numbred I owe you obedience I will not resiste your power for if I shoulde resiste I shoulde resiste the ordinaunce of God I am subiect to you for conscience sake I will forsake my countrey my goods my children and my selfe at your commaundement I will say to mine owne fleshe I knowe thée not onely I can not forsake my Lorde God Deare sir you fight â—ot against me Alas what am I What can I doe You fight against God against the moste holy against him which can commaunde your life to goe out of your body it is a hard thing for you to kicke againste the spur It is no hard matter for you to kill me for so mightie a Prince to kill so wretched a worme But this I declare to you that my bloud which you shed is innoceÌ„t shal be required at your haÌ„ds It maye please God to giue vnto you repentance and the knowledge of the truth If my bloud may be a mean therto if my bloud may open your eies if my bloud may soften your heart it coulde neuer be spent in a better cause Blessed be the name of God whiche hathe made me his instrument for youre so happye conuersion thys is the onelye thing wherein I can not yéelde The Lorde hath spoken vnto me I haue heard his voice my hart hath felt it my conscience knoweth it I can not denye it No sworde can cutte me from it no water can drowne it no fire can burne the loue I beare vnto it there is no creature in heauen or earth that can carrie me from that blessed hope I haue conceiued by his word So constant is he that hathe learned the worde of God hath set his delighte vppon it and is through it assured of the wil of God Heauen shal shake the earth shall tremble but the man of God shall stande vpright His foote shall not faile his heart shall not faint he shall not bée moued Such a ground such a foundation suche a rocke is the worde of God Blessed is the man whose hope is in the name of the Lorde He shal builde vppon a sure place he layeth his foundation vpon the corner stone He néedeth no armie to make him strong he néedeth no friendes to comforte him in aduersitie His strength is within the gates of hel shal not preuaile againste him His comfort is inwardly within his hearte He speaketh to God and God vnto hym His eyes beholde the kingdome and power and glorie of God But what say we of the Fathers Augustine Ambrose Hierom Cyprian c. What shall we thinke of them or what accompt may we make of them They be Interpretors of the worde of God They were learned men and learned Fathers the instruments of the mercie of God vesselles full of grace We despise them not we reade them we reuerence them and giue thankes vnto God for them They were witnesses vnto the truth they were worthie pillars and ornamentes in the Churche of God Yet may they not be coÌ„pared with the word of God We may not build vpon them we may not make them the foundation and warrant of our conscience we may not put our trust in them Our trust is in the name of the Lorde And thus are we taught to estéeme of the learned Fathers of the Churche by their owne iudgement by that whiche they haue written either for the credite of their owne doings or of the auctoritie whych they haue thought due to the writings of others S. Augustine said of the Doctours and Fathers in his time Neque quorumlibet aâ—sputationes quamuis Catholicorum laudatorum hominum velut Scripturas Canonicas habere debemus vt nobis non liceat salua honorificentia quae illis debetur aliquid in eorum scriptis improbare aut respuere si fortè inuenerimus quod aliter senserint quà e veritas habet Talis sum ego in scriptis aliorum tales esse volo intellectores meorum Neither weigh we the writings of all meÌ„ be they neuer so worthy and catholique as wee weigh the canonical Scriptures but that sauing the reuerence that is due vnto them we may mislike and refuse somewhat in their writings if wee finde that they haue thought otherwise than the truth may beare Suche am I in the writings of others and such would I wishe others to be in mine Some things I beléeue some things which they write I can not beléeue I weigh them not as the holy Canonicall Scriptures Cyprian was a Doctor of the Church yet he was deceiued Hierome was a Doctor of the Church yet he was deceiued Augustine was a Doctor of y e Church yet he wrote a Booke of Retractations he acknowledged that he was deceiued God did therfore giue to his Church many Doctors many learned men whych all shoulde search the truth and one reforme an other wherein they thought him deceyued S. Augustine saieth Auferantur de medio chartae nostrae procaedat in medium codex Dei audi Christum dicentem audi veritatem loquetem Take away from amongest vs any our owne Bookes lette the Booke of God come amongest vs heare what Christe saieth hearken what the truth speaketh He is the wisedome of his father he can not deceiue vs. Againe he saith Audi dicit dominus non dicit Donatus aut Rogatus aut Vincentius aut Hilarius aut Ambrosius aut Augustinus Heare this the Lorde saieth heare not this Donatus saith or Rogatus or Vincentius or Hilarius or Ambrose or Augustine saith Al these were learned most of them were holy yet saith Augustine we may not yéelde to that which is saide by learned men but we must yéelde our ful consente and beliefe to the worde of God Origen saith Necesse nobis est in testimonium vocare sanctas Scripturas Sensus quippe c. Wee muste needes call to witnesse the holy Scriptures for oure iudgementes and expositions without those witnesses carry no credite Marke wel our words and expositions constructions vnlesse they be warranted by the Scriptures are not ynough they cary not credite Augustine saith Nos nullam Cipriano facimus iniuriam cùm eius quaslibet literas c. Wee offer no wrong to S. Cyprian when wee seuer anye his Letters or Writings from the Canonical auctoritie of the holy Scriptures Thus speaketh Aug. a Doctor of the Church of Cyprian another Doctor also of y e Churche Cyprian was a bishop a lerned Father a holy man a Martire of Christe yet saith Augustine his worde is not the Gospell his worde is not the worde of God there is no wronge done to him though his writings cary not like credit as the holy Scripture I could shewe many the like spéeches of the auncient Fathers wherein they reuerence the holy Scriptures as to which onely they giue consent without gainsaying which can neither deceiue nor be deceiued In this sort did Origen and Augustine and other Doctours of the Church speake of themselues and of
A VIEWE OF A SEDITIOVS Bul sent into Englande from Pius Quintus Bishop of Rome ANNO. 1569. Taken by the reuerende Father in God IOHN IEWEL late Bishop of SALISBVRIE Wherevnto is added A short Treatise of the holy Scriptures Both which he deliuered in diuers Sermons in his Cathedral Church of Salisburie Anno. 1570. AT LONDON Printed by R. Newberie H. Bynneman ANNO. 1582. To the godlie Reader THE present state of these our dayes and the honourable and reuerent loue that euery one of vs subiectes oweth to so gratious a Prince as GOD in mercy hath set ouer vs hath caused this small worke to be persented vnto thee gentle Reader For it carrieth in it selfe and bringeth vnto thee a ripping vp and an vnfoulding of that seditious BVL of Pius Quinius that was set vp and published by FELTON a rebellious traitour in the twelfth yeare of hir Maiesties raigne to withdraw thee from the obedience and loue that thou owest to hir Maiestie to hir Lawes and godlie proceedinges and to this Realme thy deare Countrie To whiche is also adioined an other Treatise of the Holy Scriptures Wherein is shewed thee the authoritie and the profit and the pleasure and the necessitie of the word of God Both these the reuerend Father in GOD D. IEWEL late Bishop of SARVM deliuered to that Church and people in the great care he had to do his Maisters seruice to keepe the people committed to his charge from incurring such offence to GOD or vndutifulnes to hir Maiestie or their own euerlasting damnation His meaning herein was good toward theÌ„ not doubt but they reapt the comfortable fruit of his godlie trauailes The like mayest thou gather to thy selfe by direction of the same his speeches thus drawn into short and compendious forme if thou wilt reade them with diligence and iudgement If thou learne to humble thy selfe before GOD and to seeke wisdome of hym if thou searche the scriptures and make them thy guides to leade thee through the desert and wide sea of this life as thou arte aduertised by the later thou shalt soone espie the daunger of all such practises towardes disloialtie aud rebellion whereto the BVL driueth thee which is disclosed in the former For it is not only sayde by the wise man The feare of the Lorde is the beginning of wisedome but also set down by the Prophet They haue reiected the word of the Lord and what wisedome is in them that is therefore men become foolish and do such things as are vnmeete because they care not for the word of God and therefore Dauid in his experience so confesseth that by the commaundemeÌ„ts of God he was made wiser than his enimies and had more vnderstanding than al his teachers because the testimonies of the Lord were euer with him and he did meditate them If thou settle thy heart to like and do those things which please God if thou haue the loue of his word hee wil teache thee the way wherein thou shouldst walke in obedience to him and in dutie to hir Maiestie our dread Soueraigne his seruant I trust thou wilte take good instructions out of these twoo Treatises to thy duty and zeale to them both and be thankful to God for that learned Father who hath lefte a light vnto thee both in ex-example and by these and other his workes whose steppes if thou shalt follow thou shalt liue godly and die with comforte as a good seruaunt of thy mercifull GOD and Father The benefites of his great trauailes taken in time of his life are thine And vnto the ende he ceassed not to continue in the faith whiche he before professed For as I one of many yet liuing can testifie in the daye and night before his departure out of this worlde hee expounded the Lordes prayer and gaue short notes vpon the 71. Psalme to such as were by him He thought good to say somwhat at that time of his Bookes written by him and set forth in Print and also of his Preaching In both which seruices done by him to the glory of God and thy comfort he made protestation of his good conscience whiche euen then as he declared witnessed and shoulde witnesse with him before God that he dealt simply and plainely hauing God only before his eies and seeking the defence of the Ghospel of Christ and that the truth thereof might bee opened and maintayned And farther gaue thankes to God that made him his seruaunt in so greate a worke and then visited him by this messenger of death whiles he was doing the message of God in visiting his Dioecese that then hee called him to reste from his labours when his weake body was spent and worne out in setting forth the glory of God for which he many times prayed it woulde pleasâ— God to let him be offred in sacrifice Hee was at that time verye feruent in Prayer which he poured out before the Lord aboundantly and in great faith crying often Lorde let thy seruant now depart in peace Lord let thy seruant now come to thee I haue not so liued that I am ashamed to liue neither am I afrayd to die for we haue a gratious Lord. There is laide vppe for mee a crowne of righteousnesse Christ is my righteousnesse Thy will be done ô Lorde for mine is frayle With many other suche godlye speehes In the extremitie of his disease he shewed great pacience and when his voice fayled that hee lay speechelesse hee lifted vp his handes and eyes in witnesse of his consent to those prayers whiche were made Thus being vertuously occupied and wholly resting himselfe vpon the mercies of God through Iesâ—s Christ our sauior he rendred vp his soule to God the 23. of September 1571. Be thou thankful to God for giuing his Church so worthy an instrument of his glorie and bee carefull to follow the good doctrine which he left behinde him not only in this that commeth forth at this present but in all other his Bookes whiche haue beene set forth before or shall be put foorth hereafter to thy benefit and increase of godlinesse 27. Ian. 1582. North Crowlie Thine in the Lord IO GARBRAND A VIEVV OF A SEDITIOVS BVL SENT INTO ENGLANDE WHiles I opened vnto you y e words of y e Apostle That daye shall not come except ther come a departing firste that man of sinne bee disclosed euen the sonne of perdition which is an aduersarie and is exalted aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he shall sit as God in the Temple of God beare in hand that he is God there came to my hands a copie of a Bull latelye sente into this Realme by the Bishop of Rome I read it and weighed it throughly and founde it to be a matter of greate blasphemie against God and a practise to work much vnquietnesse sedition and treason againste our blessed and prosperous gouernment For it deposeth the Queens Maiestie whome GOD long
and in Germanie Will these men be more holye than so manye Bishoppes and Sainctes and Martirs and Patriarkes and Prophets and Apostles whyche by theyr example haue approued and commended vnto vs thys diuine ordinaunce Let euery man consider the strength of his owne dessell for whiche he shall render account before God in that Consistorie where we shall be iudged not by the lawes of Rome but by the lawes of God our owne conscience accusing or excusing vs. Paule sayth If they can not abstaine let them marry it is better to marry than to burne The name of Uirginitie is commendable but euery thing is not as it sheweth I protest before the liuing GOD which is the Iudge of the quicke and the dead that no filthinesse vnder the Sunne is comparable to forced Uirginitie I condemne not but rather highly commende single life No doubt there are many true Uirgins holy in body and holy in spirite but yet al are not Uirgins which liue vnmarried as Hierome séemeth to note Eliguntur mariti in sacerdotium non nego c. Such as are married are chosen into the Priestehode I deny not For Virgins are not to bee so muche accompted of as Priestes And againe But why say you in giuing of priestly orders is one whiche is a Virgin oftentimes refused and another whiche is married admitted It may bee because his doings are not agreeable to his Virginitie or bicause he is thoght to be a Virgin yet is not or bicause his virginity is infamous So much saith Hierome for reasō why married mē were preferred to orders of the Church before others whiche carried the shewe of Virginitie Now to conclude this we say our lawes after the counsell of the Apostle finding so many examples in al ages of the godly which were married and the notable inconueniences which grewe by forced chastitie haue giuen libertie that those who haue not the gifte of Chastitie to auoide Fornication may marry But no law made among vs hath forbiddē Virginitie or Single life This is the thyrtéenth vntruth And so haue you in these fewe words the number whiche I spake of euen fiue vntruths in litle more than fiue words First that we haue no Sacrifice This is not true For we haue the Sacrifice of the death and bloud of Christ a Sacrifice which lasteth for euer Againe that we haue no Prayers This is vntrue For we call vppon the name of the Lorde We glorifie God euen the Father of our Lore Iesus Christe God grant all the Churches in Christendome may do the like Againe that we haue no Fasting This is vntrue Our doctrine requireth fasting our lawes command it we commend it Againe They make no difference of Meates This is vntrue For we haue not putte downe one Fish day and we haue appointed 50. more than our forefathers kept Againe Single life is abolished This is vntrue for a Minister may liue single if he wil there is no law to the cōtrary God graunt our liues may be single and simple and pleasing him else we are like painted graues faire and holy without but within ful of stincking carren Nowe let vs procéede You haue heard 13. vntruths and maye we thinke that he which hath vttered so much falshode will stay there Eadem occupato regno supremi Ecclesiae capitis locum in omni Anglia eiusque praecipuam authoritatem atque iurisdictionem monstrosè sibi vsurpans regnum ipsum rursum in miserū exitiū reuocauit She the Quenes Maiestie inuaded the kingdome and by vsurping monstrously the place of the supreame heade of the Churche in all Englande and the chiefe aucthoritie and iurisdiction of the same hathe againe broughte the saide Realme into miserable destruction You must kéepe reconing for here to the 13. vntruths he giueth thrée others more wicked and slaunderous than the rest Hathe Queene Elizabeth inuaded the Realme O vaine man Is it beséeming for Christs Uicar to speake so vntruely What sendeth he such tales vnto vs who know the trueth and can reproue him Did hir Maiestie inuade this realme Came she by force and violence to hir Crowne No childe so simple but he may controll him herein Was not Quene Marie hir Sister Was not King Edwarde hir Brother Was not King Henrie hir naturall Father and King Henrie the 7. hir Grandfather Is shée not the right inheritour of both the houses queorke and Lancaster Hath shée not both the Roses that is bothe the Titles to the kingdome enclosed in one Did not the whole body of the Counsell take their Oath to hir xxxv yeres agoe Was not the Crown due to hir by inheritance and by succession and by the laws of this Realme Did not hir Father warrante it to hir by Wil as to his daughter Did not Queene Marie by expresse wordes leaue it to hir as to hir Sister Did not the whole Noblitie of the Realme confirme it Did not Queene Maries Byshops knéele downe before hir and acknowledge hir to be their naturall and lawfull Queene Did not you Did not all the Commons of this Realme willingly of your selues make Bonfiers ring your Belles and clap your handes for ioy Did not the children and little Babes crie out in your stréetes God saue Queeene Elizabeth Howe then dareth the Pope a wilfull Frier a wilfull and vnlearned Frier how dareth he say that Queene Elizabeth is no lawfull Queene but didde inuade this Realme with force and violence O good and gratious Ladie what Host had she what Capitaine what Souldiours what weapon was worne what Sworde drawne what Speare bente what Banner displayed what Trumpet sounded Shée entred to hir right peaceably hath raigned in greate peace saue that Pope Pius hath practised hir trouble by certaine rebels and traitors But God doth mercifully peserue hir to the confusion of hir enimies to the comforte of hir subiectes and the adnauncement of his glorie Yong men and Maydens Olde men and children may sée and saye Pope Pius is a forger a reporter of vntruth hathe no regarde what he saith or doth that he is paste al shame and hath no seare of God Againe Supremi capitis locum vsurpans Taking vpō hir the place of the supreme head This is vntrue Here laye a chase If the Pope goe forwarde he wil winne the game Where is shée euer called the supreme head Peruse the actes of Parliament the Recordes the Rolles and the Writs of Chauncerie or Exchequer which passe in hir Graces name where is she euer called the supreame heade of the Church No no brethren she refuseth it she woulde not haue it nor bée so called Why then doth Christes Uicar blaze and spreade abroade so grosse vntruth why shoulde he say Queene Eliz. maketh hir selfe the head of the Church Nay yet more Monstrose praecipuam eius auctoritatem atque iurisdictionē vsurpans Taking vpon hir monstrously the chiefe authoritie and iurisdiction of the same Here I might well say O monstrum hominis
Martyr certaine men fit for that purpose and haue sent them ouer the world to go about say there is a wicked heresie of the Christians sprung vp Euen so it liketh the Pope to speake of them which be in auctoritie among vs and calleth them Heretiques God forbid his mouth shoulde be a sclander all be Heretiques whom he so calleth Then as many as reprooue his errors and refuse to fall downe and worship him shall be Heretiques They spare not to say so Qui Romanae Ecclesiae Priuilegium auferre conatur hic procul dubio labitur in haresim He doubtlesse falleth into heresie which goeth aboute to take away the priuiledge of the Churche of Rome But Heresie is an other matter An Heretique is he which denyeth the Articles of our Christian faith We deny thē not no not any one article We hold the Créede of the Apostles and of the Nicene Councell and of Athanasius We holde all the Scriptures of the olde and newe Testament We holde all the auntient Councelles We holde all the auntient Fathers Augustine Ambrose Chrysostome c. We condemne all Heresies which our Fathers condemned This is our profession and yet notwithstanding doeth the Pope lightly and rashly giue sentence against vs of Heresie But let him take héede least whiles he calleth others Heretiques and reconeth not the causes wherefore his Arrowe which he hath shot vp fall vpon his own head and he fall into the pit he hath digged for others Yet there remaineth one pretence more against hir Maiestie ad quam velut ad asylum omnium infestissimi perfugium inuenerunt Vnto whome all suche as are the worst of the people resort and are by hir receiued into safe protection Is it not lawfull for the Queene to receiue straungers without the Popes warrāt This he speaketh of the pore exiles of Flaunders and Fraunce and other Countries who either lost or left behind them all that they had goodes landes and houses not for adulterie or theft or treason but for the profession of the Gospell It pleased God here to caste them on land the Queene of hir gratious pitie hathe graunted them harbour Is it become so hainous a thing to shew mercie GOD willed the children of Israel to loue the stranger bicause they were straungers in the land of Egipt He that sheweth mercie shall find mercie If God shal turne his hand thou maist be in case of pouertie and banishment as wel as they I am not a Prophet nor the sonne of a Prophet but I doubte the time will come when men shall looke for the Pope at Rome and not finde him His seate shall be remoued he shall not be there Then shal he know what it is to be a stranger He whiche deuoureth shall be deuoured But what is the number of such who haue come in vnto vs Are they thrée or foure thousand Thanks be to God this Realme is able to receiue them if the number be greater You may remember what other straungers arriued within these parts not long sithence These are fewe they were many These are pore miserable they wer lofty proud These are naked they were armed These are spoiled by others they came to spoile vs These are driuen frō their country they came to driue vs from our coūtry These to saue their liues they came to haue our liues The difference is greate béetwéene these strangers If we were content to beare them then nowe let it not grieue vs to beare these It is the commaundement of God that wee loue the stranger yet a Prince that doth it shall abide the Popes controlment He himselfe is good to them and spareth the liberties of his Citie to some number and of worse condition For besides those which resorte thither oute of Englande Germanie Fraunce Spaine c. he giueth harbour to 6000. Iewes which liue by vsurie and pay him yearely pensions He alloweth in his Citie of Rom◠20000. Courteghians or common women This was the old reconing It may be the number is nowe improued All these liue by filthinesse and yéelds hym therefore a pension of 30000. Ducates If the Pope may maintaine so many thousand adultereres harlots Iewes and enimies of the crosse of Christ why may not Queene Elizabeth receiue a fewe afflicted members of Christ which are compelled to carie his crosse If it be no fault in him to receiue so many seruants of the Diuel why may not Queene Elizabeth receiue a fewe seruants of God Whome when he thought good to bring safely by the daungers of the sea and to set in at our hauens shoulde we cruelly haue driuen them back again or drowne them or hang them or sterue them Woulde the Uicar of Christ giue this counsel or if a King receiue such giue them succour must he therfore be depriued they are our brethren they liue not idlely If they haue houses of vs they pay rent for them They holde not our grounds but by making due recompēce They begge not in our streets nor craue any thing at our handes but to breath our aire and to sée our Sunne They labour truely they liue sparefully They are good examples of vertue trauel faith and patience The townes in which they abide are happy for God doth folow thē with his blessings Thus haue I opened 19. vntruthes all packed in this Bul. If I woulde haue béen curious or quarelous I might haue gathered twice so many But I haue no pleasure to passe farther in them God and man heauen and earth knowe they are vntrue I may say to Pope Pius thou sonne of man howe long wilt thou blaspheme the honour of God Why hast thou such pleasure in vanitie and séekest after leasing What opinion hath hee of our nation Doeth he thinke we are so simple to bee ledde in a masket with so vaine fables Doth he thinke wee haue neither eyes to sée nor heartes to iudge Doth he thinke his bare word wil go for Gospel Woulde he write thus if hée thought there were a God If he deceiue vs in these earthly thinges which we sée with our eyes no reason we credit him in heauenly things Christ is the trueth It becommeth not his Uicar to speake falsehood Now let vs examine how he wresteth corrupteth the Scriptures of God how he giueth vs a false interpretation corrupteth them In his whole Bul he hath one only place out of the Scripture only one place I say and no more the same he setteth downe to mainteine his owne authoritie to vphold his power wherby he setteth vp deposeth the Kings Princes and states of the worlde The words be y e first Chapter of Ieremie Behold this day haue I set thee ouer the nations and ouer the kingdomes to pluck vp and to roote out and to destroy and throw downe to build to plant If hée abuse this place of Scripture which hée hath aduisedly chosē sent ouer to make thereby some shew
for a law And doth he onely say this Or shall we thinke they be words of reuerence written by such as are deuout to his holinesse and that he doth not so much as he may by vertue of his speciall priuiledge Who was it y ◠gaue a dispensation to the brother y ◠he might marie his owne sister Who was it that gaue dispensation to Henrie the fifth to rise vp against Henry the fourth his own father and put him from the Empire What dispensation Pope Pius sent to King Philip God knoweth but the yong Prince the Kings sonne lost his life I know not what dispensation past lately into Scotland but the King was strangled c. A horrible déede the world knoweth it was so what mistes pretēces soeuer they make To worke such practises the Pope sendeth abrode his dispensations Such a dispensation did Pope Pius lately send into England and discharged the Subiects from their due obedience to our Prince and thereby made way for them with his fauour and licence to runne headlong into euerlasting damnation With some weake heades hée hath preuailed It is likely hée hath vsed secrete conference with them some long time before they would be drawen to be traitours to their owne country and be emboldened to put themselues in armour and robbe and spoyle burne and kill their countrie men friends and kinsefolkes and children and parents against the law of nature and the commaundement of God This was done not long sithence You can not but remember it they were in armes and had gathered a great cōpanie of Confederats the banner was displaied in fielde What thinke you was their meaning Or to what ende did they rise Among all those that liue within this realme whose person sought they against whom bente they their speares And against whose body drew they their swordes But the Lorde preserued his anointed he hath placed hir vppon his holy hill of Sion no traiterous malice shall annoy hir Consider nowe whence all this rebellion grew There is no treason without conference There euen there began all our trouble The maister of all this mischiefe fitteth at Rome as I tolde you before y ◠coales were kindled here but the belloes were there there sate he y ◠blew the fire We saw the poppets but y ◠iuggler that drew the strings kept him selfe close They which rebelled brake their oathes forswore thēselues robbed their country spoiled towns burnt y ◠holy Bible y e word of God they cared neither for God nor man neither for Prince nor for lawe They were promised furtherance in their doings by insurrections which shoulde haue bene likewise made in other places of the Realme In all this they tooke courage and countenance of Pope Pius He furnished them with all deuise of counsell he blessed thē in their purpose he promised them forgiuenesse of their sinnes for part of their wages Miserable man which could finde no better company and in miserable case when he cannot be vpholden by other meanes than by treason But most miserable are they which through his wicked persuasions are content to cast themselues and to séeke howe their country may be brought vnder the subiection of foreine enemies into bondage and miserie So doth he lose and set at libertie the consciences of men and flattereth the wicked in their vngodlinesse as if his dispensation should be their excuse It is an olde saying Caueat emptor let him that buieth take heede What colour soeuer the Pope setteth on his marchandize let the buier take héede of them We haue called God to record vnto our soules our conscience standeth charged If we commit periury God wil auenge it If we resist the power wee breake the ordinance of God and then we receiue to our selues damnation Let vs therefore be wise and circumspect As for Pope Pius word it is no warrant for vs against the iudgement of God In the day of the Lorde when we woulde call him forth for our discharge we shall not finde him He is not able to warrant himselfe Yet for his better credite and to preuaile the more with vs he saith well of him selfe magnifieth and aduaunceth his owne name when he telleth vs I am a Prince I am aboue nations and kingdomes I excommunicate Kinges and Princes I depriue them and put them downe and roote them vp I haue authoritie ouer their Subiects I discharge them of their othes I curse them and giue them vp to the Diuel I am like to the highest These are blasphemous and abominable words méete words for him that sent them to whō is giuen a mouth to speake great things and blasphemies And thus he imagineth all the worlde should fall downe before him with a Sāctus He imagineth he holdeth the Sunne and Moone in his handes and can rule them as it pleaseth him thus he is fallen into a pleasant phrensie he dreameth of great matters and with his owne breath he bloweth him selfe bigge like a bladder But this breath is nothing it is easie to let it out and then the bladder will also be as nothing It wil not be so easie as he thinketh to haue such place giuen him in the consciences of men as hee sometimes had or to roote out all that professe the Gospel of Christ or to make that the name of the holy one of Israel shall be no more spoken of Yet hee attempteth it and thereto employeth all his power and his wisedome and his counsaile But he that dwelleth in heauē laugheth him to scorne the Lord shal haue him in derision As though he were a Sampson he taketh hold of the pillars he crasheth them in péeces but the house which he pulleth downe shall fall vpon his owne heade His heart is exalted against his fall which is at hand All his great boast is but a cloude of darknesse a cleare winde will blow it ouer And now to giue you a short view of the whole matter Remēber that Pope Pius hath sent vs ouer against our gracious Queene and all hir Subiectes a Sentence of his cursse and depriuation Wherein he hath dealt ignorantly and contrary to the lawes without wit or discretion and foloweth no order For the Sentence which shoulde be kept vntill the last is giuen out before the parties were called or the cause and proofes duely alleaged and examined Remember that he is no competent Iudge that he hath no iurisdiction ouer vs that he him selfe is a partie that hée hath bene accused and founde guiltie by the iudgement of the whole worlde that he is ouer much affectionate in the case wherein he séeketh to exalt and enrich him selfe Remember that he hath conueied 19 vntruths into this one bundle that hée hath forged a false commission that hée hath corrupted and falsified the worde of God and hath made God a false witnes vnto his folies Remember that hée teacheth vs contrary to that we haue receiued of Peter and of Paul and of Christ and
the fruit therof appeare but reiect it and make it a reproch and cast it away from vs and therfore is it that the Lord doth cast vs away that we are vnwise that we please our selues with our own deuises and follow our owne imaginatiōs and perish because we haue not vnderstanding to heare y e instruction of the Lords word but like ignorant mē disallow it and cast it behinde the backe The consideration hereof moueth mée to say somewhat of the holy Scriptures whyche are the bright Sunne of God whiche bring light vnto our wayes and comforte to all parts of our life and saluation to our soules In whiche is made knowen vnto vs our estate and the mercie of God in Christe our Sauiour witnessed That we may the better sée the path whiche wée haue to walke in my meaning is truely and plainely and shortly to shewe you what Auctoritie and Maiestie the worde of God beareth then what Profite we maye reape by it also howe needeful it is that we be wel instructed in the holy Scriptures and what Pleasure and Delectation a Christian conscience may finde in them and lastle whether they be darke and doubtfull or plaine and easie for youre vnderstanding that when we know the Maiestie and Auctoritie of the worde and what comforte and profitte GOD giueth vs by it we depriue not our selues thereof by oure vnthankefulnesse nor close vp our eyes that we sée it not but heare it in reuerence and in feare that it may be fruitfull in vs and we receiue it not in vaine The Scriptures are the worde of God What title can ther be of greater value what may be said of them to make them of greater auctoritie thā to say The Lord hath spoken them That they came not by the wil of men but holie men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost At the worde or Proclamation of an earthly Prince we stand vppe and vaile our bonnets and giue good eare to it we are bounde so to doe it is oure duetie such honour belongeth to the powers that are placed to rule ouer vs for they are ordained of God And who soeuer resisteth them resssteth the ordinance of God If we shoulde haue a reuelation and heare an Angell speake vnto vs how carefull would we be to marke and remember and be able to declare the words of the Aungel yet is an Aungel but a glorious creature and not God And what is a King greate and mightie yet mortall and subiecte to death creature and not God And what is a King great and mightie yet mortall and subiecte to death His breath departeth and his name shal perishe Bothe he and his worde his power and his puissance shall haue an ende But the word of the Gospell is not as the worde of an earthly Prince It is of more Maiestie than the word of an Angel The Apostle sayeth If the worde spoken by Aungels was stedfaste and euerie transgression disobediēce receiued a iust recompence of rewarde how shall wee escape if wee neglecte so great saluation whiche at the firste beganne to bee preached by the Lorde and was confirmed vnto vs by them that hearde him God saith by the Prophet Esay My word shal accomplish that whiche I will and it shal prosper in the thing whereto I sent it And the same Prophet saith The worde of God shall stand for euer And It is more easie that Heauen and Earth passe awaie than that one title of the Lawe shoulde faile sayth our fauiour For it is the worde of the liuing and almightie God of the God of Hostes whyche hathe done whatsoeuer pleased him bothe in heauen and in earth By thys worde he maketh hys will knowen I haue not spoken of my selfe sayeth Christe but the Father whiche sente mee gaue mee a commaundemente what I shoulde saye and what I shoulde speake And againe If I hadde not come and spoken vnto them they shoulde not haue had sinne but now haue they no cloake for their sinne No man hath séene God at any time He is inuisible no eie can reach vnto him The onelye begotten sonne whyche is in the bosome of hys Father he hath declared him he hathe shewed vs the throne of grace that wée may seeke for mercie and finde grace in time of néede he hath disclosed vnto vs the will of his father He hath lefte vnto vs and ordained that we should heare his holy worde Thys word the Angelles and blessed spirits vsed when they came down from Heauen to speake vnto the people when they came to the blessed Uirgine and to Ioseph and to others they spake as it was written in the Prophetes and in the Scriptures of God they thought not their owne auctoritie sufficient but they tooke credite to theyr saying and auctoritie to their message oute of the worde of God This Worde the Prophetes vouched and alleadged to the people Albeit they were sanctified in their mothers wombe albeit God had endued them with his heauenly spirite although a Seraphin came vnto one of them and touched his mouth with a hote coale albeit he sawe the Lorde sitting vpon an high throne yet they woulde not speake as of themselues but onelye in the name of the Lord for thus they vsed to say The Lord hath spoken this is the worde of the Lorde Heare what the Lorde saith Sainct Paule albeit hée was taken vppe into the third Heauen and into Paradise and hearde wordes that are not lawefull for man to vtter yet he wrote not his owne words to the Churches of Rome of Corinth and Thessalonica and of other places but deliuered which had receiued and taught them according to the Scriptures This word is the true Manna it is the bread which came downe from Heauen it is the key of the kingdom of heauen it is the sauour of life vnto life it is the power of God vnto saluation In it God sheweth vnto vs hys mighte hys wisedome and his glorie By it he wil be knowen of vs. By it he will be honored of his creaturs Whatsoeuer truth is brought vnto vs contrarie to the word of God it is not truth but falsehoode and errour whatsoeuer honour done vnto God disagréeth from the honor required by his worde it is not honour vnto God but blasphemie As Christ saith In vaine they worship me teaching for doctrines mens precepts By Esay God saith Who required this at your hands And by Ieremie I spake not vnto your Fathers nor commaunded them when I brought them out of the lande of Aegipt concerning burnt offerings Sacrifices But this thing commaunded I them saying obey my voice and I will bee your God and yee shall be my people and walke yee in all the wayes whiche I haue commaunded you that it may bee well vnto you Againe What is the Chaffe to the Wheate saith the Lord What are your dreames to be weighed with the truth of God Search the
people were changed the Temples and Sacrifices and Praiers were chaunged mens eyes and heartes were chaunged They forsooke their Gods their Kings their Priests they forsooke their antiquity customes consent their Fathers and themselues What power was able to work these things What Emperour by force euer preuailed so much what strength could euer shake down so mightie idols from their seate What hand of man could subdue and coÌ„quer the whole world make such mighty nations confesse they had done amisse This did the Lord bring to passe by the power of his word and the breath of his mouth This was it y t lead captiuiâ—ie captiue threw downe euery high thing that lifted it self vp against the Lorde brought all powers vnder subiection vnto the Lord It is the image the power the arme y e sword and the glorie of God It is mightie of great force and vertue of authoritie and maiestie because it is the worde of God therefore the glorie thereof is great Now let vs stand a farre of and humble our selues and in reuerence and feare learne to take the fruite and comfort of the same for so is the wil of God that we may be partakers of his glorie But where shal we finde enterance into this matter And howe shall we bée able to come a land For this is the Sea and the depth of all the workes of the iudgementes and mercies of the kingdome of God This is a Sea that hath no shore a pit that hath no botome The holy Scriptures are the mercie seate the registry of the mysteries of God our Chartre for the life to come the holy place in which God sheweth him selfe to the people the Mount Ston where God hath appointed to dwel for euer The more comfort in theÌ„ so much the more gréedily let vs desire them the more heauenly and glorious they are with so much the more reuerence let vs come vnto them For consideration of this mater of the fruite comfort which God worketh by the worde what may we better call to minde than that is réecorded by S. Paul Whatsoeuer thinges are written aforetime are written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope All that is writteÌ„ in the word of God is not writteÌ„ for Angels or Archangels or heauenly Spirites but for the sonnes of men for vs and for our instruction that by them we may receiue strength and comfort in all aduersities and haue hope of the life to come It is the word of God God openeth his mouth and speaketh to vs to guide vs into all truth to make vs full and readie in all good workes that we may be perfect men in Christ Iesus so rooted and grounded in him that we bee not tost to and fro with euery tempest The profite which the worde of God bringeth shal best apeare if we first take a viewe of our estate what we are in what place we stande what enemies make force against vs. We are y e sons of Adam stubborne children the children of vanitie and of wrath The châ—ldren of those fathers which forsooke God and haue erred in their hearts were deceiued God which created man breathed into him the breath of life saith The imagination of mans heart is euill from his youth Such are we eueÌ„ by the iudgment of God and his iudgement faileth not What errour what idol what wickednes euer hath bene heard which hath not bene forged and wrought in the heart of man wée can neither doe nor speake nor thinke the thing that is good our vnderstanding is heauie our will froward our eyes blinde and our heart vncleane We go astray through this worlde as lost shéepe euery man after his owne way Euen as a leafe is caried vp and downe with a blast of winde so are we easily driueÌ„ into errour in our selues we finde no stay no succour nor helpe Such are we and so weake of our selues But where are we in the world And what is the world Some thinke it to be a place full of all delights and pleasures a goodly strong and gorgious palace and a paradise of ioy Let no man deceiue vs nay rather let vs not deceiue our selues the world is a shoppe of vanities it is a dungeon of darkenesse a potte full of poyson a shippe full of leakes a way full of snares It blindeth our eyes beguileth our senses and helpeth vs forwarde into all daungers We are blinde our selues and the place wherein we are is nothing els but darkenesse Wherunto may I resemble our case Ieremy the Prophet was cast into a duÌ„geon There he sate without light and without comfort His case was miserable and the place lothsome yet he knew where he was he knew what he lacked he cryed vnto the Lord and was deliuered Daniel was cast into the den of Lions there to bee torne in péeces and deuoured But he sawe his misery and the daunger in which he stoode he sawe the Lions the pawes which shoulde gripe him and the téeth which shoulde teare him His case was miserable yet is ours more miserable We are in the déepe dungeon of hel and think we are in safetie we are in the middest of darkenesse and thinke it to be light we are compassed with Lioâ—s with Dragons and Scorpions yet think not of our miserie Who hath not heard the story of Ionas Ionas was in a Whales belly The place was very darke the waues beat on euery side he was drowned yet touched no water he was swallowed vp yet not consumed he liued without any sense of life the fish was his death y â— sea was death the tempest was death yet he died not but liued in the mids of death he could not sée he could not heare he knew not to whom he might call for helpe hée was taken carried away he knew not whether Let vs marke well this storie it is a true pattern of our estate sheweth what our life is in this worlde We are beset w t like dangers we are driuen w t teÌ„pests we are drowned in like flouds we liue in y e middest of horrible darknes we are caried we know not whether The Philosopher telleth vs trueth falsehode are nigh neighbors and dwell one by the other the vtter porch of y e one is like the porch of the other yet their way is contrarie the one leadeth to life the other leadeth to death they differ little to the shew saue that oft times the dore of falshod is faire painted grauen and beautifully adorned but the dore or fore front of trueth is plaine and homely Therby it hapneth that men be deceiued they mistake the dore and goe into errors house wheÌ„ they séeke truth They call euill good falsehoode truth darkenesse light They forsake that is good deny the truth and loue not the light This moued S. Paul to say of his brethren the Iewes I beare them
