doctrine be such as refuse publick places in the Church and Common-wealth and retire themselues into priuate and discontented coursâ—s and will not be imployed for the publicke because they pretend the daies are euill and many sores in our bodie incurable vnlesse there bee other order taken for their healing To these men I would say but two words 1. Are the daies euill the more need haue they to be ameÌ„ded by each ones helping hand And if we haue any wounds in Church or State more cause hath each one that loues the peace and health of Ierusalem to indeuour the present healing therof least they fester and growe worse But secondly are the times euill Nay are they not made euil by thee at least are they not the worse for thee and thy sinnes Who can shew his face and saie I haue committed no sins that may be in part a cause to bring downe the spirituall and corporall plagues that are amongst vs Then what are they that are so busie to complaine of the times and so slacke to complain of their sins But it is a trick of hypocrisie to be so eagle eied in prying into the illnesse of the times so blind and dull in considering his owne sinnes the cause of all that ill Thou therfore contrariwise out of a holy and humbled heart confess that seeing thy sins haue made the times worse then els they would haue bin therfore thou hast cause to endeuor for thy part to make them better Then set thy shoulder to the burthen and put thy necke to the yoke remembring that euen Babel it selfe is not to be forsaken till it be altogether incurable past all hope But being incurable as here the text saith she is therfore saith the church Let vs forsake her And now Babel being forsakeÌ„ of the Church what remaines to be expected nothing but vengeance and destruction For her iudgement is come vp vnto heauen c. The 4. point IN these words is laid downe the last point namely what becomes of Babel when being incurable shee is forsaken by the Church she is made ready for iudgement and destruction Here we may learne amongst many others 2. most worthy doctrines First what the wicked get by persecuting and banishing and seeking to roote out Gods children surely eueÌ„ nothing but the hastening of their own destructioÌ„ The Babylonians cared not for the Israelites company but as soone as they were gone destruction came vpon Babell Whilst they stay the wicked are spared but wheÌ„ they are gone vengeance breaks out Whilst Lot was in Sodom it perished not Nay saith the Angell to him haste thee awaie for I can do nothing till thou be safe from amongst them u Gen. 19. 22 See God the good King is more carefull to saue one of his own seruants then to destroy a thousand enemies but see their madnesse they mocked and flowted this Lot scorned him as a stranger and many waies grieued his righteous soule were weary of him and his company and tryed euery waie to make him wearie of the Towne for they held it worse as long as he was in it at last they haue their wills and hee forsakes them but with him their protection is gone and now fire and brimstone falls from heauen on them So at this day do the wicked and worldly men whom hate they whom accuse they whom abuse they whom lie they in waite for whom persecute they whom would they destroie whom banish they whom are they weary of but of the godly men When they die they bid them be gone and wish that all were gone after them not knowing poor fools that if these men stood not in the gap the fire of Gods wrath had long since brokeÌ„ out vpoÌ„ them and when they are gone then they are well apayed and are glad But alas what haue they gayned euen as much as Sodom did when they had cast out Lot Secondly we may here learn what a feareful dangerous thing it is not to be healed by spiritual Physick that is not to profit by the word of God nor to bee conuerted from sinne when God giues meanes For what is this but an euident testimony of Gods heauie wrath and a certaine foreruÌ„ner of damnation Wil not BabyloÌ„ be healed then what followes but destruction So in the newe Testament if our Gospell be hid saith Paul it is hid froÌ„ them that perish w 1. Cor. 4. 3 For as if at noon day any man say the sunne shines not it is because hee is blinded and cannot see so if in the sun-shine of the Gospell some see it not but in the midst of that light liue in darknesse its certaine they are blinded by Sathan and if they continue so are marked vp for iust damnation A fearfull example we haue hereof in the sonnes of Eli of whom the Text sayth their Father hearing of all the euil they did called them and reproued them and gaue them good and ghostly counsell able a man would haue thought to haue turned their hearts especially comming from a Father and from him that was the Iudge and Prophet of the Church But all in vaine for notwithstanding they obayed not the voice of their father and mark the reason because the Lord would slay them Whereby its apparant that there is not ordinarily a surer signe of a reprobate then not to obey the voice and word of God nor to profit by those meanes that God giues a man for his conuersion A matter of speciall vse to our Church which hath so long enioyed the Gospell but to you of this Citie especially who haue long and liberally been fed from heauen with abundance and variety of spiritual food Therfore euery one looke to thy selfe how thou profitest by these good means For be assured if any congregation or particular man haue vse of the meanes profiteth not but runneth on hardned in his sinnes it is because he is a vessel of Gods wrath and prepared for damnation but contrariwise he that heareth and yeeldeth and obeieth and repenteth it is an vndoubted pledge to him of his saluation layed vp in heauen assuredly for him Therfore let euery one take heed for otherwise his lot will be like Babylons of whome we here finde that because all meanes vsed to conuert her were in vaine therefore she is now iustly destroied and remains a monument of misery and a spectacle of Gods iustice to all posterities x Read for this end the 50. and 51. Chapt. of Ieremie and other places of the Prophets Thus concerning the literall Babylon wee haue heard 1. How Israel would haue cured her 2. How she will not be healed 3. How therfore she is forsakeÌ„ of the Church And 4. How being past cure shee is therefore destroyed And hauing thus performed the first part of my task namely touching the old literall Babell it now remaines that we come to the Mysticall Babylon in and concerning whom all these 4. are as true
her pollution Therefore let the holy Ghost make the conclusion and giue vs our last lesson Go out of her Reuel 18. 4. my people and be not partakers of her sinnes lest you receiue of her plagues From both which good Lord deliuer vs. Amen And thus much for the kingdome of Antichrist There is also another mysticall Babylon and that is the kingdome of sinne the throne whereof is in this world for hell is the place of execution rather then of sinning of this also is this text verified for we do naturally without grace so loue this world that though we find it miserable and confused yet by our sensualitie and daily deuising and practising new pleasures we endeuour to heale it and to make it a paradise and they that are bewitched with it would here set vp their rests But when all is done that can be it cannot be healed but it is still a very Babel of confusion and disorder a miserable world a vale of teares and a sea of trouble and turmoile to whosoeuer hath the sweetest portion of it Therefore though we be in it yet let vs vse it as though wee 1. Cor 7. 31. vsed it not let vs not set our hearts vpon but let vs forsake it and goe euery one to his owne countrie that is to our blessed inheritance the kingdome of heauen that is a Christian mans countrie for as for this world her sinnes are so vile that her iudgement is gone vp vnto heauen and God will assuredly destroy it But there is a better world euen an inheritance immortall 1. Pet. 1. 4. vndefiled that fadeth not which is reserued in heauen for vs hereof wee are borne heires by grace in Christ Therefore forsaking the wicked Babylon of this world in our hearts and affections seeing it is past cure let vs aspire after that and long to haue our parts in it Now there are also besides these two great Babels certaine other little pettie Babylons namely incurable sinnes amongst vs which are Babels or at least daughters of Babylon and sprigs of that cursed roote As 1. That great sacriledge and Church-robbing committed by Impropriations in which case at this day almost halfe of this kingdome is whereby it comes to passe aboue any other one meanes that an ignorant and vnteaching Ministerie is set ouer a great part of our people which is the sourse fountaine of all other euils in our Church this is a deep wound yet once was it curable enough namely when the Abbies were first dissolued and since was it curable enough but now alas how incurable it is and by the craftie plots of the diuell how incurable it is made more and more hee obserues but little that sees not Oh happie he that can say in his conscience I would haue cured this daughter of Babel and happie also hee though not so much that hath had no hand in making this wound incurable such plots and deuices arise out of hell and heauen will confound them though the earth for a time beare the burthen of them Meane time vnlesse the Kings Maiestie vouchsafe to take the matter into his hands and to heale the wounds that he neuer made otherwise it is incurable or as the Kings euill to be healed by none but by a King till then wee may say with griefe of heart It is an impe of Babylon that will not be healed 2. The vngodly Playes and Enterludes so rife in this nation what are they but a bastard of Babylon a daughter of error and confusion a hellish deuice the diuels owne recreation to mock at holy things by him deliuered to the Heathen from them to the Papists and from them to vs Of this euill and plague the Church of God in all ages can say truly and with a good conscience wee would haue healed her The ancient Fathers in the time of the Primitiue Church spared no paines to discouer the vilenesse and vnlawfulnes of them g 〈…〉 tullian Cyprian Chrysostome c. in these latter daies many holy and learned men haue laboured by preaching writing and conferring to haue healed them and neuer was there Diuine of note and learning that I know that durst so farre prostitute his credite as to write for them They know all this and that God accounts it abomination for a man to Deut. 22. 5. put on womans apparell and that the ancient Fathers expound that place against them h Cyprian Chrysost Sexta Synod in Trull Can. 62. they know that Cyprian resolued being asked the question i Cyprian in Epistola 61. Oh that all Players would reade that Epistle and regard it that a Player ought not to come to the Lords table and that hee that teacheth children to play is not an instructor but a spoiler and destroyer of children they know they haue no calling but are in the State like warts on the hand or blemishes in the face they know that therefore they are faine to shroud themselues vnder such shelters as at the houre of death and day of iudgement will proue but figge leaues they know they are defended with the same arguments as the stewes in Rome bee and little better defence can be made for them being as they are All this they are daily made to know but all in vaine they be children of Babylon that will not bee healed nay they grow worse and worse for now they bring religion and holy things vpon the stage no maruel though the worthiest and mightiest men escape not when God himselfe is so abused Two hypocrites must be brought foorth and how shall they be described but by these names Nicolas S. Antlings In a Church in London euerie day in the weeke prayers and a Sermon at sixe 〈…〉 e in the 〈…〉 ning a â—â—â—ssed and rare example Simon S. Maryoueries Thus hypocrisie a child of hell must beare the names of two Churches of God and two wherein Gods name is called on publikely euery day in the yeere and in one of them his blessed word preached euerie day an example scarce matchable in the world yet these two wherin Gods name is thus glorified and our Church and State honoured shall bee by these miscreants thus dishonoured and that not on the stage only but euen in print Oh what times are wee cast into that such a wickednesse should passe vnpunished I speake nothing of their continuall prophanenesse in their phrases and sometime Atheisme and blaphemie nor of their continuall prophaning of the Sabbath which generally in the countrie is their play day and oftentimes Gods diuine seruice hindred or cut shorter to make roome and giue time for the diuels seruice Are they thus incurable then happie hee that puts to his hand to pull downe this tower of Babel this daughter of confusion happie he that helpes to heale this wound in our State but most happie that Magistrate who like zealous Phinehes takes some iust vengeance on that publike dishonour laid vpon our Churches But if we be negligent in this cause of God then hee himselfe will take the matter into his owne hand whose Church whose religion whose holy ordinances and most holie name are daily prophaned by them for as their iniquities are hainous and their basphemies against heauen so doubtlesse their iudgement is gone vp vnto heauen and lifted vp vnto the cloudes So wishing their repentance I proceed 3. The horrible abuse of the Sabbath day in this citie and ouer this kingdome in some places by Faires and Markets by May-games and Moricedencers by Wakes and Feasts in all places almost by buying selling bargaining in this citie by cariages in and out by selling betimes in the morning and after dinner by playing in the streetes and in the fields Oft hath this bin complained of and some haue endeuoured to heale it but it is an Impe of Babylon that will not be healed but rather it creepes as a canker thorow our whole State from the foot to the head But let vs take heed for it will eate out the heart and life of a State euen this one sinne Did not our fathers Ierem. 17. thus saith noble Nehemiah and therfore God brought Nehem. vlt. all this euill vpon vs See captiuitie destruction and desolation of a goodly and flourishing setled kingdome for the publike prophaning of the Sabbath O therfore happy he that puts to his helping hands to heale this wound which yet is curable enough if we would do our duties for the Commandement The fourth CoÌ„mandement is thou all within thy gates keep my Sabbath Now who is there within this Realme but is within the gates of the Kings house who within this Citie but within the gates of the L. Maior who any where but is of some mans familie and within some mans gates If then Fathers and Magistrates would looke to all within their gates this sinne could not bee so grieuous this wound not so wide and desperate as it is Therefore you my L. Maior bee exhorted to attempt the healing of this wound in your yeare set before your eyes the noble example of worthie Nehemiah it will excite you to this holy dutie and Nehem. then at the end of your yeare you may with the comfort of a good conscience say with him Remember Nehem. vlâ— 19 me O my God in goodnesse according to all that I haue done for this people But if wee still neglect this cause of God and suffer his Sabbath daily thus to be prophaned then let vs look for nothing but continuance and increase of these grieuous plagues that haue so long lien vpon vs and let vs be assured God will take the matter into his owne hands and some way or other get himself glorie vpon vs for he will lose his honor at no mans hand but whosoeuer will not glorifie him in his conuersion he will glorifie his owne name vpon him in his confusion which heauie iudgement that God may turne from vs let vs turne to him c. FINIS
she be not theÌ„ how she can be the true Church which is so wounded and will not be healed If they doe not teach and practice so I will yeeld the Cause And hee that can shew me that either she is healed since or beeing not healed how she can be the true Church I shall willingly heare him and thank him I desire all that professe themselues Papists or their fauourers not to be so wilfull as to condemne what they know not but onely to giue it reading and then iudge as they see cause Wright in his Articles layeth to our charge many strange Paradoxes as that wee are all Atheists and Infidels by our doctrine that wee are bounde by our doctrine to doe no good workes and many such And Kellison in his Survaies thrusts vpon vs that wee deny Christ to bee the onely Sauiour and Judge of quicke and dead and many such abhominations all which we renounce and detest yet do what we can we must haue them layd vpon vs and our Writers teachers haue their speeches wrung and wrested beyond their meaning to make them sound that way I dare appeale to the iudgement of Gods Church and all Iudicious Readers heereof that I haue not done so with them nor taken vantage of their words when it 's apparant they meant otherwise but charged theÌ„ onely with such points of doctrine and practice as themselues cannot deny but to be their owne and that not of one or two but for the most part generally received Commending it to thy reading and my selfe to thy prayers I leaue vs all to Gods blessing At the Temple May 21. 1608. Thy brother in the Lord W. Crashawe The names of the Popish Authors produced in this Treatise together with the impressions heere vsed A. AQuinatis summa Ven. 509 Idem Antuerp 85. Fr. Agricola de verbo dei c. Leod. 97. 8 Cor. Agrippa de vanitate scient B. BReuiarium RomanuÌ„ vetust Idem 92. 4 Bernardini de Busto Manuale Lugd. 511. 4 Idem Colon. 607. 4 Bellarmini opera Ingolst 601. fol. Bernardi Morlanensis poemata 607. 8 Brigittae reuelationes 517. Nuremb fol. Bonauenturae opera Romae Cl. Bonarscij Amphitheatrum honoris c. 605. 4 C. Geo. Cassandri Consultatio Covarruvias variarum resolutio num Corpus Iuris Canonâ—ci per Greg. 13. Lugd. 91. 4 Idem cum glossis edit vetust 507. 510 Constitutiones Pont. Rom. per Pet. Mathaeum Lugd. 88 Caeremoniale Romanum Aug. Taur 602. 4 Capella in Ieremiam Tarracon 86. 4 Coccij thesaurus catholicus Col. 99. fol. Costeri Enchiridion controuersiarum c. Col. 600. 8 Alp. Ciaconus Apologia pro Traiano c. Ro. Caietanus in Aquinatis summaÌ„ Ant. 68. fol. â—h de Combis compendium theologicae verit Lugd. 79 B. Corradus Quaestiones cas cons Ven. 600. 4 H. Cuickij speculum concubinariorum c. Lov. 600. 8. D Decretalium sextus St. Durantus de ritibus ecclesiae catholicae Ro. 918 E D. Erasmiopera Bas 4. fol. Espencaeus in TituÌ„ Par. 68. Idem de Continentia 4. F. Io. Ferrariensis Practica Papiensis Feuardentius in Petrum 600. homiliae Par. 605 Firmamenta trium ord S. FraÌ„cisci Par. 512. 4 G I. de Graffijs decis aureae cas cons 604. 4 Ado. Gualandus de morali facultate Ro. 603. fol. Gregorius de Valentia Ingolst 98. fol. Ia. Gretserus de Cruce Ib idem 60. 4 Anas Germonius de sacroruÌ„ immunitatibus Ro. 91 Io. Gersonis opera fol. H D. Hessi Synodus protestaÌ„tium Graeciae Stir 93. 8 Heskins his parliament Ant. 66. fol. Hosij opera Col. 84. fol. I Io. Chrysost a visitatione de verbis dominae Ven. 600. 4 Index librorum prohibitorum Clem. 8. 97 L Liber Conformitatum beati FraÌ„cisci c. Bon. 90. fol. Litaniae preces pro fide Catholica in Anglia c. Ro. 603 Liber voc exercitium Christianae piet c. Col. 92 M Missalia vetust noua edit 905 fol. Magnum speculum exemploruÌ„ Duaci 605. 4 Monumenta ordinis Minorum Salmant 511. 4. N Nauarri Enchiridion Wirce 93 O Onuphrius de praecipuis vrbis Ecclesijs Col. 84 Oleaster in Pentateuchum Ant. 68. fol. P Posseuini Apparatus sacer Ven 603 fol. Pontificale Romanum vetust Ven. 520. fol. Idem Romae 1595. fol. Proctor his way home to Christ 8 Pistorius contra Mentzerum Peraldi summa virt vit Ant. 71. 8 Alb. Pighius de controv in Com. Ratispon 42. 49. 8 R Rhemes testameÌ„t at Rhemes 82 S D. Stapleton doctrin princip Par. 79. fol. Simancae Institutiones cathol Vallisol 55. fol. T Tolleti instructio sacerdotum Ant. 603. 8 H. Tursellinus de virgine lauretana Mog 601. 8 V Viualdi Candelabrum aureum Brix 95. 4 Vincentij ferrariensis prognosticon 4. Vasquez de cultu adorationis Mog 601. 8 W Watsons quodlibets 4 Z Lae. Zecchius Summa moralis theologiae de casibus conscieÌ„tiae Brix 98. 4 Ludouicus Viues de causis corruptionis artium Catalogus reliquiaruÌ„ Indulgentiarum in 7. Ecclesiis vrbis Manuscript Other Authors alledged not popish or but in part Augustinus Concilia per Crab. Col. 57. fol. Eadem per Bininum Col. 606. fol. CaÌ„bedeni Britannia Lond. 607 Colloquium RatisboneÌ„se 4. 600 Epistolae Iesuiticae 601. 8. Euangelium Romanum 600. 8 Centum grauamina Germanorum 4. Hospinianus de Templis Tig. 603. fol. Harmonie of confessions 4. Zuinglius Cyprianus A SERMON PREAched at the Crosse IEREMIAH 51. We would haue cured Babel but shee would not be healed let vs forsake her and goe euery one into his owne countrey for her iudgement is come vp into heauen and lifted vp to the cloudes THis is not spoken in person of the Angelles that were set ouer Babylon as some think a Dion Carthus in hoc cap Hoc secundum GlossaÌ„ est verbum Angelorum sanctoruÌ„ qui ad custodiaÌ„ Babylonis fuerunt delegati quasi dicerent curare voluimus Babylonem sed non est sanata c. Et idem ipse Carthus tenet in moralitate eiusdeÌ„ capitis for Angells haue no charge of curing mens soules they mourn for mens sinnes and reioyce at their conuersion b Lu 15. 7. 10. they guarde their bodies c Psal 34 7 and carry their soules to heauen d Luke 16. 22 but the curing and conuerting of the soule hath God delegated to his Prophets being men like our selues that so he might make man to loue man seeing he hath made man a sauer of man Neither is it the speech and protestation of hypocriticall and fained friends who say thus to Babel to make a great boast of their little loue tho some hold so whose iudgement otherwise is of great respecte e Zuinglius in annot suis â—uper complan in Ierem. super haec verba for the reason heere giuen is too good and the cause too diuine to proceede from a profane heart Her iudgement say they is come vp to heauen c. But rather it seemeth to
for them Such men might remember the blessed Apostle who kept back nothing but taught not in Courts and Palaces and great house 〈◊〉 but through euery house n Acts. 20. 20. ver 31. ver 26 and that he ceased not to w 〈…〉 euery one stood vpon it boldly that hee was cleere from the bloud of all men see not some but all and in another place expounding himselfe sayth his continuall course is to witnesse Gods will both to small and great o Act. 26. 22 He that lookes for Pauls reward at Gods hand must thus behaue himselfe to Gods people remembring his account is not for trifles but for soules and to that God who hath told vs afore hand Euery soule is mine p Ezech. 18. 4 The good father of the family must learn here not himself and his wife only but to see that his children and seruants those not some of the chiefe but all euen the meanest may know serue God Such a man was Abraham he was not carefull for Isaac alone his deere sonne the sonne of the beloued but oh sayth he to God that euen Ishmael might liue in thy sight q Gen. 17. 18 and therfore God becomes Abrahams suretie he giues his word for him I knowe Abraham that he will not looke to some of his principall officers but commaund not this sonne or that daughter but his sonnes and his family to keep the way of the Lord r Gen. 18. 19 yet in Abrahams house were 318. persons born and brought vp c. ſ Gen. 14. 14 More shame for the great men of this age both in City country who though they be great daily plot to be greater yet keepe they not so great houses and families as Abraham did in whose families many of their inferiour officers and seruants doe scarce euer come to Church and much more shame to some parents who being blessed of God with many childrē do partially respect some of them seeke their good of soule and body neglect others who it may be are more worthy what would they do if they were profane vndutiful Ishmaels when they are so vnmindful respectless euen of such as be holy dutiful Isaacs but let such children cōfort themselues in this that God their better father and best friend is no respecter of persons These are the ordinary faults of fathers and mothers in these daies but assuredly those that be heires of Abrahams faith t Gal. 3. 7 wil distribute their loue to euery one care for the soule of their meanest seruants take order in their families that all their officers euery day at least in their course may go to Church their very kitchin-boies horse-boyes may learne to knowe the God of their saluation u 1. C 〈…〉 ◠9 that so he may be able to say with a good conscience I found my family a confused Babell of disorder profaneness but I haue heartily endeuored to make it a little Church tho my family be great yet there is not one whō I would not haue healed Thus they would haue healed al but where began they whom did they desire to win first principally certainly the greatest as namely the K. Counsellers of State This course took Daniel in whō more then in any one this prophecy was fulfilled who after he had done the business for which the K. sent for him then fel he to the business of God wherof is spoken in this text namely to see if he could heal the king ô King saith he thou art a king but there is a higher know know that the heauens bear rule Wherefore ô King let my counsell be acceptable vnto thee breake of thy sinnes by repentance c. Lo let there be a healing of thine errour w Dan 4. 24. Well knew Daniel that if once the King would abandon his Idolatrie and imbrace the truth easily would the people be induced to follow him So where euer is true reformation either of errors in doctrine or corruption in manners it must begin at the highest els it will be to little purpose To little effect were it in the natural body to heale the hand and foote when the head is deadly sicke but heale the head first and then more easily the body will be cured So in the spirituall bodie how should Babel be healed when the King will not how should they become Christian when the king persists a heathen euen so in our State how shal poperie be extinguisht how shall vain swearing wantonness profaning of the Sabboth bribery and other the sins of this age be reformed in the body of the people if they be suffred to harbor in the court to creep into the Kings priuy Chamber Priuate persons will hardly be brought to esteem those to be sinnes that are the common practices of great persons Therefore wee haue cause to blesse God for giuing vs such a King as hath care of religion and who in his owne person is an enemie to poperie a detester of wantonnesse and iniustice and manie vile sinnes too commonly found in persons of his place And let vs not cease to pray that GOD would confirme him in all goodnesse and that he may still goe on with Dauid to reforme the sinnes of the greatest and them that are neerest him for when a King sayth No wicked person shall serue me nor abide in my sight then all wicked workers wil easily be destroyed out of the land x Ps 101. see the whole psalme If this had been in Babel she had been cured but the want of this was the cause of that that followeth But shee could not be healed The 2. point HItherto we haue spoken of the first generall point namely the louing and holy care of Israel They would haue cured Babell Now followes the second that is the ill issue of their labors caused by the obstinate malice of the Babylonians She wold not be healed some read she could not be healed som she is not healed all to one end for he that wil not be healed is not nay cannot be healed for God heals no man conuerts no man saues no man against his wil therfore he that wil not be healed cannot be healed and so Babel is incurable because she contemned the meane and would not be healed The godly Israelites did all they could but the Babylonians had their answere as ready as now haue the papists Think you you seely Israelites that you are able to teach Babylon a better religion then it hath is not hers of so many and so many years continuance was it not the religion our forefathers liued and dyed in and is it not generall and vniuersall ouer the world and yours but in a corner and is not ours visible and dooth it not prosper and flourish and is not yours condemned by the consent of all the world and you for holding it iustly ouerthrowen and
the aduantage of the Romish cause and sayth that hereby wee may see what a perillous thing it is for Lay people to read the Scriptures But with his leaâ—e hereby we may see what a filthie heart and vile estimation popish doctors haue of the holy Scriptures who hearing their disciples thus horribly blaspheme them and God in them do not reproue it but make vse of it nor burie and quench them but write and publish them rather with an approbation then any detestation of them But will you heare his owne wordes and his owne iudgement not related from others as these but vttered out of his owne heart How little incitement to vertue appeareth to bee in the songes of Salomon yea rather how vngodly and wanton seeme they to bee in the outward face rather teaching and prouoking I craue pardon of all Christian cares Wantonnesse then godlinesse and what can the vnlearned finde or vnderstand in many sentences any thing to edification of godly life or rather a prouocation to wanton life And after certaine sentences alledged hee concludes The whole booke is no better like vnto these saith hee is all that booke You haue heard how the proueâ—bes were disgraced in the glosse vpon the decretalls and here the Canticles Now that Salomon may not haue one book left in credite Heskins i Vide approbationem laudem huius autoris libri apud Possev in appar sacro to 3. lit T. verbo Thomas Hardingus addeth touching Ecclesiastes What may appeare more vehement to disswade a man from wisedome then the booke of the Preacher how much is wisedome the goodly gift of God abused to appearaunce in this booke k Heskins in the same book and Chapter And to conclude of another booke which they holde also to be canonicall scripture and some of them to be Salomons hee sayth that The booke of Ecclesiasticus seemeth to haue such vnseemely wordes in it as an honest man would bee ashamed to speake them and I also sayeth hee would bee ashamed to write them if they were not Scripture l Heskins a little after in the same chapter If the wordes bee as immodest as hee pretendes they bee then why doe they holde such a booke to be Scripture and if they holde it to bee Scripture then how dare a Christian man say that it hath such speeches in it as an honest man would bee ashamed to speake or write I leaue this for them to aunswere in the meane time I go forward Not longe after comes Hosius a greate Doctor of theirs and after a Cardinall and writes thus m Hosius editionis vlt. tom 20. lib. de expresso dei verbo pag. 5. Pronuntiamus non verbum dei sed scripturam pendere ad authoritate testimonio approbatione Ecclesiae quae non aliter verbum esse dei censeri debet nisi quatenus ecclesiae fuerit autoritate coÌ„probata The word of God of it selfe doth not but as it is written in the Scriptures it dependeth on the authoritie testimonie and approbation of the Church and it ought no otherwise nor no further to bee esteemed the worde of God then as farre foorth as it is approued by the authority of the Church Lo what doctrine here is for hence it followeth that therefore if the Church should not allowe the newe Testament it were not scripture Put all these together and then it will soone appeare how pitifully this wound is healed Nay further if the time and present occasion would giue leaue to looke into their latter and moderne writers wee should see by the last and latest of all this wound is so farre from being healed that it rankles further and deeper euen like an incurable leprosie that cannot bee healed but let it suffice to name some of the Authors and referre the learned Reader to them n Pistoriuâ— cont Mentz disp 1. Stapleton lib. 9. doct princip cap. 14. Bellar. tom 1. Controv. 1. lib. 4. cap. 4. Fran. Agricola de verbo dei scripto non scripto cap. 7 cap. 9. Perouu de incertitudine c. scripturaruÌ„ And let vs go forward to another wound They taught the People in olde time namely for two or three hundred yeares past that Images were good laye mens bookes and euen then when they denied them the scripture as vnfit for them and obscure dangerous for seducing them to heresies were Images allowed and coÌ„mended vnto them as good meanes of Instruction 13 The seaueÌ„th wound Images are good laye mens bookes Some three hundred years ago liued a Frier called Gulielmus Peraldus learned for that time and well approued o Guliel Peraldus ord praed postea Epistola Lugdunens scripsit inter alia summa virtutuÌ„ vitiorum pervtilem illaÌ„ quidem coÌ„modam concionatoribus quae saepius est recusa haec Possev appar sac to 1. lit G. of their Moderne Censurers hee writes thus As the Scriptures are the bookes and containe the learning of the Clergie so Images and the scripture are the learning and bookes of laye men p Guliel Peraldus Summa virt vit tom 1. cap. 3. vt scripturae literae sunt Clericorum sic scriptura sculptura literae sunt laicorum Lo here how Images are associated and ioyned with the Bible Search the scripture saith Christ look on them and on Images sayth the Pope how readest thou saieth Christ what seest thou saith the Pope It is written sayeth Christ it is painted and grauen sayeth the Pope thy worde sayeth Dauid is my light not the golden Châ—rubins but nowe sayeth Poperie euen in the newe Testament the scriptures and Images are laye mens lights What a wronge is this to GOD and what an iniurie to his worde But is this healed Oh that it were but let the reader iudge by that that followeth 14 The seauenth wound not healed but made worse and worse One of their greatest Casuists Laelius Zecchius a great Diuine a famous Lawyer and of late yeares Penitentiarie of Bresse writing a great volume of Cases of Conscience dedicated to Pope Clement the viij amongst many other strange doctrines touching Images teacheth that It is not lawfull onely but profitable to haue Images in Churches to cherish and encrease charitie towards God and men c. and to preserue faith seeing Images are to bee held as bookes for them that bee vnlearned to draw them vnto knowledge memorie and imitation of holy and diuine matters c. q Laelius Zecchius Summa moral theolog casuum consci tom 2. cap. 90. art 18. pag. 609. Imagines poni â—n Ecclesijs vtile est ad charitatem erga deum sanctos fouendam augendam c. ad fidem conseruandam cum Imagine babeantur pro libris his qui literas ignoraÌ„t ex quibus ducuntur in cognitionem memoriaÌ„ imitationem diuinorum c. Brixiae 1598. Lo here this doctor who heing Penitentiarie is by his place
there is any hope of life then how may anie man forsake the soule that is pretious and that cost so pretious bloud p 1. Pet. 1. 19 Surely the spirituall Physician must neuer forsake a Church a people or a man as long as there is anie hope of curing and conuerting him Heere is condemned the practice of two sorts of men amongst vs. First such as be now tearmed of the separation formerly and vsually called Brownists who forsake our Church and cut off themselues from our congregations and separate themselues to a faction and fashion or as they call it into a couenant and communion of their owne deuising these men haue made a grieuous rent and giuen a deepe wounde into the peace of our Church they vse this place and others like against vs say We would haue healed you but you will not bee healed therefore we forsake you but they abuse the place therefore I will turne the point of this their weapon against themselues I meane against their errors and this their bitter and schismaticall separation To this end I would aske these men but 4. questions whereunto if they can giue me satisfaction I will be one of them First therefore whereas you say that Wee are wounded incurably and will not be healed I aske Wherein are wee deadly or incurably wounded what fundamentall wound is in our doctrine what deadly corruption is in our discipline such as eats out the heart and life and being of a Church what book of Canonicall scripture receiue we not what holde wee for Canonicall that is not what sacrament that Christ ordained do we want and what haue we more then Christ ordained what article of faith deny wee or what holde we for an article of faith that is not what fundamentall heresie doth our doctrine maintaine what haue wee in our Church that ouerthrowes the being of a Church what is necessarily required to make a Church that we do want Do not say These be many questions for if you wil haue them all in one generall I will end it as I began Wherein are wee deadly incurably wounded If I should walk a while on your owne grounds grant you that which you can neuer proue yet will it not follow that we are incurably or deadly wounded A man may want a finger or haue some blemishes in his face and yet bee a strong and perfect man sound and heart-whole and able to ouerthrowe his enemies so tho there were in our Church those wounds you speake of yet do they not come neere the heart they bee not deadly they may blemish the beauty but endanger not the life of our Church The Churches of Corinth and Galatia had other kind of blemishes then ours hath blessed be God Corinth doubted or erred in the great article of the Resurrection 1. Cor. 15. The Galathians erred fouly in the high and maine point of Iustification and yet Corinth a Church of God sanctified in Christ Iesus 1. Corinth 1. 2. And Galatia though almost remooued to another Gospell Galathians 1. 6. yet not withstanding a Church for all that Galat. 1. 2. And if you will adde to these fundamentall errours in doctrine corruptions in manners and disorders in Gods seruice you can with no shewe of truth lay such to the charge of our Church as is apparant were rife in the Church of Corinth and then shall Corinth bee a Church and not England Let the Lord bee Iudge betwixt you and vs. Therefore if wee should grant vnto you that our Church were blemished or wounded yet not beeing deadly wounded your separation from vs is schismaticall and vniust and more cruell and vnchristianlie deale you with our Church then did Gods Church with Babell who forsooke her not til she was deadly wounded and past life To conclude if Israel might not forsake Babel til then then what are you that dare forsake a Church of God wherin they haue found God if euer they haue found him yet wherein the diuell himselfe cannot shewe one deadly wound Blessed be the Lord that hath so healed vs. Secondly seeing they say that we are wounded but as for themselues they be healed therfore they must separate and so keep the sound from the sicke I aske them this question Are they healed then where were they healed where were they called where were they regenerat begotten to Christ was it not in the wombe of this our Church by means of the immortall seede of Gods word that is daily sowen in our Church by the ministry of those men that were called by our Church and yet cleaue to our Church and mourn for their separatiō and by the dewe of that blessing from aboue which is dayly poured vpon our assemblies from Gods merciful right hand Then how can they deny that to be a true Church a holy church a Church of God wherein ordinarily men are called and brought to God And how vnthankfull and vndutifull are they to their spirituall mother to forsake hir and cast the dust of contempt in her face that bore them in her wombe and brought them foorth the sonnes of God To auoid this what can they say but one of these two things either that there is indeed a true Ministery of the word amongst vs but it is not powerfull to anie but themselues that wee haue the word truly preached and so as it may conuert a man but it is not the sauour of life to anie but such as come into their couenant but from this horrible and hellish pride good Lord deliuer them or els let them be assured such a height of pride is sure to haue a fearful fal Or if not this then must they say that they were not called in our Church but since they left vs But they haue bard thēselues already from that plea. For it being obiected to them that they haue left our church not out of conscience but out of carnal discontents and vpon fleshly reasons worldly grounds they all stoutly answer and stifly stand to it that they do it not vpon any such grounds nor for anie reasons of flesh and bloud but meerely and onely out of conscience and for their saluation and that gladly they would haue staied but with a good conscience they could not If this be true then they had conscience before they left vs then where came they to that conscience and care of their saluation but in our Church Now a good cōscience cannot be seuered from regeneration and an effectual calling therefore they cannot deny but they were regenerate and called in our Church vnlesse they wil say they had no conscience when they forsooke vs which if they doe then I will yeelde that my question is answered If they grant they were called a fore they went and that stil they who fall from vs to them are called then how can that be but a true Church wherein by their own cōfession men are ordinarily begotten to God how
can that be but a lawful holy ministery which brings men to saluation therefore vpon their own grounds they haue no iust cause to leaue vs. For that Church and Ministry that brings a man to grace and to faith is able to bring him to glory saluation and that which is able effectually to begin is able effectually to finish the good worke of God in any man Thirdly if they be healed and we still deadly wouÌ„ded then I ask them How haue they sought and sufficiently endeuoured our healing and till they haue done all that possible can be done for our healing how dare they forsake vs For if the Israelites might not forsake Babel till then shall they forsake vs afore they haue put all meanes to the farthest if they be healed alreadie why doe they not more seriously labour the healing of others They cannot but knowe there bee manie in our Church curable inough if they coulde shew them to neede their healing why then doe not they stay amongst vs to heale and helpe vs He is no good Physician that flies and forsakes his Patient they therfore if they be healers and would heale vs as they pretend why do they not stay with vs shew vs our wounds and apply the means to heale vs But contrariwise they forsake vs and runne into corners and raile on vs and call vs Babylon Antichristian and the synagogue of the wicked and that wee are no Church and CHRIST is not amongst vs. Are these the plaisters with which you will heale vs is this the waie to heale to make wounds wider and deeper then indeed they be Hee is a pitifull Physician that makes his Patient worse then hee findes him but he is not tolerable that makes him worse then indeed he is or will make him belieue he is hearte-sicke and deadly when his finger aketh They alledge persecution and that therfore they cannot stay with vs but are constrained to leaue vs but assuredly were it true that they say that we were deadly wounded and they able to heale vs then seeing they cannot saie that all amongst vs are incurable they would care for no danger that could befall their bodies so that they might heale our soules and gaine them to God Therfore I conclude that if wee would grant them their owne grounds that they are as good as they pretend to be and wee as ill as they would make vs yet notwithstanding their separation is vnchristian because its certaine none of them can haue assured testimony to his conscience that hee hath done all hee can possibly for our healing till which time no man may forsake another especially no Christian forsake another least of all a priuate man forsake a Church Fourthly and lastly if they will needes leaue our Church whither wil they go To leaue one thing for another no better is seely but for a worse is folly and madnes But they will say they leaue vs to take the better then shewe me a better religion and a better Church then the Protestant Churches of Europe are and the religion amongst them You will not goe to the Lutheranes for they you say are worse then we much lesse to the Papists for they apparantly are worst of all whither then will you goe to the Church of the Lowe Countries but they are of our confession will you go to the Churches of France but they are of our confession will you goe to the Church of Geneua or the free Cities of the Empire but they are of our religion will you goe to the Church of Scotland to the Cantons of Switzerland to the States and Princes of Germany but they are all of our confession and so professe themselues to be q See the harmonie of confessions Looke ouer all Christendome and you shall not find a Church that condemneth ours nor any that is not of our religion nor anie one but that professeth it selfe to bee of the same confession with vs and not to differ from vs in anie substantiall or fundamental point Whither then wil you go or what remains for you to go vnto but vnto your corners conuenticles where you are your own caruers your owne Iudges your own approuers but haue not one Church in Christendome to approoue you So that theÌ„ it remains it must either be granted you that you are better then all others and that notwithstanding the Gospell preached thus long since the reuealing of Anti-christ there is not one true Church in the world but your selues or els you must grant that there is no better Church for you to goe vnto if you forsake vs. Therefore plaie the wise mens part forsake not our church til you can shew a better And tell vs not of France Scotland Geneua Zurick Basil c. for they be all ours and not yours they will and do all approue vs as a glorious Church and condemn you as factious and schismaticall And seeing you can finde none better all things considered and haue none to fly to but your selues who are the parties now in question and therefore no fit Iudges of the matter look well about you and if vnaduised zeale haue caused this bitter separation then by your returne make vp that bâ—each again which by your reuolt you made in our Church Returne againe into the bosome of the Church aske pardon of that your Mother who brought you forth children of light Come ioine with vs against the Papist the common enemy who by our diuision hath gotten ground vpon vs all Remember Peters answere when Christ asked the Apostles after so many fell from him what sayth he Will you also go awaie Alas Master saith Peter Whither shall we go thou hast the words of eternall life r Iohn 6. 61 So will you say if true humilitie and sauing grace possesse you when your deere Mother in whose wombe you were conceiued and with whose brests you haue been fed shall ask you after so many reuolters to poperie what Will you also go awaie Alas whither should we goe from thee Thou hast the words and thou hast the Sacraments of eternall life Yea malice it selfe cannot denie but wee haue them and he who gaue them vs grant wee may long enioy them Amen And as for you my brethren Brethren I call you because I am sure wee had both one mother looke well about you and consider of the bitter effects like to follow vpon this your separation remember that they will all lie heauy vpon you And do not say you are driuen out for if it be the Church and if the words of eternall life be here nothing in the world ought to driue you from it Nay your separation was wilfull therefore let your returne be voluntarie and till then esteeme as basely and censure as sharpely of vs as you list but knowe that for this diuision of Ruben are great thoughts of heart Å¿ Iudg. 5. 15 The second sort of men whose practice is reprooued by this