little did for to get them wholy permit oblations for a season that at length their superstitions might be forgotteÌ„ Now your Gregorius after that ordained it as a lawe for euer that he that came to Masse should not come emptie but bring something with him by reason whereof your pursses and your coffers are so enlarged at this day Your Prefaces are all referred for their antiquitie to Gelasius Your Canon Read Albertus Eccle. 47. which of all other is likest the Master Gregorie that instituted it hath diuelish and idolatrous stuffe within it There is the remembrance of their Saintes or rather of their Goddes There be your wordes of Consecration rather Coniuring Ioh. Syracusanâ— Episcop parte 8 epist 7. there is the Lords prayer so oft repeated there the breaking of the hoast c. So that all good and faithfull men may sée howe grieuously you haue proudked the Lord The blindnesse where with God hath stroken these men appeareth in that they obey the institutions of these wiâ—ked Popes and will not obey the word of the Lord. in bringing in of uewfangled Ceremonies which before this were neuer knowne in the Church of God Nowe therefore what delay should there be made what stay what let should hinder you that you should not come to the Lorde and be sorie and sée your follie Is it better to serue God or to serue man to obey the Lorde or to holde with the Pope to acknowledge the trueth or to be in error to remember the ordinaunces of those that are temporall which ruled you which gouerned you being but vsurpers and Termagaunts among men or to feare the eternall and euerliuing maker of heauen and earth and to giue eare vnto his wordes I am grieued I am touched I am moued in soule and spirite to sée you so hard so peruerse so vntamed in affections so vnbrideled in your speaches so carelesse of your selues so stiffened in your errors and so impudent before this assemblie as I perceiue you are Is it for that you suspect me for the antiquitie of your religion search and find it otherwise Children and fooles and Papistes are alike for if you controll them they fight if you let them alone they are worse if you doe becken at them they will return vpon you with violence then accuse me Is it bicause you be but vpstartes and wresters of all trueth Conuince me then and condemne me Is it bicause your religion commeth of men then be ashamed professe Gods worde Is it bicause all your trumperie procéedeth of the Pope reuolt returne amende and denye him stay vpon the Lorde GOD Is it bicause the inuenters of your Masse haue bene such as was also your seruice inuented filthie vngodly wicked diuelish euill disposed naughtie persons and idolaters Why you may forsake them when you will But is it bicause that I open to you the trueth bicause I tell you of the sinnes of your fathers and of your owne bicause I tell you of your manifolde lyings Your owne men speake worse of you than I doe Martinus Meyr a Chauncellor Aeneas Syluius a Cardinall the coÌ„plaint of the whole nation of the Germanes vnder Caesar Augustus Maximilianê° sheweth it great vntruthes slaunderous reproches filthie demeanor vngodly life euill déedes erronious opinions foolish Ceremonies diuelish heresies bypocriticall deuises humane institutions Popish decrées and whorish fables which you haue brought in and would confirme in England I exhort you then in the name of the Lorde to eschewe and abhorre them all you shall neuer be tolde of them any more we will forget them If not then heauen and earth shall he witnesse that I haue told you of all your sinnes and of all your abhominations this day and yet you cease not to perseuere still in the same You that are here comming from the Pope howe can you stande so boldly and face it out so gazingly and heare vs so repiningly and spurne so yrkesomely as you doe without horrour of conscience Miscellanea Missae All the appertinaunces to the Masse We can not suffer you we maye not suffer you we will neuer suffer you to defende so horrible and erronious constitutions as your forefathers the wicked Popes inuented What sinne was not committed by them what abhominations were there not done by them what stinking and slauish Constitutions were not decréed by them Your Pope Sixtus decréed the first of that name That no Lay man or any woman should touch so much as the Cuppe or Chalice that the Prieste did sacrifice in or any else of the holie vessels Platina in descript vitae Sext. Pont. Your Pope Alexander the first brought in the oblation of Wafer cakes as he calleth it Your Telesphorus commaunded that three Masses should be saide vpon Christmas day Pla. in eius vita and thereof we retaine in our Church of England this worde Christmas which came vp of that custome vsed by that Bishoppe for it was called at the first Christmas day as hauing a Masse saide that day for Christe wherefore I doe wishe that together with the sacrifice of Masse the name of Masse may be abrogated and for that worde let the good and faithfull men say as they sayde in the Churches of the East and the West Sozam lib. 8. cap. 20. The Natiuitie and Birthday of Christe let the remembraunce and memoriall of this brought in by the Pope be abrogated For at Constantinople was celebrated Natalis Christi Maximus Taurinensis in Homilijs The birth day of Christe And so also was it in the Churches of Gallia Wherefore as your Popes haue corrupted all thinges so will we and so ought we to flée from them in all thinges Nowe those that succéeded haue bene more diuelishly deluded Alexander the first who liued in the dayes of Hadrian the Emperour Liber Cone was the first bringer in of the mixture of the Wine with Water and before his time it was neuer vsed by commaundement at Masse or otherwise This was he that brought in Wafer cakes when as before that Liber Canticorum leauened breade was vsed at the Sacrament Also he appointed holie water for the people after Masse and one Masse to be sayde in one day Your Boniface Pope Lib. Conc. diuided the Cleargie from the Laytie and then seuering them Platina set the one aboue the other beneath Your Vigilius Bishop of Rome commaunded that none should say Masse Petrus de Nar. but with his face to the East Your Iohannes Portuensis Platina in the sixt Synode helde at Constantinople gathered-together by Constantinus against the Monotholites was the first that euer celebrated the Latine Masse Volater which is religiously obserued by you at this day Valafridus an Abbas vnder Ludonicus Pius 840. after Christ doth maruellous ly complanie of these and the like abuses brought in by the Popes Sabianus appointed houres for ringing of Belles and Lampes to burne in the Temple this
yelded vp their right For Gregory the seuenth caused it to bee agréed vppon to be idolatrie if any one obeyed not the sea of Rome And Adrian Pope affirmed and in the same constituted Ex 2. Actione 7. Synod that the church of Rome was the heade and mother of all churches in the worlde and that all other churches shoulde stoope and obey her ordinances It is well knowen that Alexander the seconde writt to Philip king of Fraunce that all the decrées of the sea of Rome are as certeinly to be helde vppon to be beléeued and as surely receiued of all men as are the Canons of the whole worlde This caused Bonifacius to list vp his head so high aboue heauen and earth and writing to Ruffus and to other Bishops in Thessalia did chide thē mightily for their resisting him alleging out of the decrées of Pope Gelasius 9. q. 3. C. pater that the word of the Apostle of the see of Rome was neuer retracted but by the leaue of so reuerend a father and if he will not we will take leaue his fatherhood hath lyed a little and his lye is the greater as he woulde fauour that vpon the Lord 1. Sam. 10.1 which is contrary to God and his worde The Lorde sayth he choose Saul but the Pope was neuer chosen by God 1. Sam. 16.13 The Lorde did fetche Dauid from the sheepefold 1. Reg. 1.30 and willed his people to feare him And Salomon did the Lord set in the throne of his father but I do not finde that the Pope though he dwell at Rome hath any roume at all no not the breadth of a nayle in the booke of God I know that Iosias was sent from God The pope is one the King another the Pope of Sathan the King of God the Pope of mā the King is of the Lorde the Pope by vsurpation the King by ordination and therefore the Popes name is not in the Bible Kings be Matth. 20. a defender of his people and Iehosaphat was accounted as one of the worthies among the Princes and Ezechias is estéemed as a man renowned for his holynesse But for the Pope he may get him a place in some odde corner of the worlde by tyrannie and bloudshed but he was neuer ordeyned or set in place by the Lorde our God This I remember Christ sayth The Kings of the earth do raigne and striue for rule but sayth Christ to his Apostles it may not be so with you of which I inferre that séeing the Pope is in the place of Peter as he sayth in the roume of an Apostle he must not therefore rule and raigne ouer vs. Moreouer Reddite quae sunt Caesaris Caesars Giue vnto Caesar the things that are Caesars But it was neