seruyng ‖An act gainst them that obeied not Gods worde. Aſa it was enacted that whosoeuer wolde not ſeke the Lord God of Iſrael, ſhulde be ſlayne, whether he were ſmale or great, man or woman. And for the eſtabliſhing hereof and performance of this ſolemne othe, aſwel ‖2 Chro.17.7.& 19.5 What policie muſt be vſed for the plating of religió. Prieſts as Iudges were appointed and placed through all the cities of Iudah to inſtruct the people in the true knollage and feare of God, and to miniſter iuſtice according to the worde, knowing that, except God by his worde dyd reigne in ‖Deut.6.6.& 11.18 Gods worde muſt go before, or els we builde in vaine. the heartes and ſoules, all mans diligence and indeuors were of none effect: for without this worde we can not diſcerne betwene iustice, and iniurie, protection and oppreſsion, wiſdome and fooliſhnes, knollage and ignorance, good and euil. Therefore the Lord, who is the chefe gouernour of his Church, willeth that nothing be attempted before we haue inquired thereof at his mouth. For ſeing he is our God, of duetie we muſt giue him this preeminence, that of our ſelues we entrepriſe nothing, but that whiche he hath appointed, who only knoweth all things, and gouerneth them as may beſt ſerue to his glorie and our ſaluation. We ought not therefore to preuent him, or do any thing without his worde, ‖We muſt firſt coſult with God. Isa.30.2 but aſſone as he hath reueiled his wil, immediately to put it in execution.
Now as concerning the maner of this building, it is not according to man, nor after the wiſdome of the fleſh, but of the Spirit, & according to the worde of God, whoſe ‖The maner of building is as God hathe preſcribed by his worde. Isa. 55.8. wais are diuers from mans wais. For if it was not lawful for Moſes to builde the material Tabernacle after any other ſorte then God had ſhewed him by a ‖Exod.25 4 act.7.44 ebr.8.5. patern, nether to preſcribe any other ‖Deut.5.32. ceremonies & lawes then ſuche as the Lord had expressly commanded: how can it be lawful to procede in this ſpiritual building any other waies, then Iesus Chriſt the Sonne of God, who is bothe the fundacion, head and chief corner ſtone thereof, hathe commanded by his worde? And for aſmuche as he hath eſtabliſhed and left an order in his Churche for the building vp of his body, ‖Epheſ.4.12 Of whome we muſt inquire concerning the wil of the Lord and knollage of his worde. appointing ſome to be Apoſtles, ſome Prophetes, others Euangeliſtes, some paſtors, and teachers, he ſignifieth that euery one according as he is placed in this body which is the Church, oght to inquire of his miniſtres concerning the wil of the Lord, which is reueiled in his worde. For they are, ſaieth ‖Ier.15.19 Ieremiah, as the mouth of the Lord: yea he ‖Exod.4.12 promiſeth to be with their mouth, & that their ‖Mal 2.7. lippes ſhal kepe knollage, & that the trueth & the law ſhalbe in their mouth. For it is their office chefely to vnderstand the Scriptures & teache them. For this cauſe the people of Iſrael in matters of difficultie vsed to ‖Iudg. 1.1 & 20.1 aske the Lord ether by the ‖1.Sam.10.22
1.Sam.9.9
2.King.22.13. Prophets, or by the meanes of the hie ‖Exod.28.30 Prieſt, who bare Vrim & Thummin, which were tokens of light & knollage, of holines & perfectio which ſhulde be in the hie Prieſt. Therfore when Iehoſhaphat toke this order in the Church of Iſrael, he appointed Amariah to be the chief concerning the worde of God, because he was moſte expert in the law of the Lord, and colde gyue couſel and gouerne accordyng vnto the ſame.What is requiſite in them that muſt giue counſel by Gods worde. Els there is no degre or office which may haue that autoritie and priuiledge to deciſe concerning Gods worde, except withall he hath the Spirit of God, and ſufficient knollage and iudgement to define according thereunto. And as euery one is indued of God with greater giftes, ſo oght he to be herein chefely heard, or at leaſt that without the expreſſe worde none be heard: for he that hathe not the worde, ‖Ier.23.16 ſpeaketh not by the mouthe of the Lord. Agayne, what danger it is to do any thing, ſeme it neuer ſo godly or neceſſarie, without conſulting with Gods mouth, the examples of the Iſraelites, ‖Ioſh.9.14 deceiued hereby through the Gibeonites: and of ‖1 Sam.13.11 Saul, whoſe intention ſemed good and neceſſarie: and of ‖2.Chro.35.20 Ioſiah also, who for great conſiderations was moued for the defence of true religion & his people, to fight againſt Pharaoh Necho King of Egypt, may ſufficiently admoniſh vs.
