To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
IT is lyke necessary, diligently to teache, and admonishe the people, of the gouer∣naunce, and administration of thynges, that they may know that they must aske and loke for healpe from God, and learne therwyth that sinne, and other horrible mis∣cheifes in the world, were not made by god but sprange from an other begynnynge, as
we wil shewe herafter. Wherfore that, that the scripture teacheth of the creation of thin¦ges, must be so taken, as that, that is taught Genes. i. and. ii. Psal. xxxij. Esai. xliij. and in manie other places by the prophetes, and a∣postles, and as that churche euer beleued, that is to saye, that God hath not lefte his worke once made, as the carpenter leaueth the shippe that he hath made, and cōmitteth it vnto the shyppeman, beinge litle, or no∣thynge carefull for it afterwarde. But we must thinke thus that he is present with his worke, and perpetually susteineth, and go∣uerneth the same, that he knoweth, and be∣holdeth the doinges of all creatures, that he seeth also the thoughtes of angelles, men and diuelles, and that there is nothing done wythout hym, that it is he, whiche wyth per¦petual mouing gouerneth the heauenlie bo∣dies, maketh the grounde fruiteful, gyueth life both to man, and beast, adding fode, and other necessarie thynges, as we reade actes, xvij. In hym we lyue, are moued, and haue oure beinge. Hebr. i. he susteyneth al thinges wyth the worde of his power. Coloss. i. All thynges consist thorowe hym. i. Tiuint. iiii. We trust in the liuinge god, which is the sa¦uiour of al mē, chiefly of the faythful. Here Paule testifieth that God gyueth lyfe not
only to the faythful, but also to the reste, howe beit that is done in vnlike maner, not with standinge he teacheth vs that God su¦steineth, preserueth & gouerneth the lyfe of al. As he defended Dauid against Goliath Saull, Absalō, and other his enemies, and gaue hym manye other temporal gyftes, and lykewyse encreased hym with spiritual benifittes and other gyftes, with grace, and the holye goste. But amonge the heaten he healpeth manye with corporal giftes only, as with victorye peace, and ritches, that po∣litye maye be mainteined, and that man∣kinde maye endure in erth so longe, tyl he haue gathered together his whole congre∣gation, as Paul witnesseth. i. Tim. vi. God which quyckneth. Item, gyue precepte vnto the riche that they truste in God which gy∣ueth vs al thinges abundantly to our com∣moditie. Math. x. Two sparowes are sold for a farthinge, and one of them falleth not vpon the groūde, wyth out the wil of your father. And the heares of your heades be al nombred.
Psal. Ciii. All thynges looke vpon the, that thou wylte gyue them theyr foode in due ceason, whan thou gyueste them they shal gather. Whan thou openest thy hand, all shalbe filled wyth bountuousnes. But
when thou turneste awaye thy face they shalbe trobled. Thoue shalte take awaye theyr breath, and they shall fayle, and re∣turne to theyr dust. Thou shalt sende forth thy spirite, and they shalbe created, & thou shal renue the face of the erth.
Psal. xxxiii. God looke from heauen, he seeth all the children of men, he frameth theyr hertes euerye one, and vndrestandeth al theyr workes.
Psal. xxxvi. Men, and beastes shalte thou saue Lorde. Psal. Cxlvii. Whiche couereth the heauē with cloudes, and prepareth raine to the erth, whiche bringeth forth grasse in the mountaynes whyche gyueth foode to theyr catail, and to the yong crowes that cal vpon hym.
Psal. Cxlv. The eyes of al loke vpon the Lorde, and thou gyueste them foode in due ceason. Thou openest thy hande, and filleste euery creature wyth thy goodnes. Io. v. my father vnto thys tyme worketh, & I worke.
By these places of the scripture we are taughte, that God is present euerie where, knoweth althinges, conserueth, and sustei∣neth all thynges, and gyueth lyfe and mo∣uinge. Wherefore this article muste be dy∣ligently thaughte the peoqle, and lerned of the same. For though the heathē graūt that
the world was made by god yet thei doute, whether therebe anye prouidence, whether God hath anye care of mennes matters, and iudgeth them, whether he heareth men that calle vpon hym, whether he ministre fode. peace, helth, and other benifittes to men, but they thinke that these thinges be∣gotten, and mainteined by mans industrie. As euer such heatheuish persuasions hange in the myndes of men, whiche thinge many wordes, and sentences of the vngodlye doe wel proue, against which Ieremie in his la∣mētatiōs Cha. iii. crieth myghtely. Who is this that sayeth, out of the mouth of the hig¦hest nether good thynges, nor badde come forth, what murmureth man againste God and thincketh not howe greuously he offen∣deth God.
That the myndes of men than maye be deliuered from those heathnishe opinions, the alleged testimonies of the scripture, and suche lyke cōcerning the preuidence of God and goueruance of thinges must be deli∣gētly cōsidered, & we must hold fast in me∣mory, that God looketh vpon the hertes of men and wyl iudge the doinges of euerye one, that he with out doubte heareth them, that cal ryghtly vpon him, as it shalbe she∣wed here after. Item that he gyueth beni∣fittes
to men, and frutefulnes of the erth, de¦fendeth them and theyr ofspringe from ene∣mies, preserueth commen weales et cet.
As we are cōmanded to aske these thinges, and to looke for them from God, whan we praye, gyue vs this daye oure dayly breade and psal. iv. Cast thy care vpon the Lorde, and he shal nonrishe the vp. But howe can a man desire helpe from God, if he dreame that God neglecteth creatures, that he wor∣keth not in al, but that the creatures are cari¦ed at al auentures, and that men doe al thin¦ges, as they list, and of theyr owne strength. This darcknes of mannes mynde must be ernestly reproued, and we must laye euidēt testimonies, of the scripture agaynst it. For mannes mynde is far gone from God, and is ful of doubtinge, and horrible darckenes concerning God, whiche that God mighte dreue out of oure myndes, from the begin∣ninge he hath opened him selfe wyth great miracles. He sente also his sonne into the worlde openly, which rose from death, and raised many other from the dead. Al which thinges oughte to strengthen oure faythe, that we maye certifie our selfe that God is not ydle, but worcketh euer, bestoweth be∣nifittes, and doeth al thinges for the felicite of men whereby we myght iustly acknow∣ledge
his exeding loue towardes vs. More¦ouer thys article muste be taughte the peo∣ple, and be commended to them with singu¦ler diligence for thys cause also, that the vn Godlye custome of callinge vpon sayntes departed, and desiringe of them good helth temperatines of the ayer, peace, and such be¦nifittes, maye be taken awaye feinge that these thinges be not the worckes of holye men, nor of anye creature, but be the wor¦kes, and benifittes of God onely.