Nevertheless the Popish crew (who because their works are evil, love the darkness of ignorance better then the light of Gods truth) ⟨image 3⟩take occasion hereupon to declaim against the obscurity of the Scriptures; and to dissuade all the common people from reading of them; and lest the sight of this heavenly food should sharpen their hungry appetite, & work in them a desire to feed upon it, they carefully lock it from them, over whom they have any authority, in the dark closet of an unknown tongue, that so being out of sight, it may also be out of mind; and in stead hereof they feed them with their lying Legends, and with the poisonous hemlock of their own traditions: pretending that out of their great care, they keep the Scriptures from them, lest they should pervert them to their destruction, and abuse them in their ignorance unto heresies and errors. Wherein, what do they else, but like cruel nurses, keep from Gods children the milk of his word, whereby they should be nourished, for fear lest any thereof should drop upon their clothes? What do they else, but like hard hearted stewards, deprive Gods family of their allowance, and so starve them to avoid surfeiting? And what do they by this their either foolish or malicious course, but quite extinguish the light of Gods truth, because it doth not shine in all places with like clearness? But we who profess our selves children of the light, and true disciples of the school of Christ, must be otherwise affected, continually praying, that though there be nothing but palpable darkness in all the dominions of the Romish Pharaoh, yet this light may still shine in our Goshen, as long as the Sun is in the firmament, and never be extinguished. And seeing our heavenly school-master, in ⟨image 4⟩his abundant mercy giveth unto us this book of divine knowledge, which alone is sufficient to make us wise unto salvation, let us with the Prophet David, take our chief delight in this holy learning, meditating therein day and night: and when we find our lesson clear to our understandings, let us labour to imprint it in our memories, by the holy use and practise which we make of it in our lives and conversations:
Neuerthelesse the Popish crew (who because their works are euill, loue the darknes of ignorance better then the light of Gods truth) ⟨image 3⟩take occasion hereupon to declaime against the obscuritie of the Scriptures; and to disswade all the common people from reading of them; and lest the sight of this heauenly food should sharpen their hungrie appetite, & work in them a desire to feed vpō it, they carefully locke it frō thē, ouer whom they haue any authoritie, in the darke closet of an vnknowne tongue, that so being out of sight, it may also be out of mind; and in stead hereof they feede them with their lying Legends, and with the poysonous hemlocke of their owne traditions: pretending that out of their great care, they keepe the Scriptures from them, lest they should peruert them to their destruction, and abuse them in their ignorance vnto heresies and errors. Wherein, what do they else, but like cruell nurses, keepe from Gods children the milke of his word, whereby they should bee nourished, for feare lest any thereof should droppe vpon their clothes? What doe they else, but like hard hearted stewards, depriue Gods familie of their allowance, and so starue them to auoide surfeting? And what doe they by this their either foolish or malicious course, but quite extinguish the light of Gods truth, because it doth not shine in all places with like clearenesse? But wee who professe our selues children of the light, and true disciples of the schoole of Christ, must be otherwise affected, continually praying, that though there be nothing but palpable darknesse in all the dominions of the Romish Pharaoh, yet this light may still shine in our Goshen, as long as the Sunne is in the firmament, and neuer be extinguished. And seeing our heauenly school-master, in ⟨image 4⟩his abundant mercie giueth vnto vs this booke of diuine knowledge, which alone is sufficient to make vs wise vnto saluation, let vs with the Prophet Dauid, take our chiefe delight in this holy learning, meditating therein day and night: and when wee finde our lesson cleare to our vnderstandings, let vs labour to imprint it in our memories, by the holy vse and practise which we make of it in our liues and conuersations:
