adversaries: for by that he did declare that he was the God of nature, and that he did dispose of her even as it pleased him, and that he did all that he would as well in heaven as in earth. And therefore he would him self even from his own mouth preach unto his people: he would also ring to the sermon that he would make unto them, and ⟨p. 165⟩prepare them and make them heedful to hear him. He had then for his belles, & for his Music, the Cornet and trumpet, to cause them to hear his voice, and to awaken them, which things did very well agree with the nature of the law. For by the same the sentence of the curse of God is pronoun ced ¹upon all those that shall not observe it even to the uttermost jot.

T. WHat was ye meanyng of al that? for it was not done without cause. D. It serued for the more strong cō firmation of the thinges whereof we haue already spoken: for there was none of them but that they did knowe ryght well that there was neyther illusion nor enchauntmente in those thinges, and that they were done by no power of man, but of God: wherefore, they serued againe as a new seale for the confirmation of the ministerye, and vocation of Moyses, & of the maiesty and power of God to saue hys, & to destroy his aduersaries: for by that he did declare that he was the God of nature, and that he did dispose of her euen as it pleased him, and that he dyd all that he woulde as well in heauen as in earth. And therfore he would him selfe euen from his own mouth preach vnto his people: he would also ring to the sermon that he would make vnto them, and ⟨p. 165⟩prepare them and make them hedefull to heare him. He had then for his belles, & for his Musike, the Cornet and trumpette, to cause them to heare his voyce, and to awaken thē, which things did very well agree with the nature of ye law. For by the same the sentence of the cursse of God is pronoū ced

¶ Of the usage of the law, to lead men to Jesus Christ, by the knowledge of their since.

¶ Of the vsage of the lavv, to lead men to Iesus Christ, by the knovvledge of their synnes.

T. Then is there none but he is accursed, for how may we observe and fulfil the law thoroughly, when we are not able perfectly to accomplish the least point contained therein? D. All be it that it is evil as thou sayest, yet doth it not follow but that it profiteth us much: for it doth condemn us, and causeth us to seek our absolution, having recourse to the grace and mercy of him who condemneth us by the same, to absolve us afterward, and to deliver us from the condemnation which we have deserved. She declareth unto us the curse, to teach us to know the wrath of God against sin, and to stir us up to seek that seed of ¹blessing which is in Jesus Christ, by whom that curse is wiped away. T. They have not a little profited that have learned this knowledge.

T. THen is there none but he is accurssed, for how may we obserue and fulfill the law thorowly, when we are not able perfectlye to accomplishe the leaste pointe conteyned therin? D. All be it that it is euill as thou sayest, yet doth it not folow but that it profiteth vs much: for it dothe condemne vs, and causeth vs to seke our absolutiō, hauing recourse to the grace and mercy of hym who condemneth vs by the same, to absolue vs afterward, and to deliuer vs from the condemnatiō which we haue deserued. She declareth vnto vs the cursse, to teache vs to knowe the wrath of God against sinne, and to stirre vs vp to seeke that seede of ¹blessing which is in Iesus Christ, by whō that cursse is wiped away. T. They haue not a little profited that haue learned this knowledge.

1. 1Ro. •. 4. 7. Gen. 12. 22 Galat. xxx

¶ Of the cause wherefore God would make the people of Israel afraid by those signs which he gave in the mount Sinai.

¶ Of the cause vvherfore God vvould make the people of Israel afraide by those signes vvhich he gaue in the mounte Synay.

D. And for so much as the hart of man is high, proud, and stubborn, and can not humble himself under the mighty hand of God, nor acknowledge the power and the Majesty of him, and his wrath against sin, & how much he is to be feared & redoubted, his will was to declare these things by such tokens. For if the sound of the thunder, which is called the voice of God, be so horrible and fearful, that ⟨p. 166⟩there is none but is moved and afraid with it: and if the material lightning be so violent, that nothing is able to resist ¹it, nor to stand before it, let us then think how horrible and fearful the voice of God shall be when he shall speak to the wicked in his anger, and in his wrath, and when he shall ²say unto them: go your way, and depart from me ye workers of iniquity: go into everlasting fire, which is prepared for the Devil and his Angels. The same shall be a terrible thunder which shall cast so exceeding a horrible lightning, y• no one of those y• it shall smite, shall be able to abide it, but that he shall be thrown headlong into the bottomless pit of hell. It shall lighten a fire which never shall be quenched: for ³the Lord is a consuming fire which will burn and consume all those which would not walk in his light. It is he that casteth the great flames of fire, and the burning coals out of his mouth when he speaketh, as those of Sodom and Gomorrah have already proved. Then, whosoever he be, that will not hear his fatherly voice, by the which he declareth unto us his will in so loving a sort, he shall be constrained to hear that thundering, roaring, and fiery voice, which maketh the the heaven and earth to ring and tremble, of the which the thunder is but a very little sound, and a very soft expression. T. Seeing it is so, he is a Lord that speaketh very mightily, and is greatly to be feared.

