Concerning the Truth of Christian Religion, Preface

Concerning the Truth of Christian Religion · Preface

The Preface to the Reader.

IT is the ordinarie matter of Prefaces, to declare first of all the apparant profit, or rather necessitie that mooueth them to vndertake anie worke. But I to my great griefe, doo thinke my selfe discharged of that paine, in this cace. For he that shall but read the title of this booke, Of the Trewnesse of the Christian Religion, if he list to call to remembrance how maine blasphemies he heareth… howerly against God and his word; how manie despisers of Religion he meeteth with at eueryevery step; and how great either coldnesse in the things which they ought to follow most wholie, or doubting in the things which they ought to be leeue most stedfastlie, he findeth euen in those which professe the Christian godlinesse: shall by and by answer and yeeld the reason of himselfe, why I hauehave taken this worke in hand, more needfull now adaies (yea euen (which I am ashamed, to saie) among those which beare the name of Christians) than euer it was among the verie Heathen and Infidels. Some busie themselues so much about their pleasures, that they can neuer find anie leisure, not to mount vp vntounto God, but onelie so much as to enter into themselues: in somuch that they be more strangers to their owne nature, to their owne Soules, and to the things which concerne them most neerelie and peculiarlie, than they bin either to the deserts of Inde, or to the Seas that are worst to be haunted & least knowen. That is the verie welspring of the Atheists, who (to speake rightlie of them) offend not through reasoning, but for want of reasoning; nor by abusing of reason, but by drowning of reason, or rather by bemiring it in the filthie and beastlie pleasures of the world. Othersome match their pleasures with malice, and to make short waie to the atteinement of goods or honour, doo ouerreach and betraie othermen, selling their freends, their kinsfolke, yea and their owne soules, & not sticking to do anie euill, that may serue their turne, neuer alledging or pretending honestie or conscience, but to their owne profit. Of such kind of stuffe are the Epicures made, who bicause they feele their minds guiltie of so many crimes, do thinke themselues to hauehave escaped the Iustice and prouidence of GOD by denying it. And of these we may say, that their reason is caried away and oueimaistered by the course of the world, wherevnto it is whollie tied, so as they can hauehave none other course or discourse than his.

Some go yet a litle further, both in respect of God, and of themselues. They thinke there is a God, and that of him man hath receiued an immortall soule: that God gouerneth all things, and that man ought to serue him. But forasmuch as they see both Gentiles and Iewes, Turkes and Christians in the world, and in diuerse nations diuerse Religions, whereof …uery one thinketh he serueth God, and that he shall find saluation in his owne Religion: These (like men at a stoppe where many waies meet,) in steed of choosing the right way by the iudgement of reason, do stand still amazed, and in that amazement conclude that all comes to one, as who would say, that South and North lead both to one place. But foothly if they applied their wit as aduisedly to iudge betweene truth and falshood, godlinesse and worldlinesse, as eueryevery man in his trade doth to iudge betweene profit and losse: they should foorthwith by principles bred within themselues, and by conclusions, following vponupon the same, discerne the true Religion from the false: and the way which GOD hath ordeined to welfare, from the deceitfull bywaies and from the crosse and crooked inuentions of men. What shall I say of the most part of vsus? Of vsus I meane which beleeue the Gospell and professe the Christian Religion, and yet liue as though we beleeued it not? Which preach the kingdome of heauen, and hauehave our groynes cuer wrooting in the ground? Which will needes seeme and bee taken to be Gods children and coheires with Christ, children of so rich a father and heires of so goodly an inheritance, and yet doo scarsly thinke earnestly vponupon it once in a whole yeare, but are readie to forsake it eueryevery howre, for lesse than a messe of grewell and a bit of bread? Surely wee may well say then, that if euer it were needefull, it is needefull at this time to waken such as are asleepe, to bring backe such as are gone astraie, to lift vp such as are sunke downe, and to chafe them a heat which are waxed cold. And that is to bee done by painting out the true Religion liuely before their eyes, with the ioy, happines, and glorie which insue therevpon, to the intent that the voluptuous may seeke their ioy, the co…etous their gaine, and the ambitious their glorie there, bending themselues with their whole hearts vntounto that alone, which all onelyonly can fill their harts, and satisfie their desires.

