bare witnesse of the light and therefore was of more authoritie then the light it selfe So in the first of Peter and the third chapter it is sayd That men should be wonne to the word without the word by the conuersation of women so that the conuersation of women should be of more authoritie then the word But it must be considered that this argument is not good The authoritie of the church to Sainct Augustine being a puny and a nouice in matters of religion was greater then the authoritie of Christ therfore the authoritie of the church is simply greater then the authoritie of christ No more then this argument Iohn was in better credit with the Iewes then Christ when he â—…are witnesse of Christ therefore Iohn his witnessing ought to be the better Or this argument womens conuersation moueth some men more then the word therfore it doth moue or ought to moue simply more then the word But euen as Iohn that bare witnesse of Christ did confesse that he was not worthy to loose Christes shoe latchet no more the church though it beare witnesse of Christ in respect of credit and authoritie is not worthy to loose Christes shoe latchet And euen as when Christ put forth him selfe and began to be knowen to the people Iohn said it behoueth me to waxe lesse and him to waxe greater so when the church hath geuen a man to vnderstand of Christ and that Christ beginneth to appeare vnto vs the church decreaseth in authoritie and estimation like Iohn and Christ increaseth and waxeth greater in authoritie and credit Euen so do the Samaritanes in the fourth of Iohn that were brought to Christ by the woman of Samaria say thus we do not now beleue for thy talke for we our selues haue heard and do know And yet S. Augustines case and ours is not like For he was moued by the authoritie of that church which perswaded him to the Gospell the authoritie of the church of Rome doth bend it selfe and is directed to moue vs onely to the church of Rome Besides that that church did compell no man as he writeth to Fundamentus in the 4. epistle the church of Rome doth compell vs to beleue theyr church or compell the soule to forsake the body Agayne they reason that the Church shall be a citie standing vpon a mountayne and therfore it must alwayes be visible and no church say they is so but the church of Rome The very true exposition of thys place is this as it may appeare by all good expositors that the Apostles are called the citie vpon a mountayne the salt of the earth So that the true meaning is this a good Apostle is salt and therfore let him season a good Apostle is a mountayne citie or a high citie and therfore let him shew and shine so in workes that he may glorify God his heauenly father And in déede this text is expounded naturally thus and without violence For it is very straunge to a diuine to thinke that Gods church should be a mountayne citie or a mounting citie a high thing or a renounded thing or a thing glorius in the world For the church of God is represented in the burning bush of Moses it is neuer without fiery persecution it is like the white horse in the Apocalips that is alwayes chased with a red horse it is like the Arke of Noah that is tossed in the sea and this is tossed in the world it is compared to the Moone that waxeth and wanteth by the presence or absence of the Sunne It is like Iacob that sleapeth on a stone It hath semen sanctum subsistentiam eius holy seede and holy men the substance and not commonly great personages and solemne personages the substaunce I know the church of God is oftentimes famous but that is thus ascendamus in montem Domini c. Let vs go vp vnto the mountayne of the Lord and he will teach vs of hys wayes The teaching of Gods wayes maketh Gods church a famous mountayne If Gods wayes be not truely taught though she sit vpon seuen hilles as the church of Rome vpon seuen hilles shée is not a famous mountayne but an ignominious valley Then they reason thus Christ prayed for Peter that his fayth shoulde not faile therefore Peter nor the Pope can erre Christ prayed likewise for all those that shall beleue hereafter then they may thus conclude that all those which haue do or shall beleue caÌ„ neuer erre TheÌ„ they reason thus Dic ecclesiae Tell the Church 〈◊〉 say that must be done when it may be done In the time of Constantius whom would they tell but Arrius for he bare all the countenaunce of the Church hys Church stoode then rather vpon a mountaine then any other Church for it was the highest and most mounting in mens eyes They reason againe that y Church is a pillor But I reason that Christ is the rocke Take away the rocke and downe comes y pillor The rocke is well inough without the pillor the pillor can not be without the rocke But besides all this they haue a perilous interrogation by which alone they thinke to master all the worlde to make vs all starke dumme and for euer to locke vp all our lippes and that is In such and such yeares where was your Church And this is that choking interrogatorie where was your Church I aunswere them euen from the very Articles of my Créede Credo sanctam Catholicam ecclesiam I beleue that there hath bene is