D. ANd for so much as the hart of man is high, proud, and stubburne, and can not humble himself vnder the mighty hande of God, nor acknowledge the power and the Maiesty of him, and his wrath against sin, & how much he is to be feared & redoubted, his wyll was to declare these things by such tokens. For if the sound of the thūder, which is called the voyce of God, be so horryble and fearefull, that

¶ Of the trumpet which did sound in the mount Sinai, & of the meaning thereof and of the blessings and cursings of the law, and of the publishing of the same.

¶ Of the trompet vvhich did sound in the mounte Synay, & of the meanyng therof and of the blessings and cursings of the lavv, and of the publishing of the same.

D. IN like sort this cornet & that trumpet, was a sign and a token of that great trumpet which shall sound at the last day, and shall cause the earth to open, and shall ¹come even to the ears of the dead, which are rotten in the dust of the same, even from the beginning of the world, and shall call both the quick and the dead to judgement. For even as the people were assembled together in the mount ⟨p. 167⟩Sinai by the trumpet that there did sound in like sort in the latter day, all shall be gathered together by the sound of ²the trumpet of that great God, to be judged according to that law which then he gave: We may see the like of the cornets and trumpets which they used to sound in Israel in the year of Jubilee, and when they should gather the people together to hear the law of God. Then when this last trumpet shall sound, of the which these same have been even as figures, every man shall know of what value the blessings are which he hath promised to those which should obey unto his law, and also the curses with the which he threateneth all the rebels and wicked ones. For after that he had spoken on the height of the mountain out of the middest of the smoke, and that he had given the laws, the determinations, the decrees, and the canons of this great council which he held with his people. He gave also the order and manner of his blessings and curses, and maledictions, which afterward likewise were published in great solemnity and majesty, For he commanded that the one ³part of the twelve tribes of Israel should go up to an hill, to rehearse the blessings: and the other should stand upon an other to rehearse the curses, and that the whole multitude should be in a valley, to subscribe and bind them selves openly and solemnly to the observance of the same, in the which obligation we all are comprehended. T. This is not an obligation which a man may discharge with a sum of money.

D. IN like sort this cornette & that trompet, was a signe and a token of that great trompet which shall sounde at the last day, and shall cause the earth to open, and shall ¹

¶ Of the last and general judgement of God, and of the sentence that shall be given there, without respect of person, as well upon the faithful, as on the infidels.

¶ Of the last and general iudgement of God, and of the sentence that shall be geuen ther, vvithout respect of person, as vvel vpon the faithful, as on the infidels.

D. Therefore it behoveth us to have good regard to our doings in this behalf: for these are no plays of little children, nor lightnings papal, which are but in parchment and paper, and in ink, and in wax, and in lead. There shall be there an other assistance then is that ⟨p. 168⟩of the Council of Trent. There shall be there an other kind of song and melody then in the feast of the Image of Nebuchadnezzar, and in the Popes sessions, the Popes, Cardinals, Bishops, and generals of the Monks, shall not be set there to give the last sentences, nor to pronounce the condemnations, the curses & maledictions against the very disciples of Jesus Christ: nor yet the Emperors, kings, Princes, & their Ambassadors, to execute the judgements of these here: but all these together shall appear there to be themselves judged every man according to his works, ¹by the which they have declared what faith they have had in Jesus Christ. Jesus the very son of God to whom the father hath given all power and all judgement, he shall be ²there set in the glorious throne of this majesty, with all his heavenly Angels, and all his Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles, to hold a Council for to hear the last appellations and to revoke all the unjust sentences that have been given against his, and against his truth, which they have followed by the wicked decrees and Councils of tyrants and of his adversaries, and condemn those which have condemned yt innocents, and to absolve such as have been unjustly condemned. It shall be he himself that shall pronounce the sentences, the blessings and the curses, by the which the great beast, and the great whore sitting upon the same, & all those which have borne the mark of the beast, and those which have been drunken with the wine of her fornication, shall ³be condemned, and the innocents delivered, whose blood she hath shed through the aid of the red Dragon: in the which she hath died her garments of purple and scarlet. Then ⁴the beast and all his false Prophets and adherents, shall be thrown into the deep pit, and into the furnace of fire and brimstone, which shall never be quenched: which shall greatly differ from that in the which this cruel beast did roast

nor yet the executioners which light it, least ye thinking ⟨p. 169⟩to flee it, we fall into that everlasting fire, and be delivered into the hands of the hellish tormentors, to be tormented with them and by them everlastingly, and to be shut out from the company of this great king Jesus, and from all his heavenly Court, to dwell eternally in the kingdom of darkness, in that hellish Court and company, so cursed and execrable.

nor yet the executioners which light it, least ye thynking ⟨p. 169⟩to flee it, wee fal into that euerlasting fyre, and be deliuered into the handes of the hellish tormentors, to be tormēted with them and by them euerlastingly, and to be shut out from the company of this great kyng Iesus, and from all his heauenly Courte, to dwel eternally in the kingdome of darkenesse, in that hellish Court and company, so curssed and execrable.

¶ Of the sanctification and preparation that God did require of his people, when he would give them his law, & of the same that is required of us to prepare us to receive his word.

¶ Of the sanctification and preparacion that God did require of hys people, vvhen he vvould giue them his lavv, & of the same that is required of vs to prepare vs to receyue hys vvoord.