That is the thing which I indeuor to doo in this worke, and GOD of his gratious goodnesse vouchsafe to guide my hand, to his owne glorie and to the welfare of those that are his. But afore I enter into the matter, I hauehave to answere vntounto two sortes of people. The one are such as say that Religion cannot bee declared vntounto Infidels or vnbeleeuers by reason. The other sorte are those whiche vphold, that although reason doo somewhat inlighten it, yet it is neyther lawfull nor expedient to doo it. But let vsus see what reason they can hauehave, to exclude reason from this discourse. The first sort say, It is to no purpose to dispute against such as denie grounded principles. And by this meanes, because one grounded principle is denied them, they breake of quite and cleane, as though all meane of conference were taken awaie. Surelie this principle of theirs is very true, but yet (in my iudgement) it is very ill vnderstood. I graunt it is to no purpose to dispute against such as denie grounded principles, by the same principles which they denie: That is very true. But there may be some other principles common to both sides, by the which a man may profitably dispute with them, and by those common principles oftentimes prooue and verifie his owne principles. And that is the thing which I intend to doo in this worke. As for example; The Christian groundeth himselfe vponupon the Gospell; the Iew denieth it: and therefore it were to no purpose to alledge it vntounto him. But both the Iew and the Christian hauehave one common principle and ground, which is the old Testament: By this may the Christian profitably dispute against the Iew…yea euē to the verifying of the gospel, as if ye should make one to call some mā to his knowledge, by the draughts or descriptions of his portraiture. Likewise the Iew is grounded vponupon the old Testamēt, which the Gentile would mocke at if he should alledge it vntounto him. But both the Gentile and the Iew hauehave one common nature, which furnisheth them both with one common Philosophie, and with one common sort of principles; as that there is one God which gouerneth all things; that he is good, and no author of euill; That he is wise, and doth not anie thing in vaine. Also that man is borne to be immortall; that to be happie he ought to serue God and continew in his fauour. And therewithall, that he is subiect to passions, inclined to euill, weake vntounto good and so forth. Of these common principles, the Iew maie draw necessarie conclusions, which the Gentile shall not perceiue at the first, like as when a man vnderstandeth a proposition, but conceiueth not yet the drift and consequence thereof. He that marketh that the Adamant or Loadstone pointeth to the North, perceiueth not foorthwith that by the same a man maie goe about the world, although he was of capacitie to cenceiue it. After the same maner, by this principle:Euclid. lib. 1. prop. 45. He that from equall things taketh equall things, leaueth the remainder equall; and by a few other propositions which children learne in playing; the Mathematician leadeth vsus gentlie (and ere we be aware of anie mounting) vntounto this so greatlie renowmed proposition and experiment of Pythagoras, that in a Triangle, the side that beareth vp the right Angle, yeeldeth a square equall to the other twaine, which at the first sight seemeth vnpossible, and yet by degrees is found to be so of necessitie. Thus shall the Iew by common principles and conclusions, verifie his owne ground which is the old Testament. For he shall proue vntounto the Gentiles by their owne Philosophers, that vntounto God alone, things to come are present, and that vntounto Spirits they be knowen but onelie by coniecture, and so farre forth as they can read them in the starres. And he shall proue by their Astrologers, that the names of men and the circumstances of their doings cannot be betokened nor red in the starres. And he shall proue by their Historiographers, that the bookes of the old Testament, which containe so manie and so perticular prophesies, were written manie hundred yeares afore the things came to passe. Now what will reasonablie insue hereof, but the proofe of the principle which is in controuersie, by the principles which are agreed vpo betweene them both: namel…e that the old Testament is of God, seing it cannot be from anie other. And what else is all this, than that which is commonlie done in Geometric and Logicke, which by two lines or by two propositions that are cōmonlie knowen & certeine, do gather a third proportion that was vnknowen, or a third proposition (that is to saie a conclusion) that was erst either doubted of or hidden, and by meanes of the other two is euidentlie found out, and necessarilie prooued. Such are these proofes against the Atheists: nothing hath mouing of it selfe. It is nature that saieth so. The world turneth about, and the heauenlie bodies hauehave a mouing: and that doth man himselfe see. Therefore they must needs be moued by some other power and that is the Godhead; which our eie seeth not, and yet by means of the eie, our reason conceiueth and perceiueth it in all things. Against them which denie …hristes Godhead, [we alledge this principle of their owne.] That naturally of nothing nothing is made. It is the saying of Aristotle, and the schooles would hauehave him by the eares that should denie it. Iesus Christ hath of nothing made verie great things, yea euen contraries by contraries. The Heathen wonder at it, all ages crie it out, our eies do still behold it. He that will denie this; must denie the world, he must denie all things, he must denie himselfe. It followeth then that Christ wrought by a powre, that is mistresse of Nature. Aristotle himselfe saw it not, and yet Aristotle maketh vsus to see it. The writers of Histories tooke no heed of it; and yet they themselues make vsus to beleeue it. The Philosopher thought but onelie vponupon nature, and the Histographer but onelie vponupon his owne writing. And yet from both twaine of them, wee drawe both the Godhead of Christ, and the truth of our Scriptures: Certesse in like manner as by Arithmetike, out of two and sixe wee draw out one continuall proportionable line hidden after a sort in either of them, and yet greater than both of them togither, which is Eighteene: & as out of two sticks chafed one against another, we draw out fire which is not seene in the two, the consuming of thē both out of hand. To be short, the marke that our faith looketh at, is the Author of Nature & principle of all principles. The rules therefore & the principles of Nature which he hath made cannot be contrarie vntounto himselfe. And he is also the verie reason and truth it selfe. All other reason then, & all other truth dependeth vponupon him, & relieth vponupon him, neither is there, or can there be any reason or truth but in him: So far off is it, that the thing which is trewe and reasonable in nature, is or can be false in Diuinitie, which (to speake properly) is not against nature, but against the corruption of nature, and in verie deede about nature.

Nowe come I consequently to the other sort,How farre matters of faith are to bee dealt with by reason. which say that although it bee possible in some sorte; yet the faith (that is to say, the Christian doctrine) ought not to be proued or declared by reason: And their reason is, because it consisteth in manie things which exceed the capacitie of man, & therefore that he which should measure them by reason, shoulde diminish the dignitie and greatnes of them. Surely I will say more for them than they require: namely, that mans reason is so farre off from being the measurer of far…n, which very far exceedeth nature, that it is not so much as the measurer of nature, & of the least creatures which lie farre vnderneath man; because of the ignorance and vntowardnes which is in vsus and raigneth in vsus. But in this they deceiue themselues, that they imagine vsus to vpholde, that wee should beleeue no further than reason can measure & comprehend. For what a great way doth the truth of thinges excend further than mans reason? But we say that mans reason is able to lead vsus to that point; namely, that we ought to beleue euen beyond reason, I meane the things whereunto all the capacitie of man cannot attaine. And like wise, that when things are reuealed …nto vsus, which reason could neuer hauehave entered into nor once imagined, no not euen when it was at the soundest; the same reason (which neuer could hauehave found them out) maketh vsus to allow of them: the reason I say (whereunto those mysteries were insuisible afore) maketh them credible vntounto vsus: surely euen after the same maner that our eye maketh vsus to see that in the visible things, which we ought to beleue of the invisible, without the which the visible could hauehave no beeing: that is to wit, the inuisible God, by the visible Sonne, & also to see many things when the Sun is vp, which were hidden afore in darknesse: not that the eie-sight was of lesse force, or the thing it selfe lesse visible afore: but because the Sonne is now vp, which lighteneth the aire with his brightnes, which is the meane both wherby the eie seeth, & wherby the thing is seen. As for example, we beleeue that there is one God, the Father, the Son, & the holy Ghost. This is the article which they oppose against vsus, & therfore doe I take the very same. This article cānot in any wise fal within the cōpasse of vnderstāding, & much lesse be cōprehended by mans reason. But yet doth reasō lead vsus to the said point, that there is a God: that he hath created man to liue for euer: that whereas man hath stepped out of the way, to followe his owne sway, he reformeth him again by his word: That this word (as I hauehave said already heretofore) is the olde and new Testament, which conteine thinges that cannot proceed from creatures. Heere Reason stayeth, & holdeth it selfe contented. For seeing that God speaketh, it becommeth man to holde his peace: and seeing that hee vouchsafeth to teache vsus, it becommeth vsus to belecue. Nowe wee reade this doctrine in Gods foresaid bookes, yea oftentimes repeated. Lo how Reason teacheth vsus that which she her selfe neither knewe nor beleeued, namely by leading vsus to the teacher, whom we ought to heare and beleeue; and to the booke wherein he vouchsafeth to open himselfe vntounto vsus, in giuing vsus infallible markes and tokens, whereby to discerne what commeth of God, and what commeth not of him. But when Reason commeth to the reading of the doctrine, and is perswaded thereof; then she awaketh, and if the Gentile refuse it as impossible and repugnant to reason and truth, then steppeth she forth stoutly, and marketh the likenesse thereof in nature, the images thereof in her selfe to set it foo…th, and the Recordes of the Gentiles themselues to incounter them withall.

Also she findeth out solutions of their arguments, and aunswers to their absurdities. For surely all truth cannot be sufficiently proued by reason, considering that many thinges exceede reason and nature. But yet cannot any vntruth pr…ayle by reason against truth; nor any truth bee vanquished by the iudgement of reason. For vntruth is contrary to nature, nature helpeth reason, reason is seruaunt to truth; and one truth is not contrary to another, that is to say, to it selfe. For truth cannot be but truth, and Reason, reason.

The like may wee say of the incarnation of the Sonne of God; that no man could of himselfe hauehave imagined it, nor as now also conceiue it… and yet not withstanding, that reason … able both to teach it vsus, and to defende it. What will she say then to vsus in this behalfe? That the workes which IESVS wrought could not proceede, neither from a man, nor from a deuil, nor from an Angell considered in their seuerall kindes, but onelyonly from God the maker of heauen and earth. And this will she proue vntounto vsus, both in the respect of the history, and in respect of the kindes of his workes, as well by the Historiographers and Philosophers who were enemies to Christ and his doctrine, as by conclusions of necessitie conueyed from the principles which remaine in the natures of eueryevery of them. And what will ensue thereof, but that Iesus woorking by the power of God, was sent of God, and therefore ought to bee heard and beleeued? Beleeued (say I) to bee God the sonne of God, because hee sayth it; and to bee man borne of woman, because the world sawe him to be so; & that otherwise he should be an enemie to God, and God an enemie to mankind; God (I say) too good to assist him with his power to our ouerthrowe, and too wise to lend him his spirit, to the defacing of his owne glory? But if vngodlines stirre coales; Reason will open her mouth and shewe, that it was agreable to Gods Iustice, and necessary for mans welfare; possible to the power of the creator, and agreeable to his wil and promises; behooffull for our basenes, and beseeming his glorie. And euen in vngodlines it selfe she will find wherewith to put vngodlines to silence, howbeit that euen in all godlines, she findeth not wherewith to speake thereof sufficiently. The same is to bee vnderstood of other like misteries, which shalbe treated of in their due places. And this bringeth vsus backe againe to the saide point, that the truth beeing reuealed, enlighteneth reason; and that reason rowseth vp her selfe to rest vponupon truth. And so farre off is Reason from abasing fayth, to make vsus attaine thereto, that contrariwise she lifteth vsus vp as it were vponupon her shoulders, to make vsus to see it, and to take it for our guide, as the onelyonly thing that can bring vsus to God; and the onelyonly schoolemistresse of whome we ought to learne our saluation. To bee short, we say not that because. Reason comprehendeth not this or that, therefore lette vsus not beleeue it: for that were a measuring of Fayth by Reason, as they say. But wee say that Reason and Nature hauehave such a Rule, and that that is the common way, and yet notwithstanding, that this thing or that thing is done or spoken beyond reason and beyond nature. I say then that the worke and word of God are an extraordinarie case, & that forasmuch as they are of God, it behoueth vsus to beleeue them; and to beleeue is to submit our reason and vnderstanding to him. And so it is a making of reason seruant to faith by reason, and a making of reason to stoope to the highnesse of faith: and not an abasing of faith to the measure of reason.

Now forasmuch as we take reason to our helpe against the Infidels, the proofes which she shall yeeld vntounto vsus to guide vsus to the doctrine and schoole of faith, shalbe chiefly of two sorts; namely, Arguments & Records. The Arguments which we will vse against the Iewes, we will take out of the grounds of the Iewish Religion, the maiestie of God, the nature and state of man, and the most euident and best authorised principles or conclusions among them. Against the Gentiles, wee will take them out of their substantiallest Rules, out of the most renowmed Authors of Philosophie, and out of the expositions of their owne most approued Interpreters; one while abiding vponupon their principles, & another while standing vpō the conclusions which they themselues do gather of them, & sometimes drawing such necessarie consequents and sequeales out of them my selfe, as they oftentimes perceiued not, as though they had not vnderstood what they themselues spake. Also against either of them, wee will iudge of the cause by his effects, and of the effects by their cause; of the end, by the instrument or moouer thereto, and of the mouer, by the end, & so forth of other things: which are the strongest arguments that can be, as which are either demonstratiue, or very neere demonstratiue. At a word, we will not alledge any argument which shall not be substantiall, or at leastwise which we shall not thinke to be so, neither will wee vrge any thing whereof we be not throughly perswaded in our selues: choosing alway the euidentest & easiest that we can, to apply our selues to all mens capacities. Notwithstanding, let not any man looke here for arguments that may bee felt, as that I should proue fire to be hotte by touching it, or the mysteries of GOD and Religion by the outward sence: but let it suffise him that mine argumentes shal bee fully as apparant, and commonly more apparant, than the argumentes which the Philosophers alledge in naturall things: Howbeit that Aristotle would hauehave men to looke for argumentes of lesse sorce at his hande in his first Philosophie, then in his discourses of naturall thinges; and for reasons of lesse force in his morals (so they be likely,) than in his first & highest Philosophie: which thing we may with much better right require in the thinges that surmount both nature and man, that is to witte, in Diuinitie. Moreouer, oftentimes heere shall bee questions propounded to vnfold, or obiections made to bee confuted, which might trouble the Reader if he were not satisfied in them, or else breake off the continuance of our proofes. And in them I shal be compelled now and then to be obscure, either by reason that the nature of the thing depending in controuersie, may perchaunce bee of some old forworne opinion, or els in respect of the tearmes peculiar to the case, which may hap to be lesse vnderstood of the common sorte, and more diffuze, and lesse pithie in our language, wherein such things hauehave not hitherto bene treated of. Neuerthelesse, I hope to take such paines in the opening of them that the Reader whosoeuer he be, if he take any heede at all, shall easily attaine to the vnderstanding of them.

As touching the Records, they shalbe (in my iudgement) of the worthiest sort, and such as are least to be suspected or refused, as neere as I can choose. We be to declare our doctrine vntounto men, & men themselues are a part of the doctrine which we set foorth. And what more clearenesse can there bee, than to make themselues parties in the proofe, Iudges in their own case, and witnesses against themselues? VntoUnto men therefore we will bring the witnessings of men, euen the things that euerie man readeth in his owne nature, and in his owne heart, from whence hee vttereth them either wittingly or vnwittingly, as things that are so written there, that he cannot wype them out though he would neuer so faine. These are common insightes, or inse…s (as a man may tearme them) namely the perswasion of the Godhead, the conscience of euill, the desire of immortalitie, the longing for felicitie, and such other thinges, which in this neather world are incident vntounto man alone, and in al men, without the which a man is no more a man; insomuch that hee cannot deny them except he be out of his wittes, nor cal them in question without beiying of himself wrongfully. And here of proceedeth the agreeable consent of all mankind in certain… beleefes which depend immediatly vponupon the said Principles; which consent we ought to hold for certaine and vndoubted. For the vniuersalnesse of this consent she weth that it is nature, and not instruction, imitation, or bringing vp, that speaketh, & the voice or nature is the voice of truth. As for lying or vntruth, it is a fondling, and not a thing bred; a meere corruption, and not a fruit of nature. Neuerthelesse, whether it were thorough ignorance which hath as good as choked the, or through frowardnesse which hath turned reason a wrong way & made man as a stranger to himselfe: those common and generall Insets hauehave remained ba…ren in the most part of men. Yet notwithstanding some men in sundrie nations hauehave mounted aboue the common rate, and indeuored to cherish and aduaunce the said Insights, and drawen some small sparkes of truth and wisedome out of them, as out of some little fire raked vp vnderunder a great heape of ashes; the which they hauehave afterward taught vntounto others; and for so doing hauehave bene called Sophies and Philosophers, that is to say, Wise men and louers of wisedome. These also doo we take for witnesses of our doctrine; and amongst them, the notablest and such as the world hath esteemed to be wisest. And wheresoeuer they shall disagree, either one with another, or with themselues; there shall common reason be Iudge. And like as they hauehave caught some sparkes from the fire, so will we kindle a fire of their sparkes: how be it (in verie deed) not to lead vsus to saluation the hauen of our life; for in that behalfe we hauehave neede of God himselfe to be our Pilote: but to shew vsus as it were from a Tower; which way it standeth in the darke wherin we now be, to the end we may call to God for helpe, and euer after make thither ward with all our whole hart. Particularly against the Atheists and Epicures, we will bring themselues, the world, & the creatures therein for witnesses. For those are the Recordes which they best louelove and most beleeue, & from the which they be lothest to depart. Against the false naturalists [that is to say professors of the knowledge of nature and naturall things] I will alledge nature it selfe, the Sectes that hauehave sought out nature, & such writers in eueryevery Sect, as they hold for chiefe Disciples, Interpreters, and Anatomists or Decipherets of nature; as Pyt hagoras, Plato, Aristotle, the Academikes and peripatetikes both old and new, and speciallie such as hauehave most stoutly defended their owne Philosophie, and impugned our doctrine; as Iamblich, Plotin, Porphirie, Procle, Simplice, and such others: whose depositions or rather oppositions against vsus, I thinke men will wonder at.

Against the Iewes I will produce the old Testament, for that is the Scripture where to their fathers trusted, and for the which they hauehave suffered death, & whereby they assure themselues of life. And for the interpreting thereof, I will alledge their Paraphrasts, & those which translated it into the Greeke and Chaldey tongues afore the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. For they were Iewes borne, of the notablest men among them, chosen by publike authoritie to translate it, and at that time reason was not so intangled with passions, as it hath bene since. Also I will alledge their ancient doctors, dispersed as well in their Cabales as in their Talmud, which are their bookes of greatest authoritie and most credit. And diuerse times I will interlace the Commentaries of their late writers, which generally hauehave bene most contrarie to the Christen doctrine, whom (notwithstanding) the truth hath compelled seuerally to agree, in expounding the Texts whereon the same is chiefly grounded.

Now in these allegations I shall sometimes be long, and peraduenture tedious to the Reader, whome manifest reason shall hauehave satisfied alreadie, so as (to his seeming) there needed not so manie testimonies. But I pray him to beleeue, that in this longnesse of mine, I straine my nature to apply myselfe to all men; knowing that some like better of Reasons, and othersome of Testimonies; and that all men (notwithstanding that they make more account of the one than of the other) are best satisfied by both, when they see, both reason authorised by witnesses, (for that is as much to say, as that many men had one selfe same reason) and also Recordes declared by reason; for that is as much to say, as that credit is not giuen to the outward person, but to the diuine thing which the person hath within him, that is to wit, to Reason. Herewithall I thought also, that all men hauehave not either the meane to come by all bookes, or the leysure to read them; whose labour I hauehave by that meane eased. And oftentimes I am driuen to doo that in one Chapter; whereof others hauehave made whole volumes.

To conclude, I pray the Reader, first to read this booke throughout, for without mounting by degrees, a man cannot attaine to high things; and the breaking of a ladders steale casteth a man backe, & maketh the thing wearisome which was easie. Secondly I desire him to bring his wit rather than his will, to the reading thereof. For foredeemings and foresetled opinions doo bring in bondage the reason of them that hauehave best wits; wheras notwithstanding, it belongeth not to the will to ouerrule the wit, but to the wit to guide the will. Thirdly and most of all I beseech him to beare alwaie in mind that I am a man, and among men, one of the least; that is to say, that if I satisfie him not in all points, my reason attaineth not eueriewhere so far as truth doth; to the end that mine ignorance and weakenesse preiudice not the case, mine vndertaking whereof, in good sooth is not vponupon trust of mine owne wit, or of mine owne abilitie; but vponupon assured trust of the cleernesse, soundnesse, substantialnesse, and soothnesse thereof.

Now God vouchsafe to shead out his blessing vponupon this worke, and by the furtherance thereof to glad them that beleeue, to confirme them that wauer, & to confute them which go about to shake downe his doctrine. This is the onelyonly pleasure that I desire, the onelyonly fruit which I seeke of my labour. And (to say the truth) I feele alreadie some effect and contentment thereof in my hart. But lette vsus praie him also to vouchsafe in our daies, to touch our stonie harts with the force… of his spirit, and with his owne finger to plant his doctrine so deeply in them, as it may take roote and bring… foorth fruit. For certesse it is Gods worke to perswade and win men, albeit that to counsell them, yea and to mooue them, seemeth in some sort to lie in man.