and shall be a holy catholicke Church My sense can not shewe it and therefore I beleue it for if I sée it belief is in vaine for where sense faileth and can go no further there beliefe beginneth Nor is iâ—… necessarie that I should froÌ„ time to time sée the Church but I should from time to time beleue there is a holy catholicke Church But in déede they and such like brimme persecutors haue of so long time kept vnder the Church that we are driuen to beliefe onely for they haue left scarse any sense or memory of the true members of Christes Church But they cry still a loude Where was the Church I tell them that it is sayd of God Tu es vere Deus absconditus Thou art verily a hidden God. So the Church is oftentimes hidden The husband of an hidden condition and the spouse of an hidden condition Where was the Church Christ stoode in the middest of them and they knew him not The Church was in the middest of them and they knewe it not Where was the Church Venient dies in quibus raedices aget Iacob There shall come dayes in which Iacob shall take roote Where was the Church when the Church had taken no roote Where was the Church Erat in vobis sed non erat ex vobis It was amoÌ„gest you but it was not of you Where was the church Ubi duo vel tres congregati erant in
the eleuenth chap Assumam mihi duas virgas I will take to me two whippes that is many whippes But what is Gods backe That which the prophet Nahum sayd in his 3. chap. to Niniuy Uox flagelli et vox impetus rotae The voyce of a whippe and the voyce of a rumbling wheele the praunsing of horses the iumping of chariotes The horsemen lifting vp both the the brandishing blade of the sworde and the glistering speare many men wounded many corpses and carcases without number But what is Gods backe That which the prophet Malechy sayd in hys third chapter Accedam ad vos in iudicio I wil come vnto you in iudge ment and I will be a swift witnesse agaynst al of you But what is Gods backe That which I will tell you Our wickdnesse shall eate vp this best religion eate vp our best most deare and naturall prince eate vp all our good counsellors all our wyse and faythfull preachers and eate vp all that good is in this common wealth This is Gods backe This this good christians is Gods heauy backe Heauy it is God wott to those that shall féele it â–ª and I dare not say to England that it will be any lighter because England will be come no better But when that heauinesse shall come vpon England which hath come vpon other realmes for the same causes that it may worthely come vpon England let England then remember it was foretold her that God had a heauy backe And let no man here present or where so euer else thinke that it was womanish or childish in hagar to wéepe Quia vidit tergum Dei â–ª because she did see Gods backe for if God doo turne his backe so long vpon England as he hath turned his face vpon England Quis mirmidanuÌ„ dolapuÌ„ue aut duri miles â—…lissi temperet a â—…achrimis What Mirmadon souldier is he or what souldier of Dolap land or which of flintie Vlisses souldiers that shall be able to forbeare wéeping Nay it will wring teares from the eyes of the most retchlest Atheistes and obdurable Papistes in all this realme be they neuer so forlorne and flintie But these thinges be heauy things and matters of wéeping howbeit if men will reforme themselues to do better I will speake more chéerie and swéeter For if Adam will know the basenesse badnesse of his metall the misery that he hath in this base and badde fleshe that long he can not tarie in this base bad and miserable fleshe if being thus heauie and ouerloden he will resort vnto Christ the comforter if as God hath permitted the vse of weapon to man so weapon may be worne vnshethed to the strengthning of the realme and warres may be fought that Gods prayses may be quietly celebrated in great congregations if Princes and Magistrates will weare their weapons to purpose and draw them out for Gods sake if the safetie of the people may be minded and names of mildenesse and mercifulnesse not blind Princes eies and withdraw them froÌ„ their duties if Gods enemies and lawlesse leude persons may be punished if Papistes who be so may truely be taken to be greatest traytors to God and greatest to the Prince and féele and be fed accordingly if men will labour to lead such liues that they nede not to blushe if those which haue loued euill will fall to some honestie and blushe and be ashamed of that which is past and likewise shame to do the like hereafter if they will so runne to all Gods coÌ„maundementes and so intirely and without hypocrisie with zzeale and courage of spirite professe God with all the functions of body and soule as they ought to do then no more of Gods backe we may dry vp our teares God him selfe most willingly will do away his own backe â—…arken O louing and loued Christian brethren we shall escape Gods backe Gods heauie backe we shall sée Gods face Gods cherefull face as the Prophet Dauid sayth We shall see the braue beutie of our God. 〈◊〉 â—…al sée it clap our haÌ„des to haue séene it We shall haue as much blessednesse in seing ioying in our noble Queene as euer 〈◊〉 Salomons seruantes had â–ª in seing the face of their soueraigne master Gods word shall ruÌ„ne our sunne shal rise our sunne shall set no more we shall wash our waies with butter hony and oyle wil gush out of our stony rockes Our peace shall be like a floud and the iustice of the land shall be like gulfes of the sea the seede of our people shall be as the heares of their head as the starres of the skie as the sand of the shores as the grasse of the ground our race shall neuer be raced out Our soule shall be led into a faire gréene field and Christ our great shepeheard wil make vs draw neare to the waters of comfort he will make vs lye down on the soft wholesome grasse he will take vs and féede vs and we shall be fedde full euen in the fatte mountaines of Israell he will kisse vs with a kisse of his owne mouth his right hand will take holde on vs and his left hand will vpholde vs he will call vs his beloued and let vs sleepe as long as we list we shall sléepe in great safetie for the Sunne by the day time nor y vs by the night time we shall though it be 〈◊〉 the Cockatrice and wâ—… â—…rample on the Dragon 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 Lion. God will so rauish vs in tâ—…â—…weetenesse of his ointmentes that our dayes shall be as the dayes of heauen The wisedome of God will delight to play amoÌ„gest the sonnes of men the strength of God will be the chariots and knightes of Israell It is in vaine for man to be agaynst vs for he will be our Emanuell that is God with vs To whome the prince of peace the father of eternitie the glorious messenger of the great coun cell be all honour and dominion both now and euer more Amen The argument or occasioÌ„ oâ—… thâ—… place of Script Gods word makes noble men and gentlemen Diuision The Sorbonistes Latin. Duke Alua. Gen. 36. A brow of dishonestie D. Coâ—… Two speciall causes of Papistiâ—…all ignoraunce Faultes in the vulgar translation in the Bible Good intent is not inough D. SauÌ„ders behauiour The Papistes haue not had nor haue the best learned men on their side Sanders sayth earnestly that Caluin is vnlearned Let him go about to shew how and he shall be answered Naâ—…istes had liued still without learning if it had not bin for protestantes Those argumentes are to be found out gathered by Iacobus Anderae Sanders reasoning The groundes of papistry The second part The church and a woman compared The names of Gods church in scriptures The beutie of y church The first reason to proue the church of rome foule Mahomets the Popes churches foule alike The Iewes church and Popes church foule alike The secoÌ„d reason The third reason Contrarietie betwixt old young Peter The same reason other wayes proued The deuill and hys pope semblable The fourth reason tâ—… proue â—…er foule The fifth reason The authoritie of the church I would not beleue the Gospell c. Marâ—…e this aunswere throughout I should not had beleued the gospell c. The Church an hiâ—… Citie Gods church not mounting but miserable How gods church is mounting famous Christ prayed c. Tell the church The church a pillor Where was your church The Church of Rome not the church Argumentes The aunswere of the Church of Rome in speciall pointes of beliefe The â—…nswere of the church Sinnes of this time Papistes sinnes Protistantes sinnes Sinnes of great men Sinnes of clergy Sinnes of Magistrates Catholicke sinnes Psal. 50. The boyes of Christes Hospitall The beggars outcry or rather the outcry of the beggars Ezech. 34. A man A Lily Pride dashed Salomon The deuision The first part who is naked The basenesse of man. All is dust In this our dust is much miserie Eccles. 40 Man can not coÌ„tinue in his base misery The second part what it is to be naked The Anabaptistes reasoning agaynst warre Reasons for warre Psal. 144 Poâ—…icy diuinitie would haue misedocrs punished I. Esd. 7. The prince may punish iustly and yet be milde and mercifull Psal. 101 3. Reg. 2. Psal. 101 In his Morals The first reason Papistes can not be good subiectes The second The third The fourth The fifth The sixt That Adam was without apparell Apparell diuided Mat. 11. Practises in kinges houses are not presidentes The condition of all Preachers that preach the truth Amos. 6. Gods backe Leuit. 26. â—…ac 3. Ierem. 5. Iich 1. Sophoni 1 Nah. 3 Malac. 3. An abridge ment of the 〈◊〉 All these speeches are in the prophets
his learning at Sir Iohn Cheekes féete Baldwinus his learning at Caluins féete and Fredericus Staphilus at Melanctons féete Saunders and the Iesuites haue their Grecismes and their Hebraismes by immitation of Musculus Our Erasmus set Latin a flote our Reucliâ—… hatched Hebrue our Budaeus gageâ—… Gréeke our Melancton regendred arteâ—… and sciences Papistes from vs ye hauâ—… had it or by our examples ye haue spyeâ—… it It is ours it is ours it is all of it ourâ—… Crowes leaue your cackling or geuâ—… you home agayne your borrowed fetherâ—… But admit we were men of no laudabâ—… learning and that we could not rightly pleade it yet Quis tulerit Gracchum de seditione loquentem Varrem de furto Who can brooke that Gracchus should speake agaynst sedition Varres against theft or Papistes agaynst ignoraunce The chiefe Rabbie and most frolicke diuine of all their side Hosius how hath he concluded of this saying Obey those that be ouer you therfore Prelates must bée princes Or how can he be learned that thought king Dauid to be vnlearned For geuing his iudgement vpon Dauids psalmes he sayth thus Scribimus indocti doctique poemata passim we write poemes of all handes learned and vnlearned as though Dauids psalter were an vnlearned Poesy What learning is there in rearing vp of this argument Caiphas prophesied once therfore what so euer the bishop of Rome speaketh is true Or this argumeÌ„t The gates of hell shall not preuaile against the church therfore the church can neuer be vnder foote Yet S. Paul saith I am sure that no creature can seperate me from the loue of God. And yet though God loued Paul well Paul was vnder foote Or this argument Heretickes haue alwayes appealed to the scripture therefore who so euer appealed to the scripture are heretickes So drunkardes are commonly drunken with wyne therefore all that drinke wyne are drunkardes Or thys argument Christ did sit downe with his twelue disciples onely when he sayd Bibite cx hoc omnes therfore the clergy onely ought to haue the cuppe geuen them And so this prophane bishop wretch might vrge onely to the clergy Edite ex hoc omnes eate ye all of this So onely the clergy should be partakers of the bread too The Councell of Constaunce and the Councell of Basill doo reach the tuppe to the Laitie Or this argument He is blessed that is alwayes fearefull therfore a man ought to haue a fearefull and a trembling fayth Or what learning was it in him to say that Commune and Catholicum were not all one and that vices when they are common cannot be called catholicke â–ª Doctor Saunders hath a trim head and a pure fine wit as they say But let them take a tast how learnedly he hath behaued him selfe in hys reasoning in his booke of Transubstantiation as in this argument Man was forlorne for eating with his mouth therfore man must be saued by eating with his mouth therfore there must be Transubstantiation Agayne the Romane bishops sent the Eucharist to stranger bishops abrode therefore it was an holy thing and therfore it was transubstantiated or ells it could not be holy and worthy the sending Agayne the Apostles were simple men and Idiotes sayth he therefore they could not vnderstand this proposition this is my body if the signe were taken for the thing Agayne Vlpian the Lawyer sayth the names of thinges be vnchangeable therefore the wordes must néedes be as they are spoken and written By this pritie deuise he may banish all figuratiue speach from the scripture Agayne the Gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a figure in English is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of turning but God is not turned sayth he therefore he vseth no trope in this place or figure This argument if it were marked would be laughed at with an whole monthes laughter In his fourth booke he commeth of with argumentes more then a good pase â–ª God is omnipotent Ergo there is transubstantiation Agayne Christ spoke these wordes in the night time therefore the matter was great and it could not be great except there were transubstantiation Agayne there were twelue disciples the number was great therefore the matter was great then it must néedes be transubstantiation Agayne Christ desired to eate it therefore it was a great matter therfore it was transubstantiation Agayne Christ loued them in the end in pertaking it therefore there was transubstantiation Agayne Christ washed feete set downe rise vp girded him selfe washed and dryed therefore the matter was great therefore transubstantiation Agayne their Parlar wherein they supped was néere to the mount Syon therefore a great matter therefore transubstantiation Agayne he blessed it therefore he transubstantiated it Agayne the people say Amen which is it is true or I would it were true therefore the bread was truely transubstantiated Agayne Abell offred a sacrifice and then after was offred therefore Christ was offred in the Masse Agayne he sayth if the bread be but a figure then none can be condemned for eating of a figure Yet as I remember the Propitiatory or Arke of couenant was but a figure yet he smarted that abused that figure Agayne the Apple of the knowledge of good and euill was but a figure of good and euill yet it was not very good for him that abused that figure I tell them it is death to abuse such figures Now good people doo not these Doct. Sanders arguments smell freshly of learning Was not that Pope learned that sayd fiatur for fiat and that Pope that translated Cephas a head Was not Petrus a Soto diuinely learned when he sayd the spirites of generall Councells ought not to be tryed Notwithstanding these wordes be generall Try the spirites whether they be of God or no. What bookes in all christendome haue bene writteÌ„ with so sléeke and sleight a diuinitie as those bookes of B. Osorius Sir Tho. More is alwayes wrangling and iangling harping and â—…arping about No and Na yea and yes the word and that word an Elder and an Elder sticke And as Rachell mourned for hir children because she had them not so Sir Thomas More might mourne for more diuinitie because he had it not D. Fisher hath alleged many thinges most vnproperly out of the vulgar translation It is easie to be shewed his doctrine is not learned and therefore ought not to carry credit with meÌ„ of learning What grouÌ„â—…nes is it in that fatte Ecchius to proue a sacrifice out of the hebrue word Gnasha or Sanders out of this cuÌ„faciaÌ„ vitula profrugibus to proue a sacrifice It must néedes be for lacke of learning that that Lordly préest bishop Gardiner alledged the third booke of S. Augustine de sermone Domim in monte and yet there were but two bookes written that he alledged Theophilus Alexandrinus for Theophilactus there being hundreds of yeares bâ—…twixt their ages I say it must néedes bâ—… lacke of learning for his soothing pagâ—… say that his memory was
buffet her husband in his members This is me thinkes a shrowde wife and most vnwomanly woman This is a woman according to that saying A woman shall hunt for the precious soule of a man that is an harlot shall hunt for the precious soule of a man. Or according to that Geue not thy substance to womeÌ„ that is to harlottes She is a woman as Antichrist is a womaÌ„ that is to witte the whore of Babylon And euen as Rome Venice Paris and Corinth when better meanes of prosperitie did want made their cities to be frequented through faire harlots and beutifull braue â—…urtisans so these Papistes haue drawen after them such a riotous route through â—…he painted brauerie of this their brothell woman The Church of Rome is a woman but an harlot but the Popes concuâ—…ine She hath womanhead but it is a â—…rothels browe She learnes of her husband but when she liste She holdes her â—…oung in respecte of her husband but I â—…ake a lie She is subiect to her husband Christ but Christ beares the strokes She is no woman nor hath any womanhead nor is she fayre or fayrest but by way of painted fayrenesse The Church of Christ is a woman hath womanhead and is fayre and fayrest of all women For her louelinesse she is called a Doue for her pretie trimnesse she is called a Roo for her fruitfulnesse she is called a Vine for her safenesse she is called MouÌ„t Sion for her holinesse she is called a Priesthoode for her royaltie she is called a Queene for her qualities she is called Sweete Comely Perfecte and most Blessed for her glittering she is called an Iuorie Tower for her brightnesse the Morning for her brauerie the Sunne and for her beutie she is here called the Fayrest of all women They say the Ceder trée is fayre to be séene amongest shrubbes and bushes the Lilie of the valleys amongest lesser flowers Mount Sion is péerelesse amongest monntaines and Ierusalem amongest cities Behemoth is marueilous in the land and Leuiathan in the sea Dina was fayrer then the daughters of the land Iudeth fayrer then any Holofernes had séene and Hester pleasing in the eyes of Artaxerxes none so fayre as the Sunamite to be found out for the contentation of King Dauid and no Church so fayre as this Church of Christ which is in true speech called the fayrest of all women not so far doth passe noble Sarai base Hagar nor Rebecca those of Abimeleckes court nor well fauoured Rachell the blere eyed Lea as this woman for her beutie surmounteth all women But the beutie of this woman is not in outward face but in inward grace Omnis decor filiae Sion abintus All the beutie of the daughter of Sion is from within her This is that woman that is clad with the Sonne Christ and therefore must néedes shine and shewe trimme This is she that is maried to Christ in mercies and pities in fayth and iustice Fayth purifieth the hart the mercy of God working by his bloudshed scoureth all filth and reformeth all the deformities by sinne in this woman This woman therfore must néedes be fayre and fayrest of all women Oh fairenesse of mans face of womans face Oh treasure for a time Oh faire fâ—…lishe vanitie A little colde doth pintch thée a little heate doth partch thée a little sicknesse doth match thée and a little of sores doth marre thée But the fairenesse of Christ in this woman or in his elect may be soyled but it will be washt it may be blacke but it will kéepe a good fauour may be made red as scarlet but it will be renued woll white and shewe white The Church of the beloued is fayre and fayrest of all women Idolatrous Churches are foule and euill fauored women and of all foule and euill fauored I thinke the Church of Rome to be one of the foulest of women The euill fauorednesse of Mahomets womaÌ„ or Church is in this euill fauored Romishe woman That euill fauored Mahomets woman or Church defendeth many wiues This Romishe Church defendeth stewes and strompets curtizans concubines and boy harlots Mahomets woman dreameth heauen to be a place goodly of riuers pleasaunt Apples young delicate women and faire fruites The Popes woman doth say and hold that S. Dorathey made baskets of Apples that came downe from heauen Mahomets woman defendeth workes The Popes woman defendeth workes That woman from the 5. chapter of the Alcaron beleueth Purgatory The Popes woman will néedes haue Purgatory Mahomets woman curseth all those that thinke not of Christ as Mahomet doth The Popes Church curseth all those that thinke not of Christ as the Pope doth Mahomet in the 15. chapter of the Alcaron alloweth no disputing in religion The Popes woman gaggeth mens mouthes lest peraduenture they speake Mahomets Alcaron was published in the night time So the Popes doctrine in the time of darkenesse Mahomet sayth Buy heauen The Bishop of Rome practiseth a sale of heauen Mahomet sayth he is bigger then all the kinges in the world The Pope â—…ayth that he is lorde of lordes and king of kinges Thus then I may say that the Popes woman or Church is as foule as the Church of Mahomet and as foule as the Church of the Iewes and who soeuer will proue this to be true shall compare her traditions and the Iewes traditions by the vew of a booke written by Petrus Galatinus of y Iewes That coÌ„parison I go by with silence for I can not tary in euery thing Againe that woman that hath a foule head is a foule woman The woman or Church of Rome hath Antichrist to her head therefore she is a foule woman That Antichrist is a foule head I proue because Christ is a fayre head Antichrist and Christ be contrary Againe that Antichrist is the head of this woman I referre me to Bullinger and Gualter that haue treated that probation to a booke called Antichristus siue de fine mundi Againe if Peter were a fayre head then this woman hath had many a long day a foule head and so hath bene a foule woman The proofe of this poynt standeth in this to shew that Peter and the Popes of long tyme haue bene contrary And it is easie to be shewed Peter is as much to say as a rocke Peter was in déede a rocke but this Pope of late daies hath bene a réede in religion or els irreligious Peter is called Symon that is an auditour of Gods word This is a corrector and burner of Gods worde Peter was Called to be an Apostle This thrusteth in by simonie and coniuring and poysoning as Cardinall Benno can tell â–ª Peter was an Apostle this an Apostaâ—… or renegate as the Apocalyps caÌ„ tell Peter was a man this is a woman Peter was a man this is a beast as the foresayd Apocalyps can tell Peter preached to the Iewes this neither to Iewe nor Gentile Peter healed the sicke and the sâ—…re this woundeth and
nomine eius Where two or three were gathered together in Gods name But where were these two or thrée gathered together in Gods name Mundus non nouit vos The world knoweth you not Where was the Church Suruewe Foxes Martyriologe and the Cataloge of witnesses agaynst the Pope and there sée for there is to be séene where was the Church But where soeuer els it was the Church of Rome this many yeares was not the Church The best argument they haue for the Church of Rome is because it was once a holy place and the sound of the Gospell went thence and therfore still Rome must be the broode mother of religion and that there néedes must be the Church And peraduenture they will make it of the nature of Rome that Rome hath the best religion then we may thus say Mount Flascon hath the best wine the Athenians the best honie Persia the best oyle Babylon the best corne India the best golde Tirus the best Purple Basan the best Okes Libanus the best Ceders Persia y best iewels Arrabia the best spices Tharsis the best shippes England the best shéepe Saxonie the best oxen Cicilia and Dalmacia the best horses Pirones the best fishe Ithaca the best swine and Rome the best religion Or thus the Italians be most wittie the Spanyardes best water skirmigers the Frenchmen best kéepers of holdes the Scot with his Launce the Irishe maÌ„ on foote the Germane in voice the Mirmadons in strength the olde Romanes best suffering of hunger and colde and the new Romanes are most religious Or thus the Egyptians haue no Beaues Affricke hath no Bores the couÌ„trey Helaeus hath no Mules the Macrobians haue no Iron Athens hath no Owles England no Wolues Wight no Foxes Ireland no venemous beast nor Rome no bad religion But because I do sée in the Scriptures that Ierusalem was turned into Ierustikaker that is the valley of vision was turned into the valley of confusion and the fine valley of Siddim into the valley of salt that Lucifer did sinne in heauen and Adam in Paradise and Lot in the holy Mount that the mountaine Garezin where the father 's prayed became a prophane dwelling of the Samaritans when I read that Mount Sion became a place for Foxes and Bethel the house of God became to be Bethanem the house of iniquitie then me thinke I thinke of Rome as Ieremy did of Ierusalem Facta est meritrix ciuitas fidelis That Citie which was once faithful is become an harlot These places were altered for wickednesse and Rome is altered for wicked life and wicked religion And now me thinke of these Romanes I may thus say The Moores are a vaine people the Phrygians fearefull the Israelites of an hard necke and loden with sinne the Athenians vaineglorious the Grecians light the Galathians dullardes the Carthaginians falsifiers of their fayth the Cretes liers the Sodomits full of bread the Iewes vsurers the