afterwarde when the Saxons diuided this Realme into .7 kingdoms droue out all or most and best of the Englishmen ruled as long Or when WilliaÌ„ Conquerour subdued all too him selfe at his pleasure and ye shall finde that thesame wickednes raigned then that was now like to haue made vs slaues too the Pope and straungers The rulers were ambicious dissemblers the bishops lordly and vnpreachinge Prelates the people couetous Gods woorde vnknowen and in no degree of men was there any truthe Thus for oure sinfull disobeyinge of God not defendinge hys true religion haue we ben geueÌ„ in to the handes of all countries rounde about 〈◊〉 to the Romains and Normains from the South to the Saxons from the Easte too the Danes and Scots frome the Northe What daunger was of late froÌ„ the West he that woulde not see shoulde haue felt if God had not holpen in tyme. And leaste they shoulde thinke these plages to be layde on them for some other causes the Prophete tels theym in gods name here what was the cause of al these sorowes and shoulde prouoke also these other whiche folowe to be poured on theÌ„ if they did not amende Because this my house saieth God lies waste vnbuilded not regarded of you and ye runne euerye one into his owne house sekinge his own pleasure and profit God wil not suffer his honour to be geuen to anye other or anye other no not oure selues too be preferred before him The Lawier in the gospel askinge oure maister Christe whiche was the firste and greatest commaundement when he hearde this aunswer thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart with all thy minde with all thy soule with all thy strength he did alowe it and saide that was the chiefest in dede shall we Christen men thinke other things to be preferred before gods will or our own desires to be more loued and more earnestly fulfilled then gods Naye marke what great plages fel on any countrye we shal see and finde this to be true in all ages that forgettinge gods true religion hath pulled Gods anger alwaies most greuously vpon the people What causes the Iewes at this daye too be driuen oute of their countrye their Citie and Temple vtterly destroyed and they theÌ„ selues abhorred of all men but denying Christe to be their sauiour and not receiuinge hys gospel nor buyldinge his house What causes most part of those people to whâ—â— sainct Paul wrote his Epistles which wâ— haue to this daye and many other countries to among whom the other Apostles preached to be geuen vp nowe intoo the Turkes Heathens haÌ„des but that they fell from their faith which they first receiued by the Apostles preaching forsakeâ— their christeÌ„ religion What caused those greuous plages in Egipte but that Pharao would not let the people worship God as Moyses sent from God did will hym What caused Nabuchodonozor of a mightye kynge to be made a vyle beaste â–ª eate hay as Oxen doe but that he woulde not know God and his owne wickednes set vp Idols and kylde them whiche woulde not worship them What caused the chyldren of Israel to haue suche welth for the most part vnder Dauid Salomon Iosaphat Ezechias Iosias which wer good kinges restored religion other tymes to be plaged vnder IeroboaÌ„ Athalia Achaâ— Manasses other wicked kings of whom it is so oft written of euery king in Israel that thei walked in the waye of Ieroboam maintaining Idolatry Nothinge surely but the good kings defended Gods true religion set foorth his woorde buylded his house God blessed theÌ„ therefore the other pulled it doune set vp Idolles persecuted his Prophetes burned or hyd vp his scripturs holy woorde folowinge their owne fantasies the teachinges of the false Prophetes and preachers God plaged them therfore And if ye marke the history of the Pope and Mahomet ye shall finde that at the sametime that the Pope in the West part of the world began to get authoritie ouer Kinges and countries too set abrode hys superstition and the people receyued it forsaking Gods religion Mahomet then began in the East parte too growe in authoritie and conquere Countries and hath euermore soo done since that tyme because the people fell from true religion and the more that Countries haue fallen to folowinge of supersticion and forsakinge Christe hys woorde and religion the stronger waxed the Turke and Pope as Goddes plagues too punishe vs and â—e lyke too doe euery daye more more vntyll they be driuen out of Gods church and Christes woord religion and Sacramentes be restored to their simplicitie as Christe did ordeyne them Whan Gregory the firste Pope of that name had denied Ihon archebishop of CoÌ„stantinople striuing with him afore the Emperour Mauritius that Constantinople shoulde be the chiefe churche and that the Bishoppe there shoulde be the chiefest Bishop in authoritie aboue al other Bisshops and sayde that wosoeuer desired the blasphemous name or authoritie was the forerunner of Antichrist Phocas the next Emperour folowing graunted by muche sute Boniface the thirde about the yeare of our Lord. 607. that the bishop of Rome shoulde be the chiefest bishop of all other and therefore is he the blasphemous forerunner of Antichrist as Gregory said full well It was a worthy graunte of suche a wicked Emperour to set vp a Bishop like him selfe Phocas murthered his lord and maister Maurice the Emperoure killed his wyfe and chyldren in his owne sighte â–ª and made him selfe Emperoure Afterwarde he made Boniface the Pope head Bishop ouer all and in Rome the chiefe Thus oure holy father gat his suprimaci by a wicked Emperour not from Peter as he sais but one thefe set vp an other Peter Act. iii sais gold and siluer I haue none but the Pope sais as the Deuil said to Christ whan he tempted him shewed him all the kingdomes and riches of the earth All these are mine I geue theÌ„ to whome I lust I wil geue thee theÌ„ if thou will fal doune and worshippe me So sais the Pope but he lies as his father the deuill did This thinge once graunted the .xii. yeare of Heraclius the nexte Emperoure after Phocas Machomet the greate Prophete of the Turks inuaded ChristeÌ„dom the yeare of the Lorde 623. Honorius beinge Pope and almost droue the Emperour out of his Empire made him glad with money to bye peace vnhonorably And since the time the Turke hath growen bygger and bygger in the East countries subduing al to him self but the Emperour weaker and weaker the Pope hath taken from hym mooste parte of hys Empire and rules in the West partes is Emperoure in dede the other hauinge onely the name of an Emperour The religion and authoritie of Machomet the Turkes greate prophete and the Popes religion or rather superstition suprimaci began thus in one age within xvi
freely without money saieth the prophet and agayn It is I it is I that put awaye thy sinnes for mine own sake than it is not for thy money nor the Popes bulles nor pardons Let the world therfore take hede for if the blind lead the blind bothe fall in the diche This miserable common excuse which is so often in their mouths shal not excuse them when they say thus we are taught oure ghostly fathers sayes so our fathers before vs haue so beleued Christ sayes ye shal both fall in the pytte Beleue no doctrine that teaches to go too heauen other wayes then by Christ frely or whiche is not written and conteined in the Bible for that onely is the perfecte woorde of God and whiche onely teaches true saluation Loke the Popes testamēts throughout called his decrees decretals and you shal not once ther be taughte too seke comforte at Christ in any trouble of mind but onely to set out his vain glorie that he is Lord of heauen earth Purgatory Hell if thou liue neuer so wickedly he his Chaplains haue full authoritie to bring thee frō Purgatory so that thou bring them money I thinke it hath not ben oft hearde tell of that any prieste euer saids Tretal without money or hyred any said for thē selfes but if thei were good why should they not haue them for thē selues If they had charity thei would say them for the poore as wel as for the rich they would not suffer so many poore soules to lye broyling in Purgatory as they think do no they would do nothing night nor day all their liues but saye Masses yf they had such loue towardes their brethrē as they should and if thei were able so to deliuer them For what charitie is in hym that maye helpe his brother and will not by all meanes possible But they shew by their doinges their meaning well inough when thei turn thē to the people saye of your deuotion charitie pray ye for the soul of N. as though they should say we praye for money without charitie but ye muste do frely of deuotiō without mony These false Prophetes Papistes and members of Antechrist came not in the Lordes name nor speake his worde therfore they be accursed Also in that he sayeth the woorde was sent by the hād of Aggeus we are taught how to esteme preaching Ministers by this Hebrew kynde of speaking For as the hand serues to do mo thinges withal then any part of the bodye so whan they will signify any thing too be done by the ministery and seruice of any man thei vse to saye it was done by the hande of suche a man Therfore the woorde and message whiche he brought was the Lordes Aggeus was but the seruaunt that broughte it So must we thinke of the preachers they be but seruaunts though they be neuer so good and learned preachers their message is the worde of the Lord. Thus sayes Christ it is not you that speake but it is the spirite of your father which speakes in you Sainct Paul also teaches how we shoulde thinke vpon him and others such preachers when he sayes let a mā iudge thinke thus of vs that we be the seruāts of Christe and dispensers of gods secrete misteries Therfore they which seke rather to be lordes then seruaunts be hinderers of preachinge gods woorde rather then faithfull teachers of gods holye will to his people are not to be counted amōge the seruaunts and ministers of Christe but rather enemies sekinge their owne glorie more then gods And as Aggeus did not go this message afore he was commaunded and sente by god and therfore was a true Prophet so they whiche thrust in them selues to teach not called by god nor sent by man ordinarely come often afore they be welcome are not true Prophetes For it is writtē let no man take honor vntoo him but he whiche is called of god as Aaron was And if the worser learned bee preferred afore the better to the ministery if thei be bothe true teachers let not the better disdain hym but know god to se further thē he doth and that there be iust causes why the other is preferred afore him Whereas Zerubabell is firste named here and set in order afore Iosua the high priest and the prophet Aggeus was sente by commission from god to the ciuyll magistrate first it teaches the preeminence the Temporall rulers haue afore priestes by what name so euer they be called If the Pope should haue receyued suche letters as these be and sene a layman preferred named afore hym he would not haue ben well content and specially such a man as Zerubabel was beinge neither king nor Emperour What a rayling letter wrote pope Adriane the fourth an English mā to Frederic the Emperour ▪ because the Emperour in his letters hadde set his nam◠afore the Popes writing thus his superscription of his letters Fredericke by the grace of God Emperour c. vnto the holy father Adriane Pope If he had written thus to the most reuerent and holy father the pope Adriane gods vycar here in earth c. your poore and humble seruaunt Frederick by the grace of god Emperoure of Almaine c. had placed the Popes name before his owne al had ben wel Because he did not he called the Emperoure traytour and rebell against god and sainct Peter c. The common welth of the Iewes was ruled first by Iudges from Moyses vntoo Saule then by Kinges frome Dauid too their captiuitie in Babilon and now last from their returning home vnto Christe ▪ by princes of the stocke of Iuda Their Iudges were raysed vp of god too deliuer the people sometime of one tribe or kindred sometime of other as pleased god ◠the chyldren did not succede the father lo suche authoritie Kinges were alwayes of the stocke of Iuda onely ◠the sonne was King after the father but these princes although they were for the moste parte of the stocke of Iuda and the successiō was by heritage except the Machabees yet they had not a kingly maiesti croune power for they were but as mayres or Dukes head men amongest the people as the Hebrew woorde signifies Pachath and yet they be preferred before the highe priest By whiche we muste learne chiefe power in all cōmon wealthes to be ioyned with the temporall swoorde thoughe he be but a meane man and that euery man as S. Paule sayes must be subiect vnder hym Chrisostome notes well writing on that place that euery man must obey the Ciuil power whether he be Apostle Euāgelist prophet or by what name so euer he be called Sainct Peter hym selfe being Bishop as they saye at Rome and of whome they clayme all their authoritie too bee aboue prynces Kynges and Emperoures was not onely obediente too the Ciuill rulers hym selfe but left written in his Epistle
muche to the bodies and goodes of the wicked men as to the mynde and conscience nor this ioye shoulde not be so muche worldly and outwarde to the good as too the soule and inwarde Greate worldlye peace was in all the worlde when oure sauioure Christe was borne but that peace whiche the Aungels sange glorie be to God in hygh in earth peace is rather the peace of conscience because God and man were now reconciled and peace was made betwixt vs and God because his sonne had taken oure nature vpon hym and was made man but vnto the wicked it maye alwayes well be sayd there is no peace too the wicked sayeth the Lorde What a trouble was Herode in whan the wyse men came asked where was he that was born king of the Iewes The scripture sayeth that Herode and all Ierusalem was troubled at this questioÌ„ Herode thoughte he shoulde lose his kingdome and the scribes Phariseis thought that their authoritie was gone whiche thinge greued them so much that thei had rather haue hadde no Christe then loste that authoritie But Herode deuises a policie to saue him selfe withall and kylles all the chyldren that were twoo year oldâ— and vnder thinkinge amongest theym all he shoulde haue kylled Christe and he had rather haue kylled all then the onely Christ shoulde escape What a trouble was he in whaÌ„ he caused such a murther for fear or a yonge chylde What reason is it that suche a kynge shoulde so much feare a yoÌ„g chylde But God prouided well ynoughe for hys sonne and was as wyse readye mercifull to saue deliuer hys soÌ„ne christ as the other was subtil and cruel to murther him for Herode had rather slea all yâ— chyldren then that one Christe shoulde escape God had Ioseph take Marie and the chylde Iesus and â—lee into Egipt tarye there vntyll he gaue hym contrary word What trouble were the Scribes Phariseis in whan for his doctrine preachinge and miracles whiche were so wonderful that they coulde not tell what to saye but sometimes saide Do we not saie wel that thou arte a Samaritan and haste a deuil another time they woulde haue throwne hym doune of the hyll and agayn thei say it hath not ben heard of frome the beginninge that any man hath opened the eies of hym that was born blinde and agayn a manifest wonderfull signe they haue wrought we can not denie it and also yf we let hym alone thus the whole worlde will folow him Howe was the other Herode which beheaded Ihon Baptist troubled when he heard of his miracles wold haue hadde him to haue wrought some in his sighte Howe was Pilates wyfe troubled in her dreame for hym and sente her husbande woorde that he shoulde not medle with him howe gladly woulde Pilate him selfe haue deliuered hym wasshed his hands to declare his innocencie and sayde he founde nothinge woorthye of deathe in him Howe were all the Priestes afearde when they heard tel that he was rysen froÌ„ death and gaue money to the watchemen to â—aye hys Disciples came and stole hym aâ—â— ye when they slept Why shâ—uld they feare a dead man â—f we were a man only he coulde not hurte them if a God they coulde not withstande him â–ª What trouble were the priestes in when they forbad the Apostles to preache any more in Christes name and folowed the counsel of Gamaliel sayinge if it were of God they coulde not abolishe it Why shoulde they bee afrayde of a deadde man Howe was kynge Agrippa troubled whaÌ„ Paule had defended his cause and sayde to hym thy greate learninge O Paule maketh thee madde How were the great learned Philosophers in AtheÌ„s troubled when Paule preached the resurrection of the dead and of Christe and sayde What meanes this sawer of newe doctrine hee semeth too teache newe Gods What a trouble was the Emperour Tiberius in when Pilate wrote to him of the preachinge miracles of Christ and he demaunded that the whole parliament of Rome woulde worshippe hym as a God But they consideringe that he is a gelous God and that he will haue no other worshipped with him but all honor muste be geuen to him onely denied him to be a God or yet to be worshipped there as God What caused Pope Leo the x. to bee so afraide whan Zuinglius beganne too preache the Gospell but that hee perceyued the lighte of Gods woorde woulde deface his pompe pryde and sette abrode all his wickednes too the worlde to be laught at and least he should go forwarde in preachinge and rebuking hys abhomination he sent hys letters too him sealed vnder hys bull of lead willing hym too holde his peace and preache no more suche of thinges he woulde geue hym what liuinge and as many bishoprikes as he woulde yea to be a Cardinall and whatsoeuer he woulde aske excepte his owne seate to be Pope But be lyke a true Preacher went on forwardes in hys busines settinge vp Christe and pulling doune Popery What makes the Pope at this daye hys Clergy too burne persecute empryson all that loue the Gospell but that they feare to loose their lordlines make their bellye 's their God and woulde lyue at ease like lords of the lande What makes theÌ„ to denye Christ to be a Goâ— not so muche in playne woordes as in doctrine dedes couertly but that they se they get muche ryches by reliques pylgrimages sainctes masses pardons c. whiche do as much in effect as denye Christes too bee God because they seeke helpe by these meanes in their troubles and forgeuenes of sinnes with comforte of conscience which all belong so vnto Christ that whosoeuer sekes them other wayes or els where then at his handes onely do as muche as in them lyes as to make Christ no God robbe hym of that honour whiche is due to him only and geue it to Gods of their own making What maruayle is it if they folow the olde decree of the Romaynes in their parliament where they denied Christ to be receiued and worshipped for a God because he shoulde not haue all honour alone as it is due to him onely Thus we se what great trouble it is to the wicked to haue Christ and his doctrine to come abroade and how true this was that the Prophet saith here and what trouble hath ben and shal be too the ende where the Gospell is preached The father shal deliuer the soÌ„ne to death and the sonne shall ryse agaynste the father so shal the mother against the daughter and the daughter against the mother brother againste brother c. whiche thinges we all see at this daye to haue comen to passe Howe many wyues rather then they woulde forsake God haue suffered death forsaken husbande chyldren goodes and countrye and willinglye banished theym selues and so haue many good husbandes also Howe hath one brother persecuted another One frende
yeares together and as it were diuidinge the whole worlde betwixte theym the one in the East the other in the West haue waxen greate Rulers that a man coulde scarse tell whether was the mightier as iust scourges sent of God to punish the world for not maintaining his word But now the Popes wickednes sutteltye by Gods woord beinge declared opened to the world his power waxes lesse the Turkes power increases because he kepes his people in ignoraunce so that if Gods mercy be not much more then oure deseruinges it is to be feared that be shal ouecome ChristeÌ„dom For the cold slackenes of the people princes to builde Gods house true religion will care for no religion at all if they maye not haue the olde â—urty dregges of popery So God giues vp in to all blindnes them that forsake hys light and forsakes them that forsake him and caste him of But many would haue not longe ago said what nede we to fear these plagues are not we come home agayn to oure holy father the Pope to oure holy mother the churche is not our old litle god come home agayne to vs haue we not our aulters copes masses trentais the wil bring vs thorough purgatorie for a litle money howe wickedly so euer we had liued our holy father the Pope by his legate the Cardinal or by his pardons wil absolue vs a paena et culpa that is froÌ„ all punishmeÌ„t from sin yea and from al faute or giltines of syn geue vs as many daies years of pardon as we list What shuld greue our coÌ„scieÌ„ce hauing thus many wayes to heauen Are not we much better then our holy brethreÌ„ which wil none of all these to saue them but onely Christ thinke hym onely sufficient for the sinnes of the whole world Is not this house well builded that hathe so many stroÌ„g pyllers Can God be angry with vs that haue bought broughte him so many things into the churche to delyte hiÌ„ withal We haue gylded many goodly ymages pleasaunt to loke at delite the eyes if he will haue any mirthe we haue goodly singing and striuing who can fet the highest note we haue swete Organes for the eare and sweete frankencense for the nose what woulde God haue more Where not the churches before like barnes bare and naked and nowe are they trymme that anye God woulde dwell in them Haue we not done God good seruice trow ye No surely for God dwels not in TeÌ„ples made with haÌ„des of wood stone but in the heart of maÌ„ nor yet is worshipped with mans inuentioÌ„s but as he willed and taught him self And this is it that pulles all these plages on oure headdes For as the Iewe is moste styffe in his religion â–ª so the Turke defeÌ„des his by might power the Pope maintaynes his with fyre and faggot the Anabaptist Arian Libertine are as busye in corners to turn many vnto them and yet all these be enemies to Christe sekinge to serue God an other waye than he thaught them and to saue them selues by some other meanes then by onely faithe in him whiche was sent to teache vs his fathers will whiche none knew but onely he they to whom he hath taughte it and too saue theym all whiche shal be saued so these and all other whiche buylde their religion other waies than God apointed are traitors vnto him and procure his vengeaunce For he there is not with me saieth Christ is agaynstâ— me and he that gathered not with me scateres abroade Moyses when he was in the hyll with God had the facion of the tabernacle and tent shewed vnto him like vnto the whiche God willed him to make an other where the people shoulde reâ—orte to worship hym vntil the temple was builded by SalamoÌ„ And least he shoulde deuise any thinge of his one head or inuente an other facion God geues him warninge sayinge See that thou make it like vntoo that facion whiche was shewed thee in the hyl deuise nothinge of thy selfe neither put to take awaye nor chaunge any thing but onely contente thy selfe with that whiche I shewed thee This is so notable a lesson that it is repeated in the .vii. of the Actes and the .viii. to the Hebrues because it should be kept in memory and diligentlye obserued of all men in al ages that they should not be curious in deuisinge a new way to serue God of their owne imaginacion but submit their wit to Gods wisedome and be content with that whiche he hath appointed for that onely is good and all inuencions of man as they bee of man displease him Likewise Dauid whan he woudle haue buylded God a house to haue ben worshipped in God appeared vnto hiÌ„ and tolde him he shoulde not do it but Salomon his sonne should builde it God shewed him also the facion that he shoulde buylde it after which facioÌ„ Dauid taught Salomon and prepared all mettals necessary to do it withall in his life tyme least they shoulde haue deuised some facion of their owne as mans brayne is neuer content too bee ruled by Gods wisedome but pleases him selfe in his owne inuentions better then in the whiche God teaches hym And this Temple also that the Prophetâ— speakes of here whiche they were sente home too buylde by kinge Cyrus whose mynd God moued to restore them to their countrye and so liberally to help them to the buyldeng of so costly a woorke is appointed to them by coÌ„mission how broade wyde long hygh and thicke it should be as it was vnto Salomon before If none of these Moyses Dauid SalomoÌ„ Esdras nor none of the people might buylde these temples and houses of woode and stoone so hygh wyde long thicke broade or any other facion as they lust them selues but muste folowe and are straightly chargeâ— often and sundry times so to do that Patarne copy example and facion precisely which God apointed them muche lesse in this spirituall house of Gods buildinge which is chiefly by the preachinge of hys woord may we deuise any thinge of oure selues but exactly folow that which God hath taught vs content our selues therwith thinking that most sufficiente learning able to saue oure soules moste true and holye and all other too be dreames lyes fantasies and vanitie in comparison of this The law of the Lorde sayeth Dauid is pure turning souls the witnes of the Lord is true and geues wisedom to litle ones c. And agayne the woordes of the Lord are pure as siluer which is tried seuen tymes But how many wayes hath the Pope deuised to buyld his house and authoritie that a man may chose whiche him lust too folow so that he folow not Christe For sayth he in his hart euery one is as good or better than that which Christ ordeined This to be true a man maye easely proue him to thinke because he perswades men to folow his deuises