theirs and the writings of others that we should so read them credite them as they agréed with the worde of God Hoc genus literarum non cum credendi necessitate sed cum iudicandi libertate legendum est This kinde of writings is to bee read not with a necessitie of beleeuing them but with a libertie to iudge of thē S. Paul saith though that we or an Angel from heauen preach vnto you otherwise than that which we haue preached vnto you let him bee accursed Out of which place S. Augustine speaketh thus Siue de Christo siue de eius Ecclesia siue de re quacunque alta quae pertinet ad fidem vitamque nostram non dicam si nos sed si Angelus de caelo nobis annuntiauerit praeter quam quod in Scripturis legaltbus Euangelicis accepistis anathema sit Whether it be of Christ or of his Church or of any thing else whatsoeuer perteining either to our life or to our faith I will not say if I my selfe but if an Angel from heauen shall teach vs otherwise than ye haue receiued in the bookes of the lawe and in the Gospels hold him accursed Now to conclude this matter y e same father saith Ecclesiastici iudices vt homines plerumque falluntur The iudges or Doctours of the Church as men are often deceiued They are learned they haue preheminence in the Church they are Iudges they haue the giftes of wisedome and vnderstanding yet they are often deceiued They are our fathers but not fathers vnto God they are stars faire and beautifull and bright yet they are not the Sunne they beare witnesse of the light they are not the light Christ is the Sunne of righteousnesse Christ is the light which lighteneth euery man that commeth into this worlde His word is the word of truth He is the day-spring which hath visited vs from an high he came downe from the bosome of his father he shal guide our féete into the way of peace Of him God the father spake This is my welbeloued sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him He is the Lambe without spot out of his mouth goeth a two edged sworde This is he in whom all the endes of the world shalbe blessed heare him giue héed to his saying embrace his gospel beleue his worde Thus much touching the credite and authoritie which is to be giuen to the writings of auncient fathers S. Paul speaking of the worde of God saith The whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to improue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse To teach the truth to improue falshoode to correct all vice to instruct in all vertue Again I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christe for it is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleueth S. Basil saith The Scripture of God is like an Apothecaries shoppe ful of medicines of sundrie sortes that euery man may there chuse a conuenient medicine for his desease There are salues and ointmentes to cure all maladies Whosoeuer can not be cured by the word of God his disease is growne desperate and past cure Many thinke the Apostles spéech is hardly true of the whole Scripture that all and euery part of the Scripture is profitable Much is spokē of genealogies and petidegrees of lepers of sacrificing goates and oxen c. these séeme to haue litle profit in them but to be vaine and idle If they shewe vaine in thine eyes yet hath not the Lord set them downe in vaine The wordes of the Lorde are pure wordes as the siluer tried in a fornace of earth fined seuen times There is no sentence no clause no worde no syllable no letter but it is written for thy instruction there is not one iote but it is sealed and signed with the bloude of the Lambe Our imaginations are idle our thoughts are vaine there is no idlenesse no vanitie in the worde of God Those Oxen and Goates which were sacrificed teach thée to kill and sacrifice the vncleannesse and filthinesse of thy hart they teach thée that thou art guiltie of death when thy life must be redéemed by the death of some beaste they leade thée to beléeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes by a more perfect sacrifice because it was not possible that the bloud of Bulles and Goates should take away sinnes That leprousie teacheth thée to know the vncleannesse leprousie of thy soule Those Genealogies and Petidegrees leade vs to the Birth of our Sauiour Christ. So that the whole worde of God is pure and holye No worde no letter no syllable no poynte or pricke thereof but is written and preserued for thy sake Art thou a King Reade the Scriptures thou shalt finde who hath stablished thyne estate and what dutie thou owest to God God there telleth thée By me Kings rule Princes decree iustice I haue giuen thée authority thou cariest my sworde I haue put a crowne vpon thy head thou art my seruant walke before me let thy heart bée perfecte in my sight Art thou a subiect Reade the Scriptures they will teach thée to knowe thy dutie There Paul biddeth thée giue tribute to whom tribute custom to whom custome feare to whome feare honour to whom honor is due Ye must be subiect not because of wrath onely but for conscience sake For he beareth not the sworde for naught for he is the Minister of God to take vengeaunce on him that doth euil Art thou a Minister Read the Scriptures they will teach thée thy duty The Prophet saith to thée Cry aloud spare not lift vp thy voice like a trumpet shew my people their trāsgressions The Apostle sayth vnto thée Preach the word be instant in season and out of season Watch in all things doe the worke of an Euangelist make thy ministerye fully knowen Thou shalt giue an acompt for the soules of the people their bloud shal bée required at thy hands Art thou a Father hast thou children Reade the Scriptures they will teach thée if thou haue sonnes instruct them Againe Hee that teacheth his sonne grieueth the enemie and before his friends he shall reioyce of him Giue him no libertie in his youth and winke not at his folie Chastise thy childe and bee diligent therein least his shame grieue thee Ely the Prophet by sparing his wanton children cast away himselfe and his children They were slaine the Arke of God was taken and olde Ely fel downe and brake his necke Art thou a Child hast thou a Father Reade the Scriptures they wil teache thée Children obey your Parents in the Lorde for this is right Honour thy father mother whiche is the first commandement with promise that it may bee wel with thee and that thou maiest lyue long on earthe And agayne Chyldren obey youre Parentes in all thinges for it is wel-pleasing vnto the Lord. The wise man