Persians wasters the Spanyardes lechers the Flemminges drinckers the Englishe glottons the Germanes vnciuile the Lacedemonians théeues the Canibals cruell and the Romanes Idolaters So may I say and euen so do I say for vndoubtedly y Church of Rome is not Christes true Church Christes shéepe heare his voice but the Church of Rome heareth not hys voyce therefore it is not the true Church She writeth in her coyne that kingdome and people that do not obey me shall be rooted out contrary to that the kinges of nations beare rule ouer them but ye shall not do so therefore she is not the true Church Ambrose sayth that the true Church is the mother of the liuing but those that be in this Church are dead for they haue no fayth because they haue no knowledge therefore this Church is not the true Church She committeth Idolatrâ—… and spirituall adulterie many waies therefore she is not the true Church The Church of Rome nâ—…bers her multitudes as Dauid numbred his souldiers and therefore she is not y true Church These Papistes are like Cockels they cary their house about with them and they their Church Aspalathus will not grow but in Boetia ye kill these men if ye take away y couerture of the Church of Rome This Church is the ritch Arras that couereth all their faultes and follies But admit good people that we were wonderfull burom obedient to this Church and most willing to come againe to the skirt of this Church and to aske of her questions and demaundes as these young women aske of this fairest of women I protest before heauen and earth and the founder of them both that I thinke it not good we should be bolde in asking for the great and eminent daunger in her aunswering For if we aske whether Iesus be Christ or no this Romishe woman or Church geueth out her aunswere that the Bishop of Rome is the high priest and that the sayd Bishop hath the strength of the kingdome of Christ and the vnfallible veritie of a Prophet and therefore they allowe him to ouerrule Christ by adding and taking to and fro his worde If we aske if Christ were the onely oblation offered vp once for all for the sinnes of the worlde her aunswere is very dauÌ„gerous that the Masse is a sacrifice for the quicke and the dead and she falleth in commendation of her wheaten God and doth attribute the health of the world to that vnbloudie bread Idoll If we aske her iâ—… Christ be the intercessor to God she aunswereth then most wickedly iure matrâ—… impera that Christ forsooth shall commaund his father by the right of his mother If we aske her of the state and condition of man since the fall of Adam she aunswereth that he may ouertake heauen of him selfe and well inough by him selfe worke out his owne saluation Aske her what fayth is and she will tell of an implicite thing and of a generall fayth that is that good Christian folke ought to beleue that the Church can not erre nor yet the Pope but touching Christes merites to be applied to vs by fayth and to be holden fast by that hand there she kéepeth glomme silence and is as spéechlesse as a fishe If we aske her what the lawe is she lodeth our shoulders with the heauie ceremonies of Iudaisme and Paganisme If we aske her what the Gospell is she maketh boyde Gods promisse with her owne iustice If we aske her of good workes she aunswereth iust like S. Lukes Pharisie then againe she deuiseth good workes to be thus to hyre certaine men for money to pray and to mumble vp much quantitie of Psalmes in a couert toung to kepe huge troughes of Ling and Saltfishe many yeares to waxe horce with mutch chaunting to waxe spéechlesse with seldome speaking to waxe lame with mutch sitting to vse many knottes in their girdles and many windowes in their showes to be buryed in Monkishe wedes and Nunnishe cowles c. If we aske her of the number of Christes Sacramentes â—…he answereth that
there are seuen without Scripture she hath added fiue to Gods two as though God had let her his two Sacramentes to vsurie If we aske her whether we go after this life she telleth vs of Virgils Platoes and Mahomets Purgatorie If we should say vnto her fayre Church of Rome whether is thy beloued gone she would say he went in his body to harrowe hell And then I will aske her how she can auuswere to Signum Ionae signum Lazari the signe of Ionas and the signe of Lazarus that Christ should be thrée dayes in his graue If we would say fayre Church of Rome whether is thy beloued gone she will say to heauen but then she dreameth groâ—… of heauen as Mahomet and besides that in euery hill altar and groue altar she will say here is Christ and there is christ The more she aunswereth the more she aunswereth of leâ—…nges Uneth hath she now these many long yeares aunswered any thing truely of the goinges of the beloued of the doinges of the beloued Beleue me truely O worlde it is daunger to aske her it is next to deathes doore to heare her it is damnable death and hell to beleue her Let it stand then for true that the fayrest of women that is the Church of Christ must first geue the aunswere of the beleued Christ. But when she by her aunsweres and instructions hath once informed a man tâ—… Christ then Christ him selfe doth for euer afterward geue aunswere out of his blessed worde to the full edifying and contentation of our mindes and consciences He is gone down into his garden to the beddes of his spicery to be fed in gardens to gather Lilies The whole contentes of this scripture séeme to be these That Christ came downe from heauen to be refreshed in the world And in true déede the redemption of the world and the gathering together of mankinde which strayed erred wandred is a like refreshing to Christ as the gathering of Lilies is to man I am not to runne through all wordes and all pointes of this text for that were to full of busy labour I will therfore say nothing that he came downe from what place he came to what place he came froÌ„ what coÌ„pany he came to what company he came to what smarting interteining he came Nor will I speake that he came to his garden and that the whole earth is a garden that God geueth increase to this garden and is the Landlord of y garden of the plenty variety and delicacy of the garden of the gardiners of our rent to be payde to our Landes lord GOD of the vsage and misusage of this garden of God punishmentes that will come vppon those that do not thankfully enioy the garden These thinges I might but yet will not speake of Onely will I speake of these poynts That he came amongst spicery that he was fed in gardens and that he gathered Lilies Then will I byd the world séeke after him according to that Tell vs and we will seeke him with thee and then will I eftsones make an end And first concerning that clause that he came among the beddes of his spicery Hugo de Lira and Gilbertus call the beddes of spicery the cloysters of monkes and euen with aâ—… good iudgement might I or any other call Lillies Nunnes and so the great mistery of Christes comming downe into the earth and the absolute pleasaunce of his refreshing should be abridged in this that Christ sometimes kept within Monkes cloysters and some times went abrode to gather vp Nunnes and so then should be nothing but a sely cloyster and a sely Nunne gatherer and so Monkes should be spice and Nunnes Lillies Monkes should please the mouthes of the beloued and Nunnes the nose of the beloued But this to thinke is to thinke a world 〈◊〉 absurdities and to be short and sharpe Lira delirat and Gilbardus est bardus Lyra doteth and Gilbardus is a dolâ—… â–ª Agayne Barnard Agathius and Harphius say that the beds of spicery were the Apostles and ministers and it may sâ—… be as they are called a burning and shining lincke in the person of the Baptist and as they are called the chariotes and horsemen of Israell in the person of Elias as they be called fathers in the person of Paul Iohn and Elias as they be called Gods in the person of Moses as they be called salt for theyr seasoning and mountayne cities for theyr showing in the person of the Apostles as they are called Embassadors for theyr bolde speaking and dogges for their barking frendes of the spouse for theyr louing so they may be called spice and beds of spicery for their â—…ast geuing and for theyr swéete smelling so it is sayd nos sumus bonus odor vitae ad vitam we are a goodly smell of life â—…nto life But S. Hierome the better sort thinke y the beds of spicery are most of all men that be Gods elect that those â—…e Gods spices those be Gods Lilies and Gods flowers And if that woman Heleâ—…a sayd wantonly in a fleshly cogitation Ergo ego sum virtus ego sum tibi nobile regnuÌ„ Disperiam si non hoc ego pectus amem Then I am to thee vertue to thee I am a noble kingdome I would I were dead if I would not loue that thy brest If she so sayd how much more ought we in an high couched conceit and in a spirituall kinde of wantonnesse say and say agayne beloued Christ we are thy spices we are thy Sinnamon we are thy Balsamon we are thy Uiolets thy Roses and thy Lilies so sauery we are to thée and so smelling we are to thée It were more then time that we were dead and destroyed if we loue not that louing brest of thyne O beloued and make thâ—… our beloued and make after thée our beloued In déede the prayers and almesâ—… déedes of Cornelius is musicke to Godâ—… eare â–ª Out of Noahs sacrifice he smelled 〈◊〉 swéete smell euen so it is very comfortable and delectable to Gods senses that 〈◊〉 christian man liueth a good life conformable to Gods word The good life of a christian man is spice to Gods mouth and spice to Gods nose The odor of a swéetâ—… fielde which is commended in Genesiâ—… the odor of incense in Numery the odor 〈◊〉 fragrant waters in Iob the odor of thaâ—… oyle that ran downe Aarons board 〈◊〉 that oyle that Mary shed vpon Christâ—… head the odor of spike and vine floweâ—… commended in the canticles the swéeâ—… balme in ecclesiasticus and the smell 〈◊〉 Libanus that Ose speaketh of the smell of Noahs sacrifice the smell of best burnt sacrifices is not the like good smell to Gods nose as the smell of a good life rysing from a good beliefe for that is Hostia Deo in odorem suauitatis a sacrifice to God vnto a sweete sauiour Whole grocers shoppes of spicery all the flowers in Priapus garden all the flowers that Naiades and Draiades and