Of all the sentences pronounced by our Sauiour Christe in his whole doctrine, none is more serious or more worthy to be borne in remembraunce, than that which he spake openly in his Gospell, saying: [Sidenote: John v.] Scrutamini scripturas, quia vos putatis in ipsis vitam eternam habere, et illæ sunt quæ testimonium perhibent de me. Search ye the scriptures, for in them ye think to have eternall lyfe, and those they be which beare witnes of me. These wordes were first spoken vnto the Jewes by our Sauiour, but by hym in his doctrine ment to all: for they concerne all, of what nation, of what tongue, of what profession soeuer any man be. For to all belongeth it to be called vnto eternal life, so many as by the witnes of the scriptures desire to find eternall life. No man, woman, or chylde, is excluded from this saluation, and therefore to euery of them is this spoke proportionally yet, and in their degrees and ages, and as the reason and congruitie of their vocation may aske. For not so lyeth it in charge to the worldly artificer to searche, or to any other priuate man so exquisitely to studie, as it lyeth to the charge of the publike teacher to searche in the scriptures, to be the more able to walke in the house of God [Sidenote: 1 Tim. iii.] (which is the church of the lyuyng God, the pyller and ground of truth) to the establishing of the true doctrine of the same, and to the impugnyng of the false. And though whatsoever difference there may be betwixt the preacher in office, and the auditor in his vocation, yet to both it is said, =Search ye the scriptures=, whereby ye may fynde eternall lyfe, and gather witnesses of that saluation which is in =Christe Jesus= our Lorde. [Sidenote: Deut. xvii.] For although the prophete of God Moyses, byddeth the kyng when he is once set in the throne of his kingdome, to describe before his eyes the volume of God’s lawe, according to the example whiche he shoulde receaue of the priestes of the liuiticall tribe, to haue it with him, and to reade it in all the dayes of his life, to thende[143] that he might learne to feare the Lorde his God, and to observe his lawes, that his heart be not aduanced in pryde ouer his brethren, not to swarue eyther on the ryght hande or on the left: yet the reason of this precept for that it concerneth all men, may reasonably be thought to be commanded to all men, and all men may take it to be spoken to them selfe in their degree. [Sidenote: Iosue i.] Though almightie God him selfe spake to his captayne Iosue in precise wordes, Non recedat volumen legis huius ab ore tuo sed meditaberis in eo diebus ac noctibus, &c. Let not the volume of this booke depart from thy mouth, but muse therein both dayes and nyghtes, that thou mayest kepe and perfourme all thinges which be written in it, that thou mayest direct well thy way and vnderstande the same: yet as well spake almightie God this precept to all his people in the directions of their wayes to himwarde, as he ment it to