many vexations of minde and with how many sorrowes hath God punished the heretiques in Flaunders for their hautie stomackes and disloyaltie to their natural King for their stubbornes in not receiuing clemencie offered vnto them and for their wilfulnes in reiecting the same for their contemning of the Catholique faith and for their following I cannot tell nor they them selues vvhat Religion so vnstable and vnconstant their opinion is in matters of faith God hath stirred vp the Catholiques against them their strength is feebled their fayre buildinges made euen with the ground their coffers are opened and their gold and siluer fyll the purses of their aduersaries their costlie household stuffe their hangings their trim attyre their cloath of Tissue and whatsoeuer thing else they haue is taken away Their cattell is driuen from them their corne is burnt and in summe they them selues are eyther iustlie made bonde-men and slaues or else wretchedlie and rufullie slaine So that now after Gods iust reuengement they are become the outcast and the verie scum of the earth they are banished out of their owne countrey and can finde no abiding place to rest they are a fable vnto all the world for their newe inuented heresies their state and condition is not far better then the Iewes and their punishmēt doth not much differ the one from the other the heretiques and the Iewes are hated a lyke are persecuted a lyke and are punished heere in this worlde a lyke But heerein the Iewes and the Heretiques doo differre in sinne the Iewe sinneth ignorauntlie and obstinatelie but Heretiques sinne not ignorauntlie but obstinatelie and wilfullie The Iewes neuer knewe Christe neuer beleeued in him nor neuer tooke him to be the sauiour of the worlde The Heretiques acknowledged Christe to be the onelie begotten sonne of GOD beleeued in him and tooke him to be theyr Messias or Iesuah But in sweruing from the Catholique fayth they haue lost the knowledge of Christe their faith is frustrate and in vaine Their taking of Christe to be their sauiour can nothing auayle them can stande them in no steede And why they haue denied the Pope to be Supreame head they haue renounced the Traditions of the Apostles the Councelles they despise the aucthorities of the graue and learned Fathers they disallowe and to be breefe the Lawes of our holie Mother the churche they haue contempned and contrary sayd them VVherefore their sinne is not excusable and more greeuouslie to be punished in hell then the obstinate ignoraunce of the Iewes for not receyuing Christe to be theyr redeemer If this fayth whereby we hope to be saued which is the Catholique faith were not the true and substantiall faith whereof mention is made in our Creede where as it is sayde I beleeue in the holie Catholique Churche And what church is this is it not that for the which so many Martirs ended their vitall breath before the due course of nature So many in wyldernesse lead a most austeare life lyued in penurie and scarsitie glad they were to sustaine their lyues with rootes and water they forsooke the world with all the pompe and glistering shewes therof they bridled their carnall affections and sensuall lustes the deuill with all his subtill temptations they ouercame with fasting and praier What doo they beleeue that these holie Hermites are all condempned for that they haue beleeued the church of Roome to be the holie catholique Church and the Pope to be the head and cheefe Sheepheard thereof Haue so many Monkes so many Friers erred who wrought so many charitable deedes so often fasted so often prayed so often called vnto God for grace and helpe so brotherlie exhorted the wicked to amendement of lyfe so freendlie harboured the harborlesse cloathed the naked fed the hungrie visited the sicke helped the poore prisoners and redeemed the captiues forsooke their lyuinges and gaue them selues onelie to contemplation VVere all these reprobate doo they all suffer tormentes in hell for euer neuer to enioy the glorious contemplation of Gods heauenlie countenaunce is this the rewarde which they haue for all their holinesse for their vpright dealinges for their timerous conscience to offend their neighbour and beeing by some mischaunce offended to aske him forgiuenesse and to render a satisfaction Shall good workes reape no better reward then among the dampned should this their reward be euerlastinglie to rue in hell If as the heretiques say their faith was Antichristian-like and contrarie to Gods word Beleeue this who that will and let him be an heretique therefore I beleeue they were holie men and for their holinesse and catholique Religion were crowned with an incorruptible crowne of perpetuall blisse in heauenlie ioye If the Religion of our holie Mother the Church were nought then in vaine haue so many Saintes serued the Lord honoured him and kept his commaundementes in vaine haue so many Virgins intruded them-selues to Monasteries sequestring and estraunging them-selues from the societie of seculer women in vaine haue they reserued their virginitie forsaking wealthy and ritch mariages in vaine haue they chastised their bodies subduing and bringing them to subiection in vaine haue they liued and in vaine haue they beleeued if for the confession of the Catholique Church of Roome damnation bothe of body and soule should be then their reward So many Preests so many Leuits so many Kinges so many Princes so many Potentates so many Magistrates haue liued in vaine and in vaine was their faith who were no happier then the Gentiles in Cicero his time to be condemned with the heathen Gentiles since the beginning of the faith of Christe Onely perishing in soule and bodie for that their faith depended of the Catholique faith of our holie Mother the Churche Empires Kingdomes Prouinces Islands Citties and Townes beleeued in the Church of Roome which is the holy Catholique Church and are they all condemned therefore and haue they all liued in blindnesse and errour and hath Christe beene so vniust of his promise neuer to fayle his Church and haue his woordes beene so vntrue that the holie Ghost should direct the Catholique Church in all her dooinges howe was the Church directed if all the people erred How should Christ beeing the way the trueth and life neuer fayle his Spowse if he suffered her to decline from him who is the trueth Christ his wordes are true Coelum et terra peribunt sed verba eius remanebunt vera in aeternum Heauen and earth shall perishe but his wordes shall remaine true for euer Though the heretiques prate or speake neuer so much against the trueth Christe hath euermore instructed the churche of Roome Though Martin Luther and Iohn Caluin write to the contrarie who make them-selues more familliar with Christe and more priuie to his secretes then euer the Apostles were who were conuersant with Christe liuing on earth But Luther and Caluin not so they make men beleeue that their Forefathers liued in blindnesse and errour euen from the time of the Apostles
belooued before I beginne I dare faithfullie promise you that you shall finde throughout the whole Testament neyther Papa Papatus Primas nor Primatus Neyther Pope Papacie Primate nor Primacie to be graunted vnto any of the Apostles of Christe then much lesse vnto the Bishop of Roome Howe shamefully they wrest those places of binding and loosing No learned man there is but vnderstandeth and perceyueth the same I aunswere with Cyprian and Augustine De. sin Cleri That God in the person of Simon Peter gaue the Keies to all to signifie the vnitie of all for Christe did it not for this purpose to preferre one man before another but to set out the vnitie of the Church for the rest of the Apostles were the same thing that Peter was endued with like partaking bothe of honour and power Augustine sayth Homil. in Iohn 1. Homil 11. Si in Petro Ecclesia mysterium non esset Dominus ei non diceret Dabo tibi claues If there were not in Peter a mysterie of the Church the Lord would not say to him I will giue thee the Keies For if this was said to Peter the Church hath them not but if the Church haue them then Peter when he receyued the Keies betokened the whole Church And in an other place when they were all asked onelie Peter aunswered Thou arte Christe And it is sayde to him I will giue thee the Keies As though he alone had receiued the power of binding and loosing whereas bothe he béeing one sayd then one for all and he receyued the other with all as bearing the person of vnitie therefore one for all because there is vnitie in all Let Peter truelie haue the first place yet there is great difference betwéene the honour of degrée and power We sée that the Apostles commonly graunted this to Peter that he should speake in assemblies and after a certaine manner goe before them with propoūding exhorting and admonishing but of his power we reade nothing at all Reade the Scriptures and there ye shall finde what office and power Peter had among the Apostles howe hée behaued him selfe and howe he was accepted of them Runne ouer all that remayneth written you shall finde nothing else but that he was one of the twelue equall with the rest and their fellowe but not their Lord. But to graunt them that which they require concerning Peter that is that he was the Prince of the Apostles and excelled the rest in dignitie Yet there is no cause why they should of a singular example make an vniuersall rule and drawe to perpetuitie that which was once doone sith there is a farre differing reason One was chéefe among the Apostles forsoothe because they were fewe in number If one were the chéefe of twelue men shall it therefore followe that one ought to be made ruler of a hundred thousand millions of men It is no meruaile that twelue had one among them that should rule them all for nature beareth this and the witte of men requireth this that in euerie assemblie although they be all equall in power yet there is one as a gouernour whome the rest may haue regard vnto There is no Court without a Consull no Session of Iudges without a Pretor or Propounder no Company without a Ruler no fellowshippe without a Maister So should it be no absurditie if we confessed that the Apostles gaue to Peter such a supremacie but that which is of force among fewe is by and by to be drawne to the whole world to the ruling whereof no one man is sufficient But say they this hath place no lesse in the whole vniuersalitie of nature then in all the parts that there be one soueraigne head of all And héereof very wisely as they thinke they fetch a proofe from Cranes and Bées which alwayes chuse to them selues one guide and not many I allowe in déede the examples which they bring foorth but doo Bées resort together out of all the world to chuse them one King euery seuerall King is contented with his owne Hiue So among Cranes euery hierde hath theyr owne King What else shall they prooue héereby but that euerie Church ought to haue her owne seuerall Bishoppe appointed her But whereas I sayde let it be graūted that Peter was Prince of the Apostles He was no otherwise called Prince of the Apostles then Cicero was called Prince of Eloquence in respect of excellencie not of superioritie and so was Homer called the captaine of Poeticall finenesse If a questiō should be mooued who were the chéefe and captaine of the schoole Some one or other should be noted foorthwith yet is hée not therefore a Prince ouer his fellowes nor his fellowes subiect vnto him So I say though Peter had béene called the Prince of the Apostles yet was hée not theyr soueraigne and Lord but fellowe labourer in the Lord his Vineyarde And thus much bréeflie touching the Pope and his false supremacie Of the erronious hippocriticall and false Church of Roome HEther vnto I haue intreated of the Popes vsurped supremacie nowe I meane to speak a word or two of the Churche I wyll first beginne with the definition of this worde Church and then I wyll procéede farther to intreate thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a Congregation or company of faithfull men assembled together This Church is two manner of wayes construed that is the Church or company onely of those whome God hath chosen to euerlasting lyfe in all tymes and places Which is to man inuisible who can not enter so farre as to knowe GOD his wyll neyther the heart of man him selfe but is onelye visyble to GOD who knoweth those that are his as the Apostle sayth and hath sealed them with his owne seale And there is a Church of wicked and reprobate of Papistes and Turks yea the wicked to the ende of the world are mingled with the good Papists contrarie to their owne lawes frequent the Churches or assemblies of Christians the Goates kéepe company with the Shéepe the chaffe with the graine and the Tares are found among the good Corne. Into the bosom of the true Church God will haue his chyldren to be gathered together not onely that they should by her helpe and Ministery be nourished while they are Infantes and young chyldren but also be ruled by her motherlie care tyll they growe to ryper age and at length come to the marke of faith for it is not lawfull that those thinges be seuered which God hath conioyned That to whome hee is a Father the Church be also theyr Mother and that not only vnder the Lawe but also since the comming of Chrisie As Paule Galat. 8.26 witnesseth which teacheth That we are the chyldren of the newe and heauenlie Jerusalem In the Créede where we professe that we beléeue In the holie Catholique Church Wee meane not Roome to be that holie Catholique Church for if no Church ought to be reputed for Christian or Catholique but that which is of Rome Then were
thing truelie of the goinges of the beloued or of the dooinges of the beloued Beléeue me truely O world it is daunger to aske her it is next to deaths doore to heare her it is dampnable death and hell to beléeue her Better it is to dye in body for him that may then to beléeue her to be the holy Catholique Church and therefore to perishe in body and soule Happy were they and are and shall be who patiently suffered doo suffer and shall suffer the tyranny and persecution of Antichriste Hope of Roome for the deniall of his whoorishe and Babilonicall Church By theyr patience it appeared that they had the cognisance or badge of the true Church August De tempore Ser. 130. Crux regni insigne est The Crosse sayth Saint Augustine is the cognisance or badge of the Church Athanasius Ad solitariam vitam agentes sayth Caedi Christianorum proprium est Caedere aus tem Christianos Pilati et Caiphae officia sunt To be persecuted belongeth to Christians but to persecute the Christians belongeth to the office of Pilate and Caiphas But the Papistes say that they punishe the Protestants onely for a desire to haue them reconciled to their Sinagogue and for entyre looue A gentle kinde of looue lyke the looue of one Philippides of whome Aristophanes in Vespis writeth who tooke a cudgell A prettie example alluded to the Papists and dyd beate his Father and all for looue But we may say with Tertullian Crudelitas vestra nostra gloria est Your crueltie is our glorie For Gods Religion the more it is pressed the more it encreaseth This persecution of the Papistes against the Christians is an euident token that the Church of Roome is the Sinagogue of Sathan Caine persecuted Abell the Giants Noah the Sodomites Loth Ismaell Isaack Esau Iacob the Egiptians the Israelites Pharaoh Moses Saule Dauid and yet Dauid would not hurt againe of whome we learned that Gods Church dooth suffer rather then hurt pardon rather then persecute The false Church of the Prophetes persecuted the true propheticall Church the Sinagogue of the Iewes persecuted Christe and his Apostles The Churche of Roome persecuteth Christes lyttle flocke and congregation So Hillarius and Nicephorus in many places discourse Lactantius sayth excellently to this matter Diuin Institut Lib. 5. Cap. 19. Defendenda religio est non occidendo sed monendo non saeuitia sed patientia non scelere sed fide Nam si sanguine et tormentis si malo religionem defendere velis iam non defendetur illa sed polluetur atque violabitur Religion is to be defended not with murthering but with monishing not with crueltie but with patience not with furie but with faithfulnesse For if ye defend Religion with bloodshedde and tormenting or with working of mischeefe it is not defended but defiled and deceyued The Church of Roome persecuteth all Christians The Ornamentes and deckings of the Antichristian Church of Roome her sentence is burne burne burne her hadge let vs laye wayte for blood her head blasphemie her shéelde tyrannie her breast iniurie her eyes fyre her gyrdle fornication her breath poyson her tongue the stinge of death her féete ready to shedde innocent blood her sworde violence her Crosse persecution her pardons iniquitie her tryple crowne presumption her Keies ambition and all her dooinges abhomination Héere doo follow great swarmes of Cainites Giantes Sodomites Egiptians Scribes Pharasies Herodians Monks The Champions and vpholders of this Babilonicall Sea Friers Cardinalles Adulterers Idolaters Parasites Poysoners Pardoners Bawdes Flatterers Traytours Rebels Murderers Theeues with all the Romishe rabble These are the right Canniballes lyke to the barbarous people of Armenica that eate one an other My countrey men wyll you builde your faith vppon this Church which receyueth such Varlettes which hath such gracelesse personnes such persecutours and such bloodie butchers The Church of Christe hath none such there were neuer in the Church of Christe nor are not nor neuer shall be persecutors The Church of Christe is styll persecuted and neuer persecuteth Did the Matriarches persecute did Christe persecute did the Apostles persecute When the Samaritanes would not receyue Christe Iames and Iohn béeing as yet Nouices in Christes schoole called for fyre from heauen and would haue burned and consumed the Samaritanes but Christe rebuked them saying You wot not of what manner of spirite you are for the sonne of man is not come to destroye mens liues but to saue them If the Church of Roome were the holie Catholique Church it would then féede the soule of man béeing a spirite with spirituall foode moone her by spirituall instrumentes drawe her by the worde leade her by the spirite and persuade her by the Scriptures which are the onely meanes which God appoynteth If an Heretique holde an opinion he holdeth it eyther of ignoraunce or of wylfulnesse If of ignoraunce he is to be conuerted by doctrine to be conuinced by Scripture reformed by exhortation reduced by reason persuaded by the trueth If of wylfulnesse he is to be menaced by the Lawe and corrected by excommunication The Church of Rome vseth no such meanes wherefore the Church of Roome is of the deuill and not of Christe And as the Lord hath done to Ierusalem in Titus Vespasianus tyme as Iosephus in his hystorie of the Iewes maketh mention and to the ruines thereof that the place should not boast of the Oracles of God So God hath done to Roome A notable forewarning to the Church of Roome to the Idolles thereof that theyr boasting should be in vaine of the Church of God For what was Roome euen from her byrth but a Citie built in Parricide then strengthened with robberies and made a Sanctuarie for murderers of all Nations The pettigree of Roome as you may read in theyr owne Romaine Hystories And what was it afterwardes in the time of the Emperour Iulianus Apostata Dioclesian Nero and diuers others but a slaughter house of the Martyrs of God and what is it in ours and our fathers dayes but the Queene of pride the nurse of Idolatries the mother of whordomes the sincke of iniquities out of which sorceries withcrafts poisoninges adulteries rebellions and bloodie warres haue ouerflowed the whole earth Who wyll beléeue in this Church are we commaunded to beléeue léeue in this Church when as it is sayd in our Créede Credo sanctam Catholicam Ecclesiam I beleeue that there hath béene is and shall be a holie Catholique Church My sence can not shew it and therefore I beléeue it for if I sée it beléefe is in vaine for where sence faileth and can goe no farther there beléefe beginneth For is it necessarie that we should frō time to time beleeue that Roome is the holie Catholique Church but we should from tyme to tyme beleeue there is a holy Catholique church But in déede the Papists and such like open persecutours haue of so long tyme kept vnder the Church that we are driuen
vntyll their dayes O happie mothers to be conceyued and to be deliuered of such fortunate children and to bring them vp in such good lytterature that they should become the lampes of the world the Teachers of the ignorant I haue written I can not tell what naie I say O vnhappie mothers to haue such vnluckie children good it had beene for them and for their children if they plaide vppon one string that they neuer had beene borne Their chyldren were the instrumentes of Sathan to seduce the foolish and worldlie people they were the cause why that many lost their liues vntimelie heere in this world As in Fraunce thousands were slaine in Germanie foure score thousand at once in Flaunders I knowe not howe many besides other Countreyes infinite was the number of them that were slaine drowned and burnt I knowe not for what Religion nor I thinke they them-selues knewe but why they were thus cut of their pride abated their mallice asswaged and their deuises confounded I partlie knowe it was for that they denied the supremacie of our holie Father the Pope God woulde needes giue the ouerthrowe to his enimies and graunt victorie to his generall Vicar heere on earth If his title had not beene good he had not preuailed thus against his enimies he had not so often gotten the feelde and brought his enimies to shame and confusion VVhat shall I saye of Englande my natiue Soyle it contemneth despiseth and little embraceth the trueth lyttle regardeth the Catholique faith blinde ignoraunce and a Chaos or a heape of all kinde of heresies greatlie there preuayleth Howe many be there that wot not whome to beleeue whome to call vpon or what trade of lyfe they ought to leade VVickednesse iniquitie cogging and couzening and the corruption of this monstrous Realme are horrible great the blessed doctrine of God the onely true foode nourture direction and rule of mans lyfe is little knowne little set by and little followed God is long before he punisheth but when he commeth he punisheth with an iron rodde and sharplie scourgeth them for their sinnes vnlesse they repent whyle it is tyme. They may looke for the lyke punishment troubles and myseries as were laide vpon the Iewes and which they suffered deseruedlie for the hardenesse of theyr heartes and for theyr vnbeleefe Least that I wearie your chaste cares most woorthy Cardinalles with tediousnesse I make an ende crauing pardon for my greeuous trespasse and heynous offence against our holy father the Pope and against our holy mother the Church God preserue your Graces to the holding vp of his Church to the vanquishing of your enimies who at the first as bubbles of the water ryse vp and florish for a whyle then by and by fall downe and appeare no more Who at the first rule the roast in many places as Arrian the heretique did but I am affraide their ende shall be as Arrians was if not in this life yet in the life to come for Arrian auoided his guttes as he went to auoide the excrementes of his bodie If our heretiques die not thus yet they may die after a wursse sort If God in this life plagueth them not let them tremble and quake for feare least bothe bodies and soules abide the greater tormentes in hell They haue but a tyme to raygne and rule and beleeue what they lyst The Pellagians had a time and prospered for a whyle against the Church of Roome but by little and little their heresie decaied The Marcionistes fought for a while against the Church of Roome but in continuance of tyme it got the vpper hand and the heresie of the Marcionistes was quite forgotten abolisht and blotted out Thus tyme will deface the heresies of Iohn Caluin and Martin Luther with all the whole rabble and route of Arch-heretiques God graunt your Graces what heart can wishe heere in this worlde and in the life to come perpetuallie to raigne in blisse ioye and quietnesse Thus I haue ended ¶ By me Iohn Nichols submitting him-self vnder the Popes correction meaning hencefoorth to be a true Catholique member of the Church of Roome Amen quoth the Cardinalles with all the company And so the Oratiō ended at Roome in the yeere of our Lord. 1578. In the moneth of Maye the .xxv. daie and presented the .xxvii. daie of the same moneth before the Pope and all his Cardinalles in his Consistorie ⧠A Sermon made at Roome against the Pope in the yeere of our Lord. 1578. the .xxvi. daie of May and presented before the Pope in his Consistorie the .xxvii. day of that Moneth MAny there be well belooued who more rashly then wisely confesse the Pope of Roome to be Christe his generall Vicar heere on earth to be supreame head ouer all Churches the world throughout and to be the chéefest Shéepheard of Christe his flocke They take the Church of Roome