MANY things confound a weak memory: A few places well weighed and perceived, lighten the understanding. Trueth is there to be searched, where it is certain to be had, though God doth speak the trueth by man, yet in mans word, which God hath not revealed to be his, a man may doubt without mistrust in God. Christ is the trueth of God revealed unto man from Heaven by God him self, and therefore in his word the trueth is to be found, which is to be embraced of all that be his. Christ biddeth us ask, and we shall have: search and we shall find: knock, and it shall be opened unto us. Therefore our Heavenly 1Father, the Author and fountain of all trueth, the bottomless Sea of all understanding, send down we beseech thee, thy holy spirit into our harts, and lighten our understanding with the beams of thy heavenly grace. We ask thee this, O merciful Father, not in respect of our deserts, but for thy deer Son our Saviour Jesus Christs sake. Thou knowest, O heavenly Father, that the controversy about the Sacrament of the blessed body and blood of thy deer Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, hath troubled not of late only the Church of England, France, Germany, and Italy, but also many year ago. The fault is ours (no doubt) therefore, for we have deserved thy plague. But (O Lord) be merciful, and relieve our misery with some light of grace. Thou knowest (O Lord) how this wicked world rolleth up and down, and reeleth to and fro, and careth not what thy will is, so it may abide in wealth. If trueth have wealth, who are so ⟨p. 2⟩stout to defend the trueth, as they? But if Christs cross be laid on truths back, then they vanish away straight, as Wax before the fire. But these are not they, O Heavenly Father, for whom I make my most moan, but for those silly ones, O Lord, which have a zeal unto thee: those I mean, which would 2and wish to know thy will, and yet are letted, holden back, and blinded by the subtleties of Satan and his ministers, the wickedness of this wretched world, and the sinful lusts and affections of the flesh. Alas Lord, thou knowest that we be of our selves but flesh, wherein there dwelleth nothing that is good. How then is it possible for man without thee (O Lord) to understand thy trueth indeed? Can the natural man perceive the will of God?
MANY things confounde a weake memory: A few places wel weighed and perceiued, lighten the vnderstanding. Trueth is there to be searched, where it is certain to be had, though God dooth speake the trueth by man, yet in mans woord, which God hath not reuealed to be his, a man may doubt without mistrust in God. Christe is the trueth of God reuealed vnto man from Heauen by God him self, and therefore in his woord the trueth is to be founde, which is to be embraced of al that be his. Christ biddeth vs aske, and we shall haue: search and we shall finde: knocke, and it shall be opened unto vs. Therefore our Heauenly 1Father, the Author and fountain of al trueth, the bottomles Sea of al vnderstanding, send down we beseech thée, thy holy spirit into our harts, and lighten our vnderstanding with the beames of thy heauenly grace. We ask thée this, O mercifull Father, not in respect of our deserts, but for thy déere Sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christs sake. Thou knowest, O heauenly Father, that the controuersie about the Sacrament of the blessed body and blood of thy déer Sonne our Sauiour Iesu Christe, hath troubled not of late onlye the Churche of England, Fraunce, Germanie, and Italye, but also many yéere agoe. The fault is ours (na dout) therfore, for we have deserued thy plague. But (O Lord) be mercifull, and reléeue our miserie with some lighte of grace. Thou knowest (O Lord) how this wicked world rolleth vp and down, and réeleth to and fro, and careth not what thy will is, so it may abide in wealth. If trueth haue wealthe, who are so ⟨p. 2⟩stoute to defende the trueth, as they? But if Christes crosse be laid on trueths back, then they vanish away straight, as Waxe before the fier. But these are not they, O Heauenly Father, for whome I make my moste moane, but for those silly ones, O Lord, which haue a zeale vnto thée: those I mean, which wold 2and wish to know thy wil, and yet are letted, holden backe, and blinded by the subtilties of Sathan and his ministers, the wickednes of this wretched worlde, and the sinfull lusts and affections of the flesh. Alas Lord, thou knowest that we bée of our selues but flesh, wherein there dwelleth nothing that is good. How then is it possible for man without thée (O Lord) to vnderstand thy trueth indéed? Can the naturall man perceiue the wil of God?
- 1The blessed Martyrs prayer.The blessed Martirs praier.
- 2Note.
