speech of that learned father is truely verified this day in the church of Antichrist where the Papists can make their Crosses to speake their Idolles to goe their images to weepe to sweate to laugh to shift themselues from place to light their owne lamps Yea the vnholy fathers of the societie of Iesus to set a glorious countenance of their miracles tell vs in great sadnes that with their holie-water they haue calmed the Sea chased away mice out of the countrey and haue made barren women to conceiue and beare children But against such miracle-mongers saith Augustine My God hath armed mee saying Tractat in Ioh 13. in the latter dayes there shall arise false Prophets working signes and wonders to deceiue the very Elect of God if it were possible True it is the Apostles wrought miracles but it was thereby to confirme the Gospel they preached as the Euangelist writeth The Lord wrought with them Mar 16.20 confirmed the word with signes that followed And the Apost to the Hebrues likewise saith that saluation at the first begā to be preached by the Lord was confirmed vnto vs by them that heard him meaning the Apostles bearing witnes thereunto with signes wonders with diuers gifts of the holy Ghost Heb 2.3.4 according to his will In the first beginning then and gathering of the church miracles were necessarie But as when wee goe about to plant a tree so long we water it vntill we see it hath takē root but when it is once substantially grounded and branches spread abroad wee take no more paine to water it So likewise as long as the people of the world were altogether faithlesse this meanes of miracles for confirmation of doctrine was of Indulgence graunted then But when once spirituall instruction had taken better place the corporall signes surceased straight The kingdome and Church of Christ was planted in the power of doctrine and miracles by the power of the holie Ghost Now therefore it is against faith if any looke for miracles againe to confirme the Gospell which is alreadie so confirmed that if an Angell from heauen should preach vnto vs any otherwise then that which hath bene preached vnto vs let him be accursed Seeing then the doctrine this day taught professed and preached in the Church of England is the verie same doctrine which Christ himselfe deliuered to his Apostles and they to their aftercommers there needeth no other confirmation by miracles to be wrought by vs. Thus haue I with what perspicuitie and breuitie the proportion of the time allotted vnto mee would permit runne ouer this portion of holy scripture The Lorde giue a blessing vnto the wordes which you haue heard this day with your outward eares out of my mouth and by the secret working of his holy spirite giue such force vnto them that they may become fruitfull in the hearts of you all And forasmuch as the Lord in these Halcion and happie dayes of ours hath dealt with vs in farre greater mercie then hee hath done with any other nation besides in that wee haue of his great clemencie these many yeares together enioyed with libertie of bodie and freedome of conscience the greatest ioy and felicitie that euer betided any people euen the sincere preaching of his most sacred word and Gospell with the right and due administration of his Sacraments with health peace libertie and quietnesse vnder the wise godly and most peaceable gouernment of his chosen seruant Elizabeth our late Queene and Mistrisse now at this time vnder the gouernement of our most gracious Soueraign Lord King Iames whose life the Lord preserue and long continue among vs that considering how the Lord hath multiplied his graces and blessings vpon vs that we may euermore continue constant and stedfast in the profession of his eternall truth that what opposition soeuer we find in the world of fawning flatterie or persecuting crueltie that we neuer suffer our selues to be remoued from the same but that we may striue for the truth euen to death holding fast that which we haue vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ that we neuer halt or double in matter of religion nor waue betweene two opinions but that wee may stedfastly cleaue vnto the Lord all the daies of our life that wee neuer admit any fellowship or communion with the Church of Rome knowing that the whole religion of poperie wherein it differeth from vs is nothing else but a most wicked apostacie from the ancient faith So that being confirmed and strengthened and established in that Gospel which hath beene preached vnto vs which we haue receiued wherein we continue and which is able to saue vs we may euery day more and more grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ to the which Christ Iesus together with the father and the holy Ghost be ascribed all power glory dominion and Maiestie both now and euermore Amen FINIS
they could not agree together and contrarie to his word they would not seeke to serue him and therefore chose rather to bee without Christ altogether then to worship him and others with him against his will and commaundement And verilie God will take it in better part that thou deuote thy selfe to any religion be it neuer so bad then to make a hodge podge of religion and so to haue a mixture of good and bad religion together insomuch that I am perswaded that the worship of Mahomet lesse offendeth God then when such as are by profession Christians shall giue diuine honour to a piece of bread Eze. 20.39 As for you ô house of Israel saith God by the Prophet Ezechiel goe you and serue euery one his Idol seeing you will not obey me pollute my holie altar no more with your giftes and with your Idolls Where the Prophet intimateth that God had rather that the Israelites should bee professed Idolaters then to pretend his holie name with such corruptions True religion will admit no mixture but is simple God himselfe said Thou shalt not let thy cattell gender with diuers kindes Leui 19.19 Thou shalt not sowe thy fielde with mingled seede neither shall a garment of diuers colours come vpon thee signifying that wee must sticke to one religion which indeed requireth the whole man and cannot endure any doubling in the worship of God nor any blending of Iudaisme and Christianisme together nor any reconciliation at all betweene Christ and Belial betweene the table of the Lorde and the table of diuels betweene God and Melchom It is not possible that one wombe should containe Iacob and Esau one house the Arke and Dagon one temple prayer and merchandise one heauen Michaell and the Dragon and so God hauing ordained his Law stricktly to be kept without declining either to the right hand or to the left giueth vs to vnderstand that hee himselfe will be serued alone without corriualles of his glorie with all our heart strength and soule Sonne saith God giue mee thine heart Pro 23.26 and let thine eyes delight in my wayes but Sathan willing to part stakes with God crieth out with the Harlot Nec mihi nec tibi sed diuidatur Let honour and glorie and worship bee neither mine nor thine 1. King 3. but let it be diuided But the Lorde our God beeing a iealous God will not be crowded in a corner of the heart but he will haue either all thine heart or no part at all either all glorie or no glorie aut Caesar aut nullus And so we are taught by the word of God in Deuteronomie Deu. 61.4.5 Heare ô Israel the Lord our God is Lord only thou shalt lette the Lorde thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule and with all thy might that is we must loue God sweetely strongly perseuerantly Loue God with all thine heart that is kindely and affectionately Loue God with all thy soule that is wisely and discreetly Loue God with all thy might that is stedfastly and constantly Let the loue of thine heart inflame thy zeale towards him Let the knowledge of thy soule guide it with discretion Let the constancie of thy might and strēgth confirme it That is let thy loue bee feruent circumspect and inuincible So that thou maiest say with the Apostle I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities Ro 8.38 nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to seperate mee from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus my Lorde Out of that which hath bene already spoken touching this point of mingling Gods worship with the worship of any other this conclusion or corollarie may be deriued which is this that if either thou serue God with my other as Saints Angels or anie creature which the Papists doe Or if thou serue him alone any other way then he prescribeth thou louest him not but thou doest hate him yea extreamely hate him and shalt finde at his hands the reward of a deadly enemie Strange therefore must needs seeme to bee this Doctrine of the Papists wherein they teach that wee may honour God as wee our selues can best deuise That if our intent be good and our meaning be good it skilleth not how or in what manner wee worship him That these kindes of worshippings of God which come of our owne heads without the expresse commandemēt of God are the more agreeable vnto him the more they proceede of our selues Which doctrine of theirs is the maine proppe of all idolatrie and the very roote of all superstition For the wayes of God are not as our waies his thoughts are not as our thoughts hee hath bridled our deuotion and hath taught vs to worship him not in such sort as may seeme good in our eyes but onely as hee hath commanded vs. God commanded Moses to build the tabernacle according to that order and forme shewed him in the mount neither durst Moses adde or diminish any thing or to doe more or lesse then God appointed him Certaine it is that our good meanings make not our doings good Neither is our zeale a rule whereby wee may measure out either our Faith or our good workes but onely the knowne will and pleasure of God There wanted no good intent or good meaning either in the Israelites when they made a golden calfe Exod 3.2.4 or in Nadab and Al thu when they offered strange fire or in Saul when he spared king Agag or in Vzza Leuit 10.2 1. Sam 15.22 2. Sam 6.6 1. King 12.28 when he put his hand to the Arke to holde it nor in Ishu when hee would needs ioyne the worshipping of Ieroboams golden Calues with the worship of the true God of Israell and yet we see how that iealous God which could neuer abide to be worshipped otherwise then hee himselfe had giuen in commandement executed his fierce wrath vpon them all for their confected religions and halting consciēces And this for all the world is the very guise and manner of worship the papists vse True it is they worship God and they worship Christ but not according to his prescript but in ioyning the worship of other creatures with the worship of the only true God they proue themselues to be plaine Idolaters holding this for a most certaine doctrine that the Crucifixe is to be worshipped with the very selfe-same worship wherewith Christ himselfe is to be worshipped The difference then betweene the Papists and vs in the doctrine of the worship and seruice of God consisteth both in the manner and the matter of Gods worship In the manner of Gods worship wee vpon iust grounds doe varie from them because that whereas God being a Spirite loueth only such worshippers as worship him in spirite and truth and to that ende would haue religion it selfe to be free vnder very sure and most
common people to imitate such vices as they see in their Princes vnder whom they liue And let this suffice to haue obserued in the person of Ahab Touching the people whom the Prophet reproueth in this for their halting consciences and doubling in matter of religion we may see the pronenesse and inclination of mans corrupt kind and nature to the most abominable vice of idolatrie True it is that mans nature at the first had vnderstanding graunted to the end that the truth might be learned by them and the true worship of the one God the onely Lord and maker of all But the diuels malice craftily came in place and caused men to forget their owne estate and the maiestie of God for their owne imaginations So that flesh delighting in her owne deuises hath made vs prone aboue all other faultes to superstition and wicked worshippings Sundrie lawes and ordinances almightie God deliuered to his people to be kept yet concerning none other matter did he giue either mo or more earnest and expresse lawes than those that concerned the true worshipping of him and flying of idolles and images and idolatrie and yet it is strange to consider how the Iewes the onely chosen people of God notwithstanding they were so often and earnestly warned so dreadfully threatned concerning images so many times and so extreamely punished therefore should yet for all this like blinde men without all knowledge and vnderstanding dishonour and diminish the high maiestie of the liuing God by the basenesse and vilenesse of sundrie and diuerse images of dead stones and stockes and mettalles to whom they bowed and gaue worship The meanes how the people of the Iewes fell to such grosse idolatrie was partly by the inclination of their owne corrupt nature and partly occasioned by the gentiles and heathen people dwelling round about them which were idolaters for thus the Prophet Ezechiel testifieth of them that they were wont to say Eze. 20.32 we will be as the heathen and as the families of the countries and we will serue wood and stone We see how the Iewes forced Aaaron afore his brother Moses could descend from the mount to make them a golden calfe Vp say they to Moses Exod. 32.1 and Aaron make vs goddes that may goe before vs. Ezechiel affirmeth that when the Israelites were yet in Egypt they had rebelled against the Lord and had not cast away the abominations of their eyes nor yet forsaken the idolles of the countrie Yea when they were in the land of Canaan they had no sooner tasted of the sweetnesse thereof but when they saw euery hie hill and all the thicke trees they offered there their sacrifices Eze. 20 28. and there they presented their offerings of prouocation there also they made their sweete sauour and powred out there their drinke offerings We may reade and see in the booke of Iudges that notwithstanding God sundrie times most grieuously plagued them for their idolatrie yet still they went a madding after their idolles We see that after the zealous kings Ezechias and Iosias had reformed religion and reduced it to his ancient puritie the people were so prone to the contrarie that immediately the people after their decease returned to their vomite againe Yea when the ten tribes were brought to Captiuitie for seruing God otherwise then he would the tribe of Iuda was not by this their brethrens plague amended nor when they were brought vnder yoke themselues they considered any whit the cause of their distresse which was the forsaking of the Lord their God When they were in Babylon they went as neere as they could to the rites of gentilitie and returning againe into the land of promise vnder Antiochus they fell againe Such is and such hath alwaies been the violent perswasion of errour and such is the force of superstition that assoone as euer occasion is ministred our corrupt nature inclineth to it desiring alwaies of our selues to attemper goddes seruice to our outward senses That blessed impe our late Iosias K. Edward the 6. was no sooner departed this life but the common people of the land as though they had neuer heard of God neuer heard any Preacher that shewed them the good and right way were mad after pilgrimages pardons c with other such idle toyes No maruaile then if al men generally being as wel inclined of their owne corrupt nature to spirituall fornication as to carnall and that the nature of man is no otherwise bent to worshipping of images if he may haue them and see them then to whoredome and fornication in the company of harlots no meruaile I say if so many occasions being ministred partly by the Priests and Iesuites remaining in prisons and lurking in diuerse parts of this kingdome and partly by the comming in of forraine Embassadours into this land which are in right permitted to haue the free vse and exercise of the present Romane Religion there are so many of our people specially of women a sex euer too credulous and apt to beleeue which are like the idolatrous Iewes euen mad in running to heare and see a Priest say Masse which Masse they are strongly borne in hand that it is the most precious treasure and inualuable iewell that euer Christ left to his Church that the want thereof is to be redeemed not onely with the losse of an 100 markes but with the losse of an 100. thousand liues But to speake of the Masse as the truth of the thing requireth and as hereafter I will more largely proue this I say that the popish Masse as now it is vsed in the Church of Rome is a very sea of abominations a gulfe a hel of iniquitie the vilest villaine that euer crept into the Church of God being so many waies derogatorie to the death and bloodshedding of Iesus Christ wherein poore simple soules are forced to attribute diuine honour to a peece of breade which the Papists teach them to call their Lord and their God and also made beleeue that the very hearing of a Masse is auailable vnto them ex opere operato that is onely because it is said and done and lastly that the Masse in all respects of power and vertue is as auailable and effectuall for the remission of sinnes as was the sacrifice of Christ vpon the crosse the absurditie of which positions shall receiue a iust confutation when I come to lay downe such arguments and proofes as may be produced out of the word of God for the disprouing of their daily Sacrifice of their Masse Hauing thus farre spoken of the person of Elias and of the person of Ahab and of the people whom the prophet Elias thus reproueth The thing hee reproueth it remaineth now that I speake of the speciall thing which hee reproueth in them that is their halting betweene two opinions not being resolued whether God were the Lord or Baal Which may seeme the more strange that this people which were the seede of Abraham the Lords owne
purchased for vs eternall redemption Heb. 9.12 there needeth no more propitiatorie sacrifice to be made for sinne Where there is remission of sinnes alreadie obtained there is no more offering for sinne there needeth no more sacrifice to be offered Heb. 14.18 But Christ hath beene offered once to take away the sinnes of many Heb. 9.28 and by his owne blood he hath entred once to the holy place to obtaine eternal redēption for vs Heb. 9.12 Therefore the Masse cannot be a propitiatorie sacrifice for sinnes seeing alreadie by the death of Christ we haue remission of sinnes Lastly without blood and shedding of blood there is no forgiuenesse of sinnes Heb. 9.22 But in the daily sacrifice of the Masse there is no shedding of blood for they call their Masse an vnbloodie sacrifice Therefore in the sacrifice of the Masse there is no remission of sinnes and so by consequent the Masse can be no true propitiatorie sacrifice Thus we see how the doctrine of the popish Masse is ex diametro repugnant to the doctrine of the Apostle and to the whole order and institution of the Lords Supper A third very materiall and substantiall point of the Christian Catholike faith impugned this day by the present Romane Church is this that contrarie to the expresse words of our Sauiour Christ thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely thou shalt serue Math. 4.10 contrarie to the commandement which the Angel gaue to Iohn when he fell at his feete to worship him See thou doe it not Reue. 19.10 I am thy fellow seruant and of thy bretheren which haue the testimonie of Iesus worship God contrarie to the examples of Peter and Paul and Barnabas Act. 14.15 Which vtterly refused all manner of adoration Paul and Barnabas renting their clothes crying out to the people of Lycaonia O men why doe ye these things We are euen men subiect to the like passions ye be and preach vnto you that ye should turne from these vaine idolles vnto the liuing God which made heauen and earth and the sea and all things that in them are Act. 10.25 and Peter speaking to Cornelius Who at his first meeting of him fell downe at his feete and worshipped him said thus vnto him taking him vp stand vp for euen I my selfe am a man contrarie to the continuall and constant practise of the ancient Catholike primitiue Church of Christ which as S. Hierō witnesseth did neither worship Sunne nor Moone nor Angell nor Archangell nor Cherubin nor Seraphin nor any other name that is named either in this world or in the world to come least they should serue the creature in steed of the creator who is God blessed for euer contrarie to the determination of Gregorie the great and first of that name who also himselfe was Bishop of Rome and therefore his voice to be accounted as an oracle of God who albeit hee did well like the hauing of images in the Church yet he vtterly condemneth the idolatrous worshipping of them alleaging for proofe thereof the place of scripture before named Lib. 7. episto cap. 109. thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue All this I say notwithstanding the Church of Rome this day euen in this cleare light of the Gospel maintaines and defends the worship and adoration of Angels the worship of Saints departed the worship of the images of the trinitie the worship of the crosse and crucifixe the worship of images which they set vp in their Churches to the intent the people may attribute diuine honour vnto them and lastly the worship of their breaden-God their sacrament of the Altar as they terme it whom they call their Lord and their God crying out to a peece of bread O Lord O God O Lambe of God that takest away the sins of the world haue mercie vpon vs and receiue our praiers And verily were there no other cause to induce all good Christians to depart from the fellowship and communion of the Church of Rome this one doctrine of adoration wherein they teach the common people to call the sacrament their Lord and God and so by giuing the honour of God to a creature that is no God to commit grosse and manifest Idolatrie this point alone were cause sufficient for them to detest both them and their religion for euer Iere. 2.27 For what oddes I beseech you is there betweene those blind Iewes which said to a stocke thou art my father to a stone thou hast begotten me and those wilfull and blind Papists which cry vpon the Sacrament of the Altar in substance a base and corruptible creature Lord I am not worthie Lord be mercifull to me a sinner O Lord O God O Lambe of God receiue our praiers The one sort the H. Ghost hath traduced for a memorable and detestable crew of idolaters and so may we by the like reason and vpon as good ground and warrant condemne all the Papists liuing this day for most vile and shameful idolaters for adoring and worshipping a peece of bread O most horrible idolatrie Tully himselfe being an heathen man could say Who was euer so very a foole De natu deorum as to beleeue the thing he eateth to be his God The very children in Grammer Schoole can tell vs that the heathens that adored Bacchus and Ceres which first found out and taught the vse of breade and wine whereas before they had fed on achornes and dranke water yet notwithstanding they were neuer so foolish or so besotted as to giue godly honour to bread and wine By this then which hath bene alreadie spoken it is clearely proued that there is no compatibilitie betweene Protestancie Poperie and that the diuersitie betweene vs is of so materiall and needfull points that if they be right wee are wrong if wee be right they are wrong both they and wee cannot be both together Catholike members of the true Church The reason why wee cannot account Papists for members of the true Church is because they maintain sundry points which go directly against the Christian faith they doe not content themselues onely with Christ nor with his Sacraments but set vp other mediatours in heauen other doctrines and sacraments on earth Besides that as I haue alreadie proued they adore the creatures of bread and wine in steede of Christ They bow their knees to painted carued images they ioyne nature with grace mans merites with Gods mercies vnwritten verities with holie scriptures their owne satisfactions with the blood of Christ and so directly impugne sundrie fundamentall points of the Christian faith which generally otherwise they will seeme to hold Obiect But I heare some man saying vnto mee if the case be such the differences so great betweene the religion of the Papists and our religion how is it possible that any Recusant papist now liuing can be saued Solut I answer that as in the rebellion which Absolom made against his Father
grounds of religion wherein both sides doe agree that the papist himselfe might resort vnto it without any scruple or scandall if faction more then reason did not preuaile A third difference betweene our forefathers and our Romish recusants is this our forefathers neuer for their part euer vnderstood the mysterie of popish iniquitie but in singlenesse of their hearts embraced the generall doctrine of the Gospel concerning saluation by faith in Christ those damnable and treasonable positions which the Church of Rome proposeth to be holden as verities of the Catholike faith were neuer knowne in the daies of our forefathers that is these fundamentall points of popish religion viz that the Pope is gods vicegerent here on earth and therefore superiour to the King of England That it is the Popes power to depose the King of England and depriue him of his crowne That the Pope may absolue his subiects from their oath of allegiance to him That at the Popes commandement the people are to take armes against him That it is both lawfull and meritorious before God to kill and to murther any Christian Prince if he fall into tyrannie or misbeliefe The secrets of this occupation were neuer so much as heard of in those daies I meane this king-killing and Queene-killing Doctrine of the papists for proofe wherof I will alleadge vnto you one famous and memorable example as I find it recorded In the wofull warres with the Barons when King Iohn was viewing of the Castell of Rochest held against him by the Earle of Arundel he was espied by a very good Arcubalaster who told the Earle thereof and said that he would soone dispatch that cruell tyrant if he would but say the word God forbid vile varlet quoth the Earle That we should proue the death of the holy one of God What said the Souldiour swearing a monstrous oath he would not spare you my Lord if he had you at the like aduantage No matter for that quoth the Earle Gods good will be done and he will dispose thereof and not the king an answere fitting and beseeming that most noble Earle far contrarie to the practise of our powder-Traitors and likewise contrarie to the practise of the late popes of Rome who haue beene so farre off from sauing and sparing the life of Christian Kings and Princes that as Pope Hildebrand gaue the first president they haue hired Assacinours to murther them to lay violent hands vpon them as it is plainely to be proued by the practise of Pius quintus Gregory the thirteēth Sixtus quintus who not onely resolued that parricide of Princes was lawfull but promised both earthly and heauenly recompence to such as would offer their seruice to kill and murther them The truth whereof is clearely to be iustified by the letters of Cardinal Como written to William Parrie wherein contrarie to the manifest voice of God himselfe Thou shalt not kill he encourageth him to the slaughter of his liege Ladie and Mistrisse as to an honourable and holy exploite The last difference and oddes which I obserue betweene our forefathers our Romish recusants is this that they as they were generally forward and very zealous in that religion which they professed so were they as carefull to seeke all the good meanes they could to come to the knowledge of the truth they fasted often they praied much they were most diligent resorters to the house of prayer knowing that it was the place that God himselfe had made choise of to haue his name called on they would reade all such good bookes as possible they could come by for their better instruction in the knowledge of God and as it is recorded and storied of many of them they would sit vp all night in reading and hearing not caring for any expenses or charges so they might attaine to come by such bookes in english as they descried they would not sticke some of them to giue fiue markes for a Bible to reade in and many of them most willingly would giue a loade of haie for some few Chapters of Saint Iames or Saint Paul in English And therefore wee conceiue this good hope of them euen of all such who sought so carefully to vse al the good meanes whereby they might attaine to the sauing knowledge of truth although deceiued in some points yet that they had mercy shewed vnto them and doe rest in peace with God and that the same God who gaue them some measure of knowledge and would require of them according to that which they had and not according to that which they had not did receiue them into the number of his blessed and elect But the case of our recusants is a cleane other case They refuse almost al manner of conference with learned men they will not nor in deed dare onely for the feare of displeasing the Popes holinesse resort to our Churches as for 11. yeares together in the raigne of the late Queene of most precious and worthie memorie all the papists of this kingdome did and that without any scruple of conscience vntill they had receiued a countermand from the Bishop of Rome commanding them vpon paine of the blacke curse to come no more to the Church they are forbidden to reade the Scriptures the Bishops in Queene Maries daies caused it not onely to be accounted heresie but to be proclaimed fellonie for any lay man to haue an English Bible in his house for his priuate solace and comfort the learned treatises written by our men they permit not their Disciples once to reade but interdict them euen to many of their Seminarie Priests no maruaile then if taking this course the Iesuites and Priests keepe their lay followers in a perpetuall ignorance of true religion hauing once framed them to this principle that it is a deadly sinne either to reade the bookes of the Protestants or to heare their sermons or to be present at their seruice or to communicate with them in any religious dutie whatsoeuer And let thus much be spoken touching the Prophets reprouing of the Israelites for wauering and halting betweene two opinions It followeth in the next part to make proofe vnto you that God and Baal cannot both be ioyned together in one seruice There is a speech of Socrates greatly commended by S. Augustine De consen Euang. Li. 1. cap. 18. vnumquemque deum sic coli oportere quomodo seipsum colend m praeceperat That is euery God was to be honoured as u he himselfe had giuen in commandement Vpon which principle the ancient Romanes in the time of Tiberius the Emperour grounding themselues albeit they did admit the religion of all other gods yet by no meanes they could be induced to receiue the religion of the God of the Hebrewse The reason was this they saw it necessarie that either all their idolls must be excluded and onely the true worship of God entertained or hee onely not admitted the rest to be honored For by the word of God they found
die the death of those righteous persons and that his latter end might be like vnto theirs This is then the exhortation which Elias giueth to those wauing and wauering Israelites which could not resolue whether God or Baal was to be worshipped if God be the Lord follow him cleaue fast vnto him and serue him with all the desire of your hearts but God is the Lord yea the onely Lord therefore he onely is to be worshipped It is the Lord onely that formeth the light and createth the darkenesse it is he that hath made all things which hath spread out the heauens alone and stretched out the earth by himselfe it is he that can foretell things before they come to passe it is he alone that can say my counsell shall stand and whatsoeuer I will haue come to passe shall come to passe it is he that bringeth Princes to nothing and maketh the iudges of the earth as vanitie yea it is the euerlasting God that hath created the ends of the earth and bringeth out all their armies by numbers and calleth them all by their names And therefore he onely is the Lord. As for Baal if he be a God let him plead for himselfe against him that cast downe his Altar Iudi. 6.31 saith Ioas the father of Gideon after that his sonne had destroyed the Altar of Baal and cut downe the groue that was by it Baal can giue you nothing he can doe neither good nor euill and therefore he is no god though a man cry vnto him yet cannot he answere him nor deliuer him out of his tribulation and therefore he is no God The Papists are much grieued with vs because we will not acknowledge the Sacrament of the Altar to be our Lord and our God and thereupon cast this vniust aspersion vpon vs and falsely charge vs that We call the bodie of Christ an abominable idoll True it is indeed that we call that an abominable idoll Which they terme the body of Christ and vnder that pretence fall downe before it to worship it and call it Lord and God in doing whereof what other thing doe they but make a God of a peece of bread and vnder the name of the bodie of Christ set vp an Idoll in the Church of God But as for the bodie of Christ wee haue euermore confessed with Chrysostome that it is worthie of the highest honour 1. Cor Homil 14. as being inseparablie ioyned to his God-heade in one person sitting now at the right hand of God and wee adore it and worship it euen as the bodie of the sonne of God not onely for the turning of an hand as the Papists vse to do while the priest is able to hold vp the Sacrament and that with doubt of our selues whether wee doe well or no which thing is vtterly vncomfortable and dangerous and full of terrours to the conscience but we worship that blessed and glorious bodie as that blessed Martyr S. Stephen did being in heauen at the right hand of the power of God and therefore without doubt or danger and that at all times and for euer and we belieue and thus wee teach that Iesus Christ euen in the nature and substance of our flesh is the Lord in the glorie of God the Father Howbeit we say Christs bodie is one thing the Sacrament another The Sacramēt is an earthly thing Christs bodie an heauenly thing the Sacrament is corruptible Christs bodie is glorious the Sacrament is receiued into our bodies Christs body is only receiued into our soules and entreth not into our bodies S. Luke reporteth how that the Disciples of Christ being abashed at Christes suddaine presence among them Luk 24 38.39 and through feare supposing they had seene a spirite or Ghost our Sauiour spake vnto them in this manner Why are yee troubled and wherefore doe doubts arise in your hearts behold mine handes and my feete for it is I my selfe handle mee and see me for a spirite hath not flesh and bones as yee see me haue and so shewed them both his hands and his feete Euen so verily the Sacrament it selfe if it could speake would speake in this manner at the time of the eleuation to the standers by why doe such thoughts arise in your harts as to thinke that I am your Lord and God Why stand ye thus gazing thus knocking your breasts and bending your knees to me Handle me taste me and looke vpon me and see whether I haue not all the naturall properties of true bread that is whether I haue not the very forme shape sauour smell colour and weight of bread As for the bodie of Christ it cannot bee broken with hands or grated with teeth or conueied into the bellie as you see that I am The bread of life cannot be felt seene or tasted or discerned by any outward sence as you see that I am and therefore belieue them not which teach you otherwise for I am bread I am no God Quarta Pars. Hauing thus farre spoken of the exhortation of the Prophet Elias wherein hee exhorteth them to be constant in religion and constant in the confession of him which is the onely true God it remaineth now in the last place to shewe vnto you what the successe was which insued vpon the Prophets reproofe which at the first was thus that the people answered him not a word standing in doubt whether hee were the onely God or no. But a little afterwards when they saw how miraculouslie the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust and licked vp the water which was in the ditch 1. King 18.38 being moued with this strange and miraculous worke of God they were sodainly changed in their opinions and falling on their faces cryed out the Lord is God the Lord is God Where we may see that howsoeuer it may be that God permitteth his owne people for some certaine time to fall into manie dangerous errours yet such is his great mercie towards them that first or last he calleth them home againe and will not suffer them finallie to perish as here hee dealt with his owne people of Israell There is no one thing more commonly obiected by Papists against the religion of the Protestants then that as they say wee haue no miracles in our church If your Church be the true church if the doctrine you teach be the true Catholike faith of Christ where bee your miracles say they and where bee those signes and wonders among you which may proue vnto vs that your religion is of God To the which objection I answere with Chrysostome Opere imperfecto Hom 49. that there was a time wherein of olde it was knowne by miracles who were true Christians who were false and where a man might finde the true Church of God indeede but now saith hee the working of miracles is quite taken away and is rather found among them that are false Christians Which