to be our holie Mother the Church that her we must serue vpon her we must waite in her we must beléeue in her resteth our saluation and the slyding away from her is our condempnation Shee is the Church say they that cannot erre for shée is the spowse of Christe I wyll prooue bothe by the testimonies of the Scriptures and by the aucthorites of the graue and auncient Doctours that the Pope is not supreame head and that the Church of Christ is neyther in Roome nor in the Capitoll of Roome no more then it is in Egipt or the high pinacled Churches in Egipt But in euerie Nation and in euerie Countrey the men that feare God and worke righteousnes they are the house of God they are the Church Euerie chaste body is his holy Tabernacle and spirite and trueth is his heauenly worship They are the Church of God if they doo holde and shall holde the reioysing of theyr hope constantly and faithfully vnto the ende That such are the house of God Saint Paule sheweth in 1. Cor. 3.16 Nescitis quia templum Dei estis et spiritus Dei habitat in vobis Doo you not knowe that you are the temple of God and that the spirite of God dwelleth in you And againe 1. Cor. 6.19 An nescitis quoniam membra vestra templum sunt spiritus sancti qui in vobis est quem habetis à Deo Doo you not knowe that your body is the temple of the holie Ghost which is in you and which you haue of God And againe 2. Cor. 6.16 Vos estis templū Dei vini sicut dicit Deus Quoniam inhabitabo in illis et inambulabo inter eos et ero illorum Deus et ipsi erunt mihi populus You are the temple of the liuing God as God hath saide I wyll dwell in them and I wyll walke in them and they shall be my people and I wyll be their God And againe Ephe. 2.19 Iam non estis hospites et aduenae sed estis Ciues sanctorum et domestici Dei We be no more straungers and forreiners but fellowe Cittizens with the Saintes and of
the famillie of God In these all such places we be taught that the house of God is not any buylding of wood or stones nor any Cittie or any materiall Temple but man is the house of God as héereafter more manifestlie it shall appeare when I come to intreate of the Church But first I will begin with the Pope who arrogantlie nameth him selfe the vniuersall Shéepheard And his Schollers or subiectes are not afraide to say that hee béeing Bishoppe of Roome is the visible heade of the Churche in Christes stéede But this they cannot shewe by Scripture neyther dooth the Church require any such head for Christe is present with it as he hath promised Math. 28. Sum vobiscum vsque ad consummationem mundi I am with you alwayes euen vnto the ende of the world If the Pope be a visible head why is he not séene of all men why dooth he not gouerne all men in the Churche and giue nourishment vnto them as the head ought to doo why dooth he not preach vnto all people This he dooth not wherefore he is no visible head as he seemeth to pretend And surely to be the generall head ouer all is too great a matter and enterprise for any mortall man to take vpon him I am sure the Pope wyll graunt him selfe to be a member of this Catholique Churche if he then be a member howe can hée also be an head except the same thing shall be bothe an head and a member which is verie absurde and monstrous If he saye that he is a member Christ is his head onely and not any other why shall not Christe be as well a head for all These thinges we sée are verie chyldishe and fonde but yet they applie and saye that Christ sayde to Peter Thou arte Peter and vppon this Rocke wyll I builde my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuayle against it Nowe vppon this place our aduersaries the Papistes grounde this proposition the Churche is founded vppon Saint Peter Ergo Saint Peter was the head of the Church If Saint Peter be the head of the Church the Pope is his successour Ergo the Pope is the head of the Church I denie that Saint Peter was head of the Church and therefore is Saint Peter whose successour the Pope claimeth him selfe to be was neuer head of the Church howe can the Bishop of Roome be head The confession of our aduersaries is grounded vppon these woordes Tu es Petrus That is to saye Thou arte Peter And ours vppon this That it is sayde Super hanc Petram et non super te Petrum That is Vpon this Rocke and not vpon thee Peter In déede our sauiour Christe hath most manifestlie distinguished Petrum à Petra That is to say Simon Peter from the liuelie Rocke wherevpon he hath builded his Church chaunging bothe the name and the person The which our text plainly sheweth vs that which he would neuer haue doone if it ought to haue béene vnderstoode of Peter and not of the confession of Saint Peter I leaue it to the iudgement of euerie Christian whether it be more agréeable to the faith and more healthfull for the Church eyther that the Church be founded vpon Christe or vppon Peter vpon the sonne of the lyuing God vpon him that vanquished sathan or vpon him whome Christe him selfe in the verie same Chapter calleth Sathan him selfe Vpon him who is called the cheefe corner stone of the building or vpon him who is an offence vnto him that is to saye a stone of great stumbling None sayth Saint Paule 1. Cor. 3. Can laye any other foundation but that which is layde which is Christe Also Saint Peter sayth 2. Peter 2. You are as liuing stones built vpon the cheefe corner stone in whome who so euer beleeueth he shall not be confoūded That is to say in that cofession of Christ which he calleth the Rocke and foundation of the Church It appeareth then by this place that Christe hath builded it vpon him selfe and not vpon Simon Peter and vpon the confession of faith which Peter made and not vpon the faith of Peter which was too much wauering and vnstedfast And in verie déede where Saint Iohn reciteth this storie he resteth whollie vpon Peters confession Iohn 6. And therefore by the Rocke he meant him selfe For when Peter had sayde Tu es Christus filius Dei Thou art Christe the sonne of God Christe sayde to him Vpon this Rocke will I builde my Church And in that place he giueth no more to Peter in the Keies which is the binding and loosing of sinners then he giueth them all else where As in Iohn 20. when he sayde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Receyue the holie Ghost whose sinnes so euer ye remit they are remitted whose sinnes so euer ye retaine they are retained Héere all haue as much as Peter And what hath the Pope to doo with these words which followeth not Peter neyther in life nor doctrine A strange thing it is to sée howe they builde their kingdome vpon Peter and whatsoeuer is sayde of him they take it to them selues But before they can prooue any thing in déede they must prooue these thrée points vnto vs if they will haue the Pope to be the supream head of the whole Church which they shall neuer be able to doo by the Scriptures as long as they liue First they must prooue that Peter was chéefe and head of all the Apostles Secōdlie that hée was at Roome and sate there as Bishoppe generall Thyrdlie that he left all the title preheminence of his seate to his successours whatsoeuer If they prooue the two first poynts as they can not yet they make nothing against vs although we should graunt it them vnlesse they prooue the thirde which they shall neuer be able to doo that Saint Peter hath left all his aucthoritie to his successours after him for euer Saint Paule in his Epistle saluted manie that vvere Christians at Rome but of S. Peter he made no mention if S. Peter had bin at Rome he had not forgotten to haue greeted him as vvell as the rest The Epistles of Saint Peter are extant but no mention there is that eyther hee was at Roome or was cheese of the Apostles or supreame head of the Church or that his successours should play Rex ouer all men and be the rulers of all Churches in the worlde For as much then that neyther by the writinges of Saint Peter nor any other Apostle of Christe our aduersaries can prooue the Pope to be any Ecclesiasticall head to this Church but Christe Iesus alone who is alwayes present with it and euer walketh in the middest of the seuen golden Candelstickes so that hee néedeth no Vicar generall or vniuersall Bishoppe Let vs déerely belooued as we looue the Lord Iesus our head and tender the saluation of our owne soules flée farre from the Pope and all his adherentes Traditions Decrées and Pardons least hee make marchandize
