of the last commandement perceiued thereby that the desires and lusts of his hart to which he did not yeeld his consent were sinnes damnable before God and knowing this he then saw himself to be most miserable renoūcing his owne righteousnes he sought for righteousnes in Christ. Lastly it teacheth that originall sinne is done away in Baptisme and that is the least sinne of all other What is this but to extenuate mās corruption for when the root of corruptiō is takē away and it is made so little a sinne actuall sinnes cannot bee taken for such heinous matters And for the second point the Church of Rome dooth too too much extoll the power of man and his naturall strength It saith that all actions of men vnregenerate are not sinnes and that originall sinne needeth no repentance that a man hath some free will to do spirituall things that a man by meere naturales may loue God aboue all things feare God beleeue in Christ if we respect the very acte of the worke that the Gentiles might gather out of Philosophie knowledge sufficient for saluatiō that a man without the helpe of the holy Ghost may performe things acceptable to God that the minde of man vnderstandeth of it selfe manye things which be spirituall and heauenly that a man regenerate may fulfill the whole lawe of God that a man may prepare himself to receiue grace to merit grace at Gods hands that he may do works of Supererogation c. By this it appeareth y t the church of Rome ascribeth to much to the nature of mā which is only altogether euill dead in sinne chained vp in miserable bōdage vnder Sathā the prince of darknes and therefore it is euident that all the preaching that is vsed in that Church will not humble a sinner and make him denie himselfe therefore their preaching may peraduenture benumme a corrupt conscience and make it secure but it cannot pacifie the troubled conscience nor disquiet it by the threatnings of the law that by the promises of the Gospell it maie be quieted Againe this religion teacheth that a man must doubt of his saluation as long as he is in this life behold a Racke or Gibbet erected by the church of Rome for the tormenting of tender consciences for when a man doubteth of his saluatiō he also doubteth of Gods loue and mercie to him he which doubteth of Gods loue cannot loue God again for how can anie man loue him of whose good will he doubteth and when a man hath not the loue of God in him he hath no grace in him therefore his conscience must needes be defiled and voide of true peace yea he must needes be a wicked man and that saying of Salomon must needes agree to him The wicked flieth whē no man pursueth by reason of the guiltines of his conscience but the godlie is bold as a Lion Againe Blessed is the man saith Dauid whose sinnes are pardoned where hee maketh remission of sinnes to bee true felicitie nowe there is no true felicitie but that which is inioied and felicitie cannot be inioied vnlesse it bee felt and it cannot be felt vnlesse a man know himselfe to be in possession of it a man cannot know himselfe to be in possession of it if he doubt whether hee hath it or not and therefore this doubting of the remission of sinnes is contrarie to true felicitie is nothing else but a torment of the conscience For a man cannot doubt whether his sinnes be pardoned or not but strait waie if his conscience bee not seared with an hoat iron the verie thought of his sinne will strike a great feare into him for the feare of eternall death and the horror of Gods iudgements will come to his remembrance the consideration of which is most terrible Vndoubtedlie this religion must needes be comfortlesse Alas poore men as we are we are no better then passengers in this worlde our waie it is in the middle of the Sea where wee can haue no sure footing at all and which waie so euer wee cast our eies wee see nothing but water euen opening it selfe to deuoure vs quicke the Diuell and our rebellious flesh raise vp against vs infinite thousandes of tempestes and stormes to ouerthrowe vs but beholde God of his great and endlesse mercie hath brought vs to Christ as to a sure Ancker holde hee bibddeth vs to vndoo our Gables and fling vp our Anckers within the vaile and fasten them in Christ we do it as we are commanded but a Sister of ours I meane the Church of Rome passing in the Ship with vs as it seemeth who hath long taken vppon hir to rule the healme dealeth too too vnkindelie with vs shee vnlooseth our Anckers and cutteth in pieces our Gables shee telleth vs that wee maie not presume to fasten our Ancker on the rocke shee will haue vs freelie to roue in the middle of the Sea in the greatest fogges and the fearefullest tempestes that bee if wee shall follow hir aduise wee must needes looke for a Shippewracke for the least flawe of winde shall ouerturne vs and our poore soules shall bee plunged in the gulphs of hell Lastlie Iustificatiō by works causeth trouble disquietnes to the cōscience No mās conscience can bee appeased before Gods wrath be appeased Gods wrath cānot be appeased by anie workes for the best works the regenerate can doe are imperfect and are stained with some blemish of corruption as may appeare both in the Prophet Esai and in Paule both which had a great misliking of that good which they did because it was mingled with sin And againe euerie man is bound by duetie to keepe the whole lawe so that if a man could keepe it perfectlie he should doe no more then that he is by duetie inioined to doe and therefore he which looketh to merite eternal life at Gods hand by keeping the lawe trusteth but to a broken staffe and is like the Bankrupt that will paie one debt by another for by his sinne euerie man is indebted to the Lord and is bound to answere to the Lord the full punishment of all his sinnes this debt the Papist saith we maie discharge by obedience to the law that is by a new debt which we are as well bounde to paie to our God as the former To end this point let a man looke to bee saued by works and therefore let a man imploie himselfe to do the best works he can yet he shall neuer come to knowe when he hath done sufficient to satisfie Gods wrath and this vncertaintie all his life but especiallie in the houre of death must needes disquiet him And truelie when a man shall haue done manie thousand workes yet his heart can neuer be at quiet as it appeareth in the young man who though hee had laboured all his life to fulfill the law thereby to be saued yet
meat was within their teeth God in his anger stroke them with a sore plague And which is more strange then this God hath performed that which he hath promised to the vnbeleeuers though they refused to aske it at his handes of this thing wee haue a worthie example in King Achas who vtterly refused to haue a signe of his deliuerance and the confusion of his eneâ—ies when God offered it to him and yet â—e Lord deliuered him XVIII The reprobate may yet goe further in the â—rofession of religion and may seeme for a â—ime to bee planted in the Church for hee doth beleeue the promises of God made in Christ Iesus yet so that hee cannot applie them to himselfe In this thing the elect and the reprobate differ The reprobate generally in a confused maner beleeueth that Christ is a sauiour of some men and he neither can nor desireth to come to the particular applying of Christ. The Elect beleeueth that Christ is a sauiour of him particularly The reprobates faith may perish in this life but the faith of the elect cannot The reprobate may be perswaded of the mercie and goodnes of God towardes him for the present time in the which hee â—eeleth it the elect is not onely perswaded of the mercies he presently inioyeth but also he is perswaded of his eternall election before the foundation of the world of his euerlasting life which yet he doth not inioy Yea if God would confound him and he sawe nothing but present death and hell fire yet such is his nature that still he would beleeue for faith and hope are noâ— grounded vppon sence and feeling but are the euidence of those thinges which were neuer yet seene or felt The life of the faithfull is hid in Christ as the sappe in the roote of the tree their life is not in sence and feeling but in hoping and beleeuing which often times or contrary to mans sence and feeling is in Dauid who saith Create a newe heart in me Psal. 51. XIX After that hee hath receiued a generall a temporal faith in Gods heauenly word and his most mercifull promises of euerlasting life contained therein by the power of the spirite of God he commeth to haue a tast in his heart of the sweetnes of Gods mercies and a reioycing in consideration of the election adoption iustification and sanctification of Gods children But what is this tast I expresse it thus after the meaning of Gods word Suppose a banket prepared in which are many sweete and pleasaunt and dainty meates At this banquet they which are the bidden guests they must be set downe they see the meates they tast them they chawe them in their mouthes they digest them they are nourished fed and strengthned by them they which are not bidden to this â—east may see the meates handle them and â—ast of them to feele how good they are but â—hey must not eate and feede of them The first resemble the elect which truely eate digest and are nourished by Christ vnto euerâ—asting life because they haue great aboundance of the vitall heate of Gods holy spirit in them and doe feele sensibly his grace and vertue in them to strengthen them and guide them The second sort truly resemble the reprobates which neuer in truth enioy Christ or any of his benefites appertaining to saluation but onely see them and haue in their heartes a vanishing but no certaine or sound feeling of them so that they may be changed and strengthened and guided thereby To vse another similitude The reprobates haue no more feeling and enioying of Christ and his benefites than those men haue of the Sunne which see onely a glimmering of his light at the dawning of the day before it riseth Contrarywise the elect they haue the day-star euen the sonne of righteousnes Iesus Christ rising in their hearts the day spring from an high doth visite them the glorie of God doth rise vpon them they haue their eies annointed with the ointment of the spirite which is the true eie salue and doâ— plainely behold this sonne of righteousnes they inioy his presence they effectually feele his comfortable heate to quicken anâ— reuiue them XX From this sence and taste of Gods grace proceede manie fruites as first generallie he may do outwardly all things which true Christians doe and he may leade such a life here in this world that although he cannot attaine to saluation yet his paynes in hell shall bee lesse which appeareth in that our Sauiour Christ saith it shall bee easier for Tyrus Sydon for Sodome and Gomorrah than for Capernaum and other Cities vnto which hee came in the day of iudgement XXI Also the reprobate may haue a loue of God but this loue can bee no sincere loue for it is only because God bestoweth benefites and prosperitie vpon him As appeareth in Saule Who loued God for his aduauncement to the kingdome and here is a difference betweene the elect and reprobate the elect loue GOD as children their fathers but reprobates as hirelings their maisters whome they affect not so much or themselues as for their wages XXII Also a reprobate hath often a reioycing â—n doing those things which appertayne to â—he seruice of God as preaching praier Herod heard Iohn Baptist preach gladlie and the seconde kinde of naughtie ground receiueth the word preached with ioy XXIII A reprobate often desireth them whom he thinketh to be the children of God to pray for him As Pharao desired Aaron Moses to pray to God for him So did Simon Magus desire Peter to pray that none of the things which hee had spoken against him should come to passe But yet they cannot pray them selues because they want the spirit of Christ. XXIIII He may shew liking to Gods Ministers he may reuerence them and feare to displease them Thus did Simon Magus who at Phillips preaching beleeued wondered at his miracles and kept companie with him And Herod is saide to feare Iohn knowing that he was a iust man holie also he gaue reuerence to him Antonius the Emperour called Pius though hee was nâ— Christian yet in a general Parliament helâ— at Ephesus he made an act in the behalfe of ChristiaÌ„s that if anie maÌ„ should trouble oâ— accuse a ChristiaÌ„ for being a Christian the party accused shuld go free though he were found to bee a Christian and the accuseâ— should be punished And Plinius Secundus gouernour of Spaine vnder Traianus the Emperour when he sawe an innumerable company of Christians to be executed being moued with compassion he wrote in their behalfe being no Christian vnto Traianus to spare them that coulde be charged with no crime and his letter is yet extant XXV Hee may bee zealous in the religion which he professeth and fall from that profession as the Galathians did who after that they had receiued Paule as an Angell and woulde haue
the strong man Sathan and cast him out and dwell in thee himselfe Thirdly hee which is no Christian is in danger of al the iudgements of God so that euery moment some of them may befall him He may perish sodainly by water with the olde world he may bee consumed with fire and brimstone with Sodome and Gomorrha hee may bee swallowed vp of the earth with Core Dathan and Abyram hee may hang himself with Iudas he may haue his braines dashed against the grounde and bee eaten vp of dogs with Iesabell he may die in the hardnes of heart with Pharao he may dispaire with Caine and Iudas he may be stricken with sodaine death with Ananias and Saphira his wife he may be eaten of wormes with Herode hee may bee smitten with trembling that he cannot heare Gods worde with Foelix hee may voide his guts at the stoole with Arius he may crie at his death that he is damned with Latomus he may bee left vnto himselfe to mocke blaspheme and renounce Christ with Iulian and hee may suffer manie more fearefull iudgements whereof the Lord hath great store and all tende to the confounding of them which will not be humbled vnder his hand Contrariwise the true Christian is so farre out of the reach of Gods iudgements that they cannot hurt him Christ is a couering and a cloude against the heat and tempest of Gods iudgementes when a mans heart is sprinkled with the bloud of this immaculate Lambe all the plagues of God passe ouer him In the destruction of Ierusalem the righteous beare a marke in their foreheads and are saued Therefore let him that hath regard to his owne safetie become a Christian Thirdly the man which is no Christian is in danger of eternall death and damnation in hell fire and they which fall into this estate it had beene ten thousand folde better for them if they had neuer beene borne for they are quite separated from the presence of God and from his glorie al the company they haue is with the Diuell and his Angels Their bodies and soules are tormented with infinite horrour and anguish arising of the feeling of the whole wrath of God in which as into a bottomlesse sea they are plunged Thus they are alwaies dying and yet are neuer deade Furthermore the length of this torment must bee considered which greatly aggrauates the paine If a man might be deliuered from the panges of hell when he had suffered them so many yeares as there be droppes in the sea or little sands in the whole earth it were some comfort but after that those yeares be expired there shall come no release but the damned shall continue in shriking yelling and gnashing of teeth enduring the consuming heate of Gods wrath without any ende for euer and euer Yea to goe further a wicked man carrieth an hell about him in this life namely an euill conscience which if it bee neuer so litle touched with any of Gods anger a mā shall feele himselfe to haue euen the panges of hell in his heart Nowe therefore all they that woulde escape out of this hellish and damnable estate while they haue time let them pray for the pardon of their sinnes in Christ and walke according to the spirite in newnes of life and then they may assure themselues that there is no condemnation can belong to them And it must be alwaies remembred that he which would liue when he is dead must die while he is aliue namely to sinne And againe he which would rise to eternall life in the daie of iudgement must rise from sin before he die vnto newnes of life The fourth reason God hath appointed vnto euerie man that liueth in the Church a certaine time of repentaunce and of comming to Christ. And hee which mispendeth that time and is not made a Christian then can neuer bee saued This made our Sauiour Christ weepe for Hierusalem and say O if thou hadst knowne at the least in this thy daie those things which belong to thy peace but now are they hidden from thine eies And further signifieth the destruction of Hierusalem because she knew not the time of hir visitation Againe the neglecting of this time is one cause why not one or two but manie shall seek to enter into the kingdome of heauen and yet shall not be able It is a maruailous thing that they which seek to be saued should perish but the fault is theirs which seeke when it is too late Nowe therefore thou secure worldling thy conscience telleth thee that thou hast not yet repented and that thou art not as yet a liuely member of Iesus Christ. And thou knowest further that howsoeuer thou art aliue at this time yet thou hast no lease of thy life God may call thee foorth of this worlde the next yeare the next weeke the next howre Yea he may strike thee with sodaine death at this very present And in very truth if thou goest foorth of this world beeing no Christian thou goest damned to hell Wherefore delaie not one minute of an hower longer but with all speede repent and turne vnto God and bring forth fruites worthie of amendment of life that all thy sinnes may be done away when the day of death or the day of iudgement shal be And doe not thinke with thy selfe that it shall be sufficient to differre thy turning vnto God till the last ende For late repentance is seldome true repentance And he which continueth long in any sinne is in a dangerous case If a man lie long in any disease he will scarce recouer his former health and hee which is growen in the custome of any sin and the sinne is become ripe in him it is a thousand to one he is neuer saued according to that of saint Iames sinne being perfected bringeth forth death The fift reason Eternall life is a thing desired of all men yet none shall be made partakers of it but the true Christian and the glorious estate of this life woulde mooue any man to be a Christian. First of all they which haue eternall life are freed from all pains sickenesses infirmities hunger thirst cold wearines from all sin as anger forgetfulnes ignorance from hell death damnation Sathan from euery thing that causeth miserie according to that of saint Iohn And God will wipe away all teares from their eies there shall be no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither shall there be anie more paine for the first things are passed Secōdly the faithful shall be in the presence of Gods Maiesty in heauen there to behold his face that is his glorie as our Sauiour Christ saith Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am that they may beholde my glorie which thou hast giuen me And Dauid saith In thy presence is fulnes of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Thirdly they
elect haue in themselues the spirit of Iesus Christ testifying vnto them perswading them that they are the adopted children of God For this cause the holie Ghost is called the spirit of adoption because it worketh in vs the assurance of our adoption and it is called a pawne or earnest For as in a bargaine when part of the price is paied in earnest then assurance is made that men will pay the whole so wheÌ„ the child of God hath receiued thus much froÌ„ the holy ghost to be perswaded that he is adopted chosen in Christ he maie be in good hope and he is alreadie put in good assurance fullie to inioy eternall life in the kingdom of heaueÌ„ Indeed this testimonie is weake in most men can scarce bee perceiued because most Christians though they may be old in respect of yers yet they are babes in Christ not yet come to a perfect grouth may find in themselues great strength of sin and the graces of God to be in small measure in theÌ„ And again the children of God being most distressed as in time of triall in the houre of death then the inward working of the holy ghost is felt most euidently But a reprobate cannot haue this testimonie at al though in deede a man flattereth himselfe and the Deuill imitating the Spirit of God doth vsuallie perswade carnall men and hypocrites that they shall bee saued But that deuilish illusion and the testimonie of the Spirite may bee discerned by two notes The first is heartie and feruent prayer to God in the name of Christ. For the same spirite that testifieth to vs that wee are the adopted children of God doth also make vs crie that is feruentlie with grones and sighes filling heauen earth pray to God Now this heartie feruent and loud crying in the eares of God can the Deuill giue to no hypocrite for it is the speciall marke of the Spirite of God The other note is that they which haue the speciall testimonie froÌ„ the Spirite of God haue also in their harts the same affections to God which children haue to their father namelie loue feare reuerence obedience thankefulnes for they call not vpon God as vpon a terrible Iudge but they cry Father Father And these affections they haue not whome Sathan illudeth with a phantasticall imagination of their saluation for it may bee that through hypocrisie or through custome they may call God Father but in truth they cannot doe it XXXI The elect beeing thus assured of their adoptioÌ„ iustificatioÌ„ are indued with hope by which they looke patiently for the accomplishing of all good things which God hath begunne in them And therefore they can vndergoe all Crosses and afflictions with a quiet and contented minde because they knowe that the time will come when they shall haue full redemption from all euils This was the patâ—ence of Paules hope wheÌ„ he said that nothing in the world could seuer him from the loue of God in Christ. And like to this was the patience of Policarpe of Ignatius who when he was coÌ„demned and iudged to be throwne to wilde beasts and now heard the Lyons roring he boldly yet patiently said I am the wheate of Christ I shal be ground with the teeth of wild beasts that I may be founde good breade Also the same was the patience of the blessed Martir saint Laurence who like a meeke Lambe suffred himself to be tormented on a fiery gridiron and when he had beene pressed downe with fire pikes for a great space in the mightie spirit of God spake vnto the Emperor that caused him thus to be tormeÌ„ted on this wise This side is now rosted enough turne vp O tyrant great Assay whether rosted or rawe thou thinkest the better meat XXXII The third maine benefit is inward Sanctification by which a Christian in his mind in his will and in his affections is freed from the bondage and tyrannie of sin sathan and is by litle and litle inabled through the spirit of Christ to desire approue that which is good to walke in it And it hath two parts The first is Mortification when the power of sin is continually weakned consumed diminished The second is Viâ—ificatioÌ„ by which inherent righteousnes is really put into theÌ„ afterward is coÌ„tinually increased XXXIII This sanctification is wrought in al Christians after this manner After that they are ioined to Christ and made misticallie bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Christ worketh in them effectually by his holy spirite and his workes are principallie three First he causeth his owne death to worke effectuallie the death of all sinne and to kill the power of the flesh For it is as a Corrasiue which being applied to the part affected eateth out the venime and corruption and so the death of Christ by faith applyed fretteth out and consumeth the concupiscence the corruption of the whole man Secondly the buriall of Christ is the buriall of sinne as it were in a graue Thirdly his ResurrectioÌ„ sendeth a quickning power into them to make them rise out of their sinne in which they were dead and buried to worke righteousnes to liue in holines of life Lazarus bodie lay foure daies and stancke in the graue yet Christ raised it and gaue him life againe and made him do the same works that liuing meÌ„ do so also Christ dealeth with the soules of the faithfull they rotte and stincke in their sinnes and would perish in them if they were left alone but Christ putteth a heauenlie life into them maketh them actiue and liuely to doe the will of God in the workes of Christianitie and in the works of their callings And this sanctification is throughout the whole maÌ„ in the spirit soule and mind 1. Thes. 5. 23. And here the spirit signifieth the mind and memorie the soule the will and affections XXXIIII The sanctification of the minde is the enlightning of it with the true knowledge of Gods word It is of two sortes either sprituall vnderstanding or spirituall wisedome Spirituall vnderstanding is a generall conceiuing of euerie thing that is to be done or not to bee done out of Gods word Spiritual wisdome is a worthie grace of God by which a man is able to vnderstand out of Gods word what is to be done or not to be done in any particular thing or action according to the circumstances of person time place c. Both these are in euery Christian otherwise Paul would neuer haue praied for the Colossians That they might bee fulfilled with knowledge of Gods will in all wisedome spirituall vnderstanding In both these excelled Dauid who testified of himself that Gods word was a lanterne to his feete and a light to his path and that God by his commandements had made him wiser then his enimies that he had more
of godlines this seruice is prescribed by the religion of the Church of Rome which standeth onelie in outward and corporall ceremonies as the outwarde succession of Bishops garments vestures gestures colours choise of meate difference of daies times and places hearing seeing saying touching tasting numbring of Beades gilding and worshipping of Images building Monasteries rising at midnight silence in Cloisters abstaining frâ— flesh and whitmeat Fasting in Lent keeping Imber-daies hearing Masse and diuine seruice seeing and adoring the bodie in forme of bread receiuing holie water and holie breade creeping to the Crosse carrying Palmes taking Ashes bearing Candles Pilgrimage going censing kneeling knocking alâ—ers superalters candlestickes pardons In orders Crossing annointing shauing for swearing maâ—â—iâ—ge in Baptisme salting crossing spatling exâ—â—â—iâ—â—ng washing of hands at Easter confessioÌ„ 〈…〉 â—irge satisfaction and in receauing with 〈…〉 â—ew shauen to imagine a bodie where they 〈…〉 â—nd though he were there present to bee seene 〈…〉 â—he outwarde seeing and touching of him of 〈…〉 â—ithout faith conduceth no more then it did 〈…〉 Iewes At Rogation daies to carrie banners to follow the Crosse to walke about the fields after Pentecost to goe about with Corpus Christi plaie At Hallowmas to watch in the Church to saie a dirge or commendation and to ring for all soules to paâ—â— tithes truelie to giue to the high Altar And if a man will bee a Priest to saâ—e Masse and Mattens to serue the Saint of that daie and to lifâ— well ouer the heade In sickenesse to bee anneled to take his Rites after his death tâ—… haue Funerall and Obites saide for him anâ— to bee rong for at his Funerall Moneths minde and Yeare minde This is the summe oâ— the Catholique Religion standing in bodilie Actions not in anie motion or woorke oâ— the holie GHOST woorking in thâ— heart The Morall Lawe conteining perfect righteousnesse is flatte opposite to mans corrupt Nature therefore whatsoeueâ— Religion shall repeale and make of none effect the commaundements of the Morall Lawe that same Religion must needeâ— ioine handes with the corruption of Nature and stand for the maintenance of it This doth the Religion of the Church oâ— Rome it maie bee it doth not plaineliâ— repeale them yet in effect it doth anâ— if it shall frustrate but anye one pointe of anye one commaundement the whole commaundement yea the whole law therby is made in vaine 1 The first commandement requireth that wee haue the true Iehoua for our onely God the church of Rome maketh other gods beside this true God it maketh the bodie of Christ to be God because they hold it may be in many places in heauen in earth at the same time which thing is onely proper to God It maketh euery Saint departed to bee God because it holdeth that Saintes doo heare vs now being vpon the earth and that they knowe our thoughtes when wee praye to them which none but the true GOD can doo It maketh the Pope to bee God and that in plaine woordes Pope Nicholas saith Constat summum Pontificem à pio principe Constantino Deum appellari It is well knowne that the Pope of the godlie Prince Constantine was called GOD. Againe in the extrauagants of the same Cannon lawe it is written Dominus Deus noster Papa Our Lorde GOD the Pope And againe Christopher Marcellus saide to the Pope Tu es alter deus in â—erris Thou art another God vpon earth the Pope toke it to himself As the Pope in plaine words is made God so the power giuen to him declareth the same Hee can make holie that which is vnholie iustifie the wicked and pardon sins hee maie dispense contrary to the saying of an Apostle he can change the nature of things and of nothing make somewhat What is all this but to place the Pope in Gods roome and to rob the Lord of his maiestie Againe the Church of Rome maketh Marie the Mother of Iesus to be as God In the Breuiarie reformed published at the commandement of Pius shee is called A Goddes in expresse words and she is further tearmed the Queene of heauen the Queene of the world the gate of heauen the mother of grace and mercie Yea shee is farre exalted aboue Christ and he in regarde of her is made but a poore vnderling in heauen for Papistes in their seruice vnto her they praie on this manner saying Shew thy selfe to bee a mother and cause thy sonne to receiue our prayers set free the captiues and giue light to the blinde Lastlie the verie Crosse is made as a God For they salute it by the name of their onelie hope and praie it to increase iustice to the godlie and to giue sinners pardon Wherefore the Church of Rome beside the one true God distinguished into three persons the father the sonne the holy Ghost maketh also manie other and so in truthe hath repealed this first commandement And they haue verie plainely repealed the second commandement in that they teach it lawfull to make images of the true God and to worship him in them For the flat contrarie is the verie scope of this commandement namelie that no image must be made of the true Iehoua nor any worship be performed vnto him in an image which appeareth thus In Deutronomie Moyses maketh a large commentarie of this commandement and this verie point he sets downe expresselie saying take heed to your selues for yee sawe no image in the day that the Lord spake vnto you in Horeb out of the middest of the fire that yee corrupt not your selues and make you a grauen image or representation of anie figure c. His argument I set downe thus As God appeared in mount Horeb so he is to be coÌ„ceiued and represented but he appeared in no image in mount Horeb onelie his voice was hard therefore he is not to be conceiued or represented in anie image but men are to bee content if they may heare his voice Againe that sinne to which the people of Israell were speciallie giuen euen that dooth the Lorde especially forbid but to this were the people of Israell speciallie giuen not so much to make Images of false Gods as to make Images of the true God and to worship him in them which I proue thus In the booke of Iudges it is saide that the children of Israell did wickedlye in the sight of the Lord and serued Baalim Now these Baalim what are they Surely Idoles resembling the true God as the prophet Hosea declareth and at that daie saith the Lord thou shalt call me Ishai and shalt call mee no more Baali Heere it appeareth that the Israelites meaning was not to worship a false God but the true God in Baalim And Aaron when he made the golden Calfe proclaimed that the next daye should be holie daie not of anie false God but of the Lorde that brought them out of Egypt The prophet Esaie after