the auncient Fathers much to blame who in setting downe the Articles of our Creede dyd neglect and lightly passe ouer this vpstart Article of the Romish sea that where we be commaunded to beléeue one Catholique and Apostolique Church they dyd not in manner commaund vs to beléeue the Romaine Church withall Héereby you perceyue well enough my fréendes into what combersome straights and absurdities the Papistes haue hurled them selues by their blinde and vnaduised rashnesse For first if no certaintie of saluation be to be hoped for out of the Church which Church must be without all question that same verie Church of Roome as they frame theyr argumentes and that the Church of Roome be none other but the same which is strained and straighted to the vniuersall commaundementes and decrées of the Bishoppe of Roome Nowe then they doo exempt out of the priuiledge of the Church not onely this our English nation but together with them also they doo exclude out of the number of the Catholique Church infinite other famous learned Clarks of the auncient and pure age of the Church as Doctors Patriarches and Bishoppes yea amongst these also all the Bishoppes of Roome as many as were Gregories predecessors But what néede many proofes in a matter of it selfe so manifest and well knowne Vndoubtedlie sithens Christe would vouchsafe to lay the first foundation yea and to build vp that beautifull and euerlasting building of his owne house vpon none other ground worke then vpon that corner stone of Christian faith and Christian confession And if Paule doubted nothing to recoumpt the same faith to be the only and infallible shoote-Ancker of saluation By what Lawe then will the Pope adiudge them as out-castes worthy to be banished from the Catholique and Apostolique Church which professe the selfe same faith of Christe that the Apostles and other Catholique Churches dyd professe Why should the Papistes thus cruelly deale with the Christians for following Christe and his Apostles Why should they thus furiously persecute the godlie burne them or consume them in prison for denying the Romaine Church to be the holie Catholique Church Séeing that no mention thereof is made to be such a Church as the Papistes would haue it to be throughout all the Scriptures But we gather by the Scriptures that the Church of Roome is the Church of the deuill for if the Church of Roome were the true Church of Christe Christes sheepe heare his voice But the Church of Roome heareth not his voyce but heareth rather the voyce of Courtezanes therefore it is not the true Church but the Sinagogue of Sathan Shee wryteth in her coyne That Kingdome and people that doo not obey mee shall be rooted out contrarie to that the Kinges of Nations beare rule ouer them but ye shall not so doo therefore shée 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 faith because they haue no knowledge therfore this Church is not the true Church Shée committeth idolatrie and spirituall adulterie many wayes therefore shée is not the holie Catholique Church The Church of Roome numbers her multitudes as Dauid nūbred his Souldiors and therfore shée is not the holie Catholique Church These Papistes are like Cockles they carry theyr house about with them so doo they theyr Church Aspalathus will not growe but in Boetia ye kill these men if ye take away the couerture of the Church of Roome This Church is the ritch Arras that couereth all her faultes follies But admit good people that we were wunderfull hūble obediēt to this Church and most willing to come againe as foolishe Béetles to the shirt of this Church and to aske of her questions and demaundes I protest before heauen and earth and the founder of them bothe that I thinke it not good we should be holde in asking for the great imminent daunger in her aunswering For if we aske Whether Iesus be Christe or no This Romishe Church giueth out her aunswere That the Bishop of Roome is the high Preest and that the sayde Bishoppe hath the strength of the kingdome of Christe and the infallible veritie of a Prophete And therefore they allowe to ouer rule Christe by adding and taking too and fro his woorde If we aske If Christe were the onely oblation offered once vp for all for the sinnes of the world Her aunswere is verie daungerous That the Masse is a sacrifice for the quicke and the dead And shee falleth into commendation of her wheaten God and dooth attribute the health of the world to that abhominable bread and Idoll If we aske her If Christe be her intercessour to God Shée aunswereth vs most wickedlie Iure Matris imperat That Christe forsoothe 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 Shée aunswereth That hee may ouertake heauen of him selfe and well enough by him selfe worke out his owne saluation Aske her What faith is And shee wyll tell of an implicite thing and of a generall faith and to be holden fast by that hand there shée kéepeth silence and is as spéechlesse as a Fishe If we aske her What the Lawe is Shée ladeth our shoulders with the heauy Ceremonies of Judaisme and Paganisme If we aske her What the Gospell is Shée maketh voide Gods promise with her owne Iustice If we aske her Of good workes Shee aunswereth iust lyke Saint Lukes Pharasie Then againe shée deuiseth good workes to be thus to hyre certayne men for money to pray and to mumble vp much quantitie of Psalmes in a couert tongue to kéepe huge troughes of Ling and Saltfishe many yéeres to waxe spéechlesse with seldome speaking to waxe lame with much sitting to vse many knottes in theyr gyrdles and many windowes in theyr showes to be buried in Monkishe wéedes and Nunnishe Cowles c. If we aske her Of the number of Christes Sacramentes Shee aunswereth That there be seuen Without Scripture shée hath added fiue to Gods two as though God hath let her his two Sacramentes to vsurie If we aske her Whether we goe after this life Shée telleth vs of Virgils Platoes and Mahomets Purgatorie If we should say vnto her Fayre Church of Roome whether is thy belooued gone Shée would say He went in his body to harrowe hell And then I wyll aske her Howe she can aunswere to Signum Ionae et signum Lazari The signe of Ionas and the signe of Lazarus that Christe should be three dayes in his graue If we would say Fayre Church of Roome whether is thy belooued gone Shée wyll say To heauen But then shée dreameth grosely of heauen as Mahomet and besides that in euerie hyll Alter and grone Alter shée wyll saye Here is Christe and there is Christe The more shée aunswereth the more shée aunswereth of lesinges Vneath hath shée nowe these many long yéeres aunswered any
to beléefe for they haue left scarse any sence or memorie of the true members of Christes Church If we beléeue the Romaine Church to be The holie Catholique Church The Scriptures are against vs theyr owne Doctours are against vs and the definition of the word Church is against vs. Shall we beléeue the building of Saint Peters Church to be our holie Mother the Church Beléeue it who that will and I assure him that he hath not the true Church on his side nor the Gospell to excuse him Séeke for this Church whereof Christe is head and not the Pope in this Church haue we lybertie not to doo euyll but to doo good The Churth of Roome bringeth to our lyfe myserable bondage Whyles we are in the Church of Christe wée hope for the promises of lyfe euerlasting but whyles wée stande in the Churche of Roome wée stande in feare and terrour of eternall condempnation to come vppon vs for our sinnes in the day of death Through Christe who is the head of this true Churche wée sée our sinnes purged the Deuill vanquished death and condempnation abolished and our selues in the lybertie of the chyldren of God to crie Abba Father Thus much touching the Church ¶ Of the infallible perfect ground and sufficiencie of the Scriptures to the eternall comfort and consolation of all true Christians and vtter confusion of the Pope and all his adherentes BEcause the Papistes affirme and boldly say that the Scriptures are not sufficient for a man therby to knowe the trueth by the which he may be saued it is erpedient and néedefull at this present tyme to heare what the Scriptures and Doctors doo say therevnto First I will beginne with the Scriptures as with the veritie it selfe and then with the Doctors who ground theyr argumentes and reasons vpon the worde of God which is the holy Scripture Although it behooueth man earnestly to bende his eyes to consider the workes of God For as much as he is set as it were in this gorgeous stage to be a beholder of them yet principallie ought be to bend his eares to the Scriptures that he may better profite thereby and sooner learne the trueth by the which he may be saued And therefore it is no meruayle that they which are borne in darknesse doo more and more waxe harde in theyr amazed dulnesse because verie fewe of them doo giue them selues pliable to learne of the worde of God whereby to kéepe them within the boundes but they rather reioyce in theyr owne vanitie Thus then ought we to holde that to the ende true Religion may shine amongst vs we must take our begynning at the heauenlie doctrine and that no man can haue any taste be it neuer so little of true and sounde doctrine vnlesse he haue béene Scholler to the Scriptures And from hence groweth the originall of true vnderstanding that we reuerentlie embrace whatsoeuer it pleaseth GOD therein to testifie of him selfe for not â—nely the perfect and in all poynts absolute faith but also all right knowledge of God springeth from obedience and truely in this behalfe God of his singuler prouidence hath prouided for men in all ages For if we consider howe slippery an inclination mans minde hath to slide into by forgetfulnes of God how great a readinesse to fall into all kinde of errours howe great a lust to forge oftentimes new and counterfeyt Religions The onely fall of man into so many and sundrie euyls is the forgetfulnesse of God We may thereby perceyue how necessarie it was to haue the heauenly doctrine so put in writing that it should not eyther perishe by forgetfulnesse or growe vaine by errour or be corrupted by boldnesse of men Sith therfore it is manifest that God hath alway vsed the helpe of his worde towardes all those whome it pleased him at any tyme fruitfully to instruct because he foresawe that his Image imprinted in that most beautifull forme of the world was not sufficiently effectuall therfore it behooueth vs to trauaile this straight waye if we earnestlie couette to attayne to the true beholding of God we must I saye come to his worde wherin God is well and liuelie set out by his workes when his workes be weyed not after the peruersenesse of our owne iudgement but according to the rule of the eternall trueth If we swerue from that worde as I sayd euen nowe although we runne neuer so faste yet we shall neuer attayne to the marke because the course of our running is out of the way For thus we must thinke that the brightnesse of the face of God which the Apostle calleth Rom. 16. such as can not be attained vnto is vnto vs lyke a Maze out of which we can not vnwrappe our selues vnlesse we be by the line of the worde guided into it And therfore Dauid Psalm 9. et 96.97.99 c. oftentimes when he teacheth that superstitions are to be taken away out of the world that pure Religion may florishe bringeth in God reigning meaning by this worde reigning not the power that he hath but the doctrine wherby he challengeth to him selfe a lawfull gouernment because errors can neuer be rooted out of the hearts of men tyll the true knowledge of God be planted Therefore the same Prophete after that he hath recited Psalm 19.21 That the heauens declare the glorie of God that the fyrmament sheweth foorth the workes of his handes That the orderlie succéeding course of dayes and nightes preacheth his Maiestie then he descendeth to make mention of his worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The lawe of the Lorde is vndefiled conuerting soules sayth Dauid the witnesse of the Lorde is faithfull giuing wisdome to lyttle ones The rightfulnesse of the Lord is vpright making hearts cheerefull the commaundement of the Lord is bright giuing light to the eyes For although he comprehendeth the other vses of the Lawe yet in generallitie he meaneth that for as much as God dooth in vaine call vnto him all Nations by the beholding of the heauen and earth therefore this is the peculiar schoole of the children of God The same meaning hath the .xix. Psalme where the Prophet hauing preached Of the voice of God which in thunder winds showers whirle-winds and stormes shaketh the earth maketh the mountaines to tremble and breaketh the Ceder trees In the ende at last he goeth farther and sayth That his prayses are sung in the Sanctuarie because the vnbeleeuers are deafe and heare not all the voices of God that resound in the ayre And in lyke manner in an other Psalme 93.5 after that he had described the terrible waues of the sea He thus concludeth Thy testimonies are verified the beautie of thy Temple is holinesse for euer And out of this meaning also proceeded that which Christe sayde to the woman of Samaria Iohn 4.22 That her Nation and the rest did honour that which they knewe not and that onely the Iewes did worshippe the true God For whereas
qui misit me Patris He that looueth me not keepeth not my words and the word which ye heare is not mine but the fathers which sēt me If we wyll be contented with the scriptures onely and goe no farther we shall receyue great benefite thereby The blinde shall see the deafe shall heare the dumbe shall speake the lame shall walke fooles shall be wise the sicke shall be whole the dead shall reuine The embracing of the worde of GOD hath made many Papistes The inestimable benefite that proceedeth by the word of God good Christians many persecutours holy Martyrs many proude men humble many couetous mysers lyberall many cruell tyrantes mercifull fauourers many faithlesse faithfull many filthy fornicatours chaste many furious and wrathfull méeke and milde many slaunderers speakers of the trueth many backbiters penitent many slouthfull and drousie vigilant watchfull many fearefull bolde yea and contempners of Phalaris Bull many Saules many Paules many chyldren of darknesse the chyldren of lyght God by his worde offereth to vs his mercifull hande by faith we giue to God our hand and the Sacramentes are as a thirde hand which confirme and establish the ioyning of the other two together If you feare the iudgement of sinne this most precious word offereth you righteousnesse in Christe if you feare death it offereth lyfe if you feare the fire of hell it offereth the ioyes of heauen And bréeflie you haue in this word whence you may take bothe in lyfe recreation and in death preseruation bothe of body and soule euerlastinglie The word of God is water to refreshe vs and wine to chéere vs The vvorde of God is the vvhole direction of a mans life it is bread to strengthen vs and Manna to nourishe vs it is a treasure to enritch vs and a pearle to adorne vs it is a leauen to heate vs and salte to powder vs it is a sword to defend vs and a fire to purge vs it is a salue to heale vs and a lantorne to guide vs it it is a Trumpet to call vs and wisedome to instruct vs a way to dyrect vs and lyfe to reuiue vs. But alas we are so farre from labouring for this worde of God that wheras lyke good husband men we should labour and digge in the féeld and sell all that we haue to buie that féelde whereas lyke wise merchant men we should labour and séeke for good pearles and sell all that we haue to buie that pearle of great prise We sayth Saint Mathew 7. lyke dogs refuse holy things offered we turne about and teare them that doo offer them We lyke swine treade pearles vnder our feete and doo account this pearle this holy thing the worde of lyfe to be vnto vs a ring of golde in a swines snowte For doo the Papistes delight to heare Gods worde beholde yet they are lyke the deafe Adder which stoppeth her eares at the voice of the Charmer charme he neuer so wisclie Doo they looue the bringers of this word beholde yet there is in England an Adders broode a generation of Vipers If we haue more regard in the sayinges of the Papistes and put more confidence in theyr wordes then in the Scriptures howe can we without spéedie repentance but looke for the terrible stroke of vengeaunce God sayth Valerius Maximus hath feete of wooll hee commeth slowlie to punish but he hath handes of yron when he commeth he striketh sore Phillip king of Macedonia hearing of one in his kingdome which refused most vnthankfully to receaue a straunger of whome before he had béene succoured in shyp-wracke in extréeme néede For a woorthy punishment caused to be printed in his forehead with an whotte yron these wordes Ingratus Hospes An vnthankfull Guest So we by refusing his worde may we not thinke our selues woorthy of many whot yrons to print our vnthankfulnes to our shame Thus much for this part ¶ Of auricular Confession THus much you haue heard déerely belooued touching the sufficiencie of the worde of God I haue prooued the sufficiencie thereof bothe by the testimonies of the Scriptures as also with the aucthority of the Doctors Nowe I meane God wylling to confute auricular Confession bothe by Scriptures Doctors and Reasons The Papistes are not ashamed to say and write that it is needefull for all men and women and that it is necessarie for all that are come to the yéeres of discretion to confesse to theyr ghostlie Father maister popishe Préest whatsoeuer sinnes they haue committed If they refuse so to doo our holie Father the Pope wyll hang them in a Rope or send them to hell in ringing Papa Ioannas Bell. If they could prooue by the Scriptures auricular Confession to be lawfull and necessarie to obtaine forgiuenesse of sinnes then is it tollerable yea and commendable in respect of obedience to the worde of God to vse auricular Confession But if Scriptures thereof make no mention at all but rather disprooue such whispering of sinnes in the eares of doltishe Préestes I take such auricular Confession to be fonde foolishe and daungerous Doost thou reade O Christian man that euer the Patriarches were woont to confesse their perticular sinnes to Préestes as the Papistes doo at this tyme dyd the Prophetes vse such auricular Confession or did the Apostles or dyd the Disciples or dyd any of the Saintes of the primatiue Church reueale in secreate wise theyr particular faultes to any Confessour or to any Préest I reade of none If then the Patriarches the Prophetes In the Primatiue Church no confession euer heard of the Apostles the Disciples of Christe the holy Saintes of the Primatiue Church neuer vsed any auricular Confession why then should wée what example haue we to followe what commaundement is there giuen vnto vs to confesse our sinnes before the Préest what lawe dooth charge vs to recken vp all our sinnes Is not sinne forgiuen but vpon condition that there be an intent conceyued to confesse it where they bable that there remayneth no entrie into Paradise if occasion of confession be neglected Must all sinnes be reckened vp but Dauid as it is written Psalm 19.13 who as I thinke had well studied vpon the confession of his sinnes yet cryed out Who shall vnderstand my errors Lord cleanse mee from my secrete sinnes And in an other place Psalm 28.15 My iniquities haue passed abooue my head and lyke a weightie burden haue waxed heauy abooue my strength Truely he vnderstoode howe great was the bottomlesse depth of our sinnes howe many were the sortes of our mischéeuous dooinges howe many heads this monster Hydra dyd beare and howe long a tayle shée drewe after her Therefore he went not about to recken vp a register of them but out of the depth of euyls he cryed vnto the Lord I am ouerwhelmed I am buried and choaked the gates of hell haue compassed me let thy hand drawe me out which am drowned in the great pitte and am faynting and ready to die Who now may thinke vpon the
as good towardnesse as Tom Collier thy fathers man And where as more impudentlie then an Asse thou writest That the most parte of my reportes touching your treacheries and malicious practises against the Queenes Maiestie and her honourable Councell is vntrue If I wrote any thing otherwise then the trueth was why dydst thou not make mention thereof that I might haue purged my selfe of infamie and vntrueth But I wrote no more then trueth gaue place but in the booke of Pilgrimage I wyll discouer God wylling more at large your treasonable attemptes against the Crowne and dignitie against her honourable Councell and against her common weale I haue spoken and doo speake and wyll speake nothing else but trueth of you But it is as harde a thing to heare trueth of you as it is for the Pope to giue his Miter away to poore beggers And finally where as thou concludest thy Lybell with these wordes That there shall neuer want vacabounds and runnagates for gaine If thou wylt haue these wordes to haue relation to thy selfe and to thy brothers who in déede are Vacabounds and runnagates from Tauerne to Tauerne from Towne to Towne from Shiere to Shiere Thou sayst well and truely and I goe not about to disprooue thy wordes but if thou meanest of me I am no runnagate I stay in one place and am not affrayde to shewe my face in the presence of you all if I could tell where to finde you But you are not farre vnlyke to the théeues who in the day tyme sléepe or lurke in Caues and in the night tyme raunge abroade I thinke you meete bothe together on the plaines of Salisburie the theefe he séeketh but the purse but you are not contented with the purse but seeke to bereaue a man of his body and soule We had more néede by a great deale if we haue respect to the safetie of our bodies and soules to take héede that we be not deceyued by the craftie iugling of these wandering Popish Préests Thus haue I aunswered to euerie particular Article contayned in the infamous Lybell against me written and I thought it good to containe the same in this Epistle written vnto you worshipfull Company for this cause onely For that they say That I attempted many most malicious thinges betweene the Prince of Orainge and the King of Spaine If you heare and vnderstand it of credible persons that I was such a fellowe as they report me to be I desire you as not compelled to make mention thereof in your Letters and conuay it to London I am sure and certaine that there is no man can auouch that I was such a fellowe as they make me to be I confesse my life hath béene wicked and lewde but neuer so wickedlie and lewdlic bent as the Papists doo report They say I am irreligious I am altogether giuen to vngodlinesse God hath forsaken me there is no hope of my saluation This is but theyr rashe iudgement God forgiue them I wishe them well to doo God graunt them a penitent heart and a tongue to speake trueth I am not the first that hath béene wrongfullie slaundered nor shall be the last There is a Popishe Préest héere in England that reported that he knewe him selfe bothe noble men worshipfull and Preachers héere in this Land to be of the householde of Atheisme But as I told so tell I againe that Papists can doo nothing else but lye and falselie report I leaue héere to trouble you any farther beeing otherwise occupied with waightier affayres then to obtaine fitte opportunitie and leasure to peruse this rude Letter of mine Pray that I may stand fast to the glorie of his name and the good example of others whose lyke conuersation I doo heartily wishe in the Lord. And so desiring your good prayers to Iesus Christe worshipfull Company to assist me with his grace that I may persenere in this his gratious calling to the end and in the end The Lord Iesus gouerne and guide you in true obedience of his glorious Gospell to the glorie of his name Amen Your fellow seruant in the Lord. Iohn Nichols ⧠The Oration made at Roome before the fowre Cardinalles of the Inquisition and the Dominican Inquisitour presented also before the Pope the .xxvii. day of May. 1578. YOu commaunded me most illustrious and most reuerend Cardinalles to write what I could against our holie Father the Pope and against the Catholique faith What your meaning is herein I knowe not if you seeke to knowe what learning I haue I confesse I haue none the time of my studies in the flourishing Vniuersities of England hath beene but short my maintenance in other common Schooles dured but for a small space of time wherfore neither in the Vniuersities neither yet abroade in the countrie could I reape any sound and vnconfused knowledge in good Letters therefore you may easilie be persuaded that if you require of me that which you would of a learned Scholer demaund my want of learning and rudenesse of inuention is such that I can not sufficiently whereas I gladly would accomplishe your request according to your minde If your desire be to vnderstand howe in times past liuing in blindnesse and errour Marke heere I counted the bright shining beames of Christ his Gospell blindnesse and the preaching thereof the preaching of errour I subuerted corrupted and prophaned as much as I could the doctrine of our holie mother the Church Scilicet If you are desirous to knowe wherein I haue offended our holie Father the Pope and wherin I haue more tashly thē wisely spoken against the catholique Religion to obey your cōmaundement I did what I could to put in writing such words as I vsed against him and his Religion and trusting to your woonted clemencie in forgiuing my trespasse I write as boldlie as if I were in England if I did not so your commaundement should not be accomplished Wherefore how so euer I speake be not greeued and turne not therefore your fatherly fauour from me the fault is not in me to write the thing commaunded I write what I spake whiles that I lyued in England and I spake as I was taught nowe I write that which I hate but spake then that which I lyked This is a newe metamorphesis of a Collier to become a Scholler of a plow-man a Preacher and of an heretique to become a catholique there are colliers that haue gon to schoole haue read there is but one God one Baptisme one faith in Iesus christ why are they not schollers There are plow-men that can teache theyr household to looue God aboue all things to loue one another as god loued vs and gaue his only begotten sonne to reconcile vs vnto him beeing his enimies transgressours of his holie law and commaundement and are they not Preachers Heretiques will become catholiques if they consider and examine the corrupt lyuing of babling Preachers their vsurping of Ecclesiasticall liuinges their ambition to higher degrees of
promotion their vnsatiable and inordinate couetousnesse their proude and statelie going in ruffian-like apparell their too much pampering of hungrie gorges their excessiue lauishnesse in riotous expences their vnstablenesse of promise their swearing and forswearing them-selues for the value of a strawe their wanton and lasciuious songs vpon ale-benches and finally pōdering of their dissolute behauior in words gesture If they teach the people one thing and doo an other what hope can the people haue to be saued what comfort doo they receiue what confidence are they boūd to giue to his preaching or to his glorious wordes howe can he abolishe sinne ouerthrowe God his enimies treade downe Sathan roote out idolatrie confound hell and establishe trueth howe can the Gospell encrease righteousnesse shine God haue the glorie if Ministers should be the example of all euill to whome as they saye the worde of God is cōmitted to instruct the people how to please the Lord and maker of heauen and earth in all holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of their liues Is it maruaile that the people doo amisse and swerue from the trueth truelie I am thorowlie persuaded that as they are farre from God in life and conuersation so farre they are from him in faith and good Religion if their Religion sauoured not of heresie would God punishe them as he dooth What contrarietie in Religion is there amongst them one professeth this doctrine and another professeth that one crieth Ecce hic est Christus Ecce ibi est Behold heere is Christe sayth one and we haue the best Religion though the Pope say naie But the other sayth no they haue not the trueth on their side this faith wherevpon we build this Religion wherevnto we trust euerie man of what degree so euer high or lowe poore or ritch noble or ignoble ioyfully ought to embrace and gladlie receyue By this Religion we shall be blessed and inherite an euerlasting crowne of heauenlie glorie One saith he is a Zwinglian and an other sayth he is an Annabaptist one sayth he is a Lybertine and an other sayth he is a Puritane one sayth he is a Caluinist and an other sayth he is a Lutherane Good God howe many Religions be there if there were many Gods I would not woonder at their varietie in Religion But seeing there is but one God who made all thinges hath ordayned all thinges in a dewe order the Sunne to rule by daye the Moone by night the earth to bring foorth her encrease and the waters not to passe their dewe boundes who ruleth all thinges and at whose becke all thinges doo appeare in whome we haue our life our beeing and essence VVhy should there be such diuersitie in Religion such varietie in opinions such contrarietie in matters touching our saluation There is but one GOD there ought to be but one Religion There is but one trueth what needeth so many dissentions so many controuersies and so many alterations from the trueth But their life is so wicked and prophane so rechlesse and lewde that they wyll haue their Religion correspondent and agreeable to their conuersation He that is rocked in the cradle of sinne and securitie he that is nusled in wantonnes and brought vp in delightes he that is choaked with worldlie cares of this life he whose bellie is his god he whose money is his onelie ioye and he whose land is his onely trust regardeth more these corruptible fleeting vanities then the incorruptible and immutable trea sures of heauēlie Paradise He whose whole trust and confidence is in sensible pleasures must be depriued of insensible delightes He whose care is greater to become ritch and stately in the sight of the world then to become poore in spirite and meeke in conuersation passeth not much what Religion to professe so that his state be not impaired but rather to higher dignitie promoted Howe esteemeth he Religion which obstinatelie persisteth in sinne walloweth in sensualitie and liueth in wickednesse is he religious which carefully obserueth not the lawes of the most righteous and almighty God but liueth securelie without all feare of his maiestie In verie deede the life deedes and conuersation of heretiques doo plainlie shewe that they more abhorre and feare the odious name of an Epicure or Saduceie then they doo the nature For what think they the soule to be immortall who liue not farre better then the brutish beasts which follow nature but they degenerate from nature and are by reason of their corrupt life inferiour to the beasts of the feeld Be they persuaded that God rewardeth the godly in heauen or punisheth sinners in hell with endlesse torments In euery trifling thing they dread not to violat the cōmaundements of God and run headlong into sinne euen as though they did either thinke that God were but a vaine fay ned thing or beleue that when the body dieth the soule likewise perisheth and commeth vnto to nothing They liue so idle carelesse and secure in their callinges that GOD must surelie plague them at length and bring them to confusion They respect the safetie and prosperitie of their bodies heere on earth rather then the saluation of theyr soules in the kingdome of Christ They rather obey the wordes of Cambyses for temporall gaine then the warning of Christ for eternall happinesse Whereby it comes to passe that they haue commonlie fayre bodies but deformed soules much goodes but little goodnesse and glorious they seeme in the sight of men outwardlie but odious inwardlie in the eyes of God For it is harde to finde a man sayth Aristotle Lib. 2. Rhet. 1. ad The odetem Cap. 10. vvhich in prosperitie is not proude disdainfull and arrogant of which sort are they whome clients whome aucthoritie whome fauour of men hath exalted and so enioying theyr heartes desire they are of minde that no aduersitie can hurte them And what is that as Dauid sayde The vngodlie hath sayde in his heart tushe I shall neuer be cast downe there shall no euill happen vnto me But the fayrest Oke is soonest cast downe the fattest Oxe is readiest for slaugher And the felicitie of fooles is their owne destruction sayth Salomon Prouer. Chap. 1. Psalm 73. For howe suddenlie doo they consume vanishe and come to fearefull ende yea euen as a dreame are they when one awaketh Lorde when thou raysest the dead thou wylt despise their Image Thou wylt punishe them and reward them according to their deserts if they wyll not amend and timelie bee conuerted to the trueth and hartelie embrace the Decrees and constitutions of our holye Mother the Churche God will surelie one daie be reuenged on them not onely in hell with euerlasting paine but also in this life with infinit miseries and a laborinth of intricate euyls VVhat doo I say one day yea God already for their wickednesse and sliding from our holie Mother the Church hath greeuouslie afflicted them and brought them to extreeme calamities wretchednesse and desolation With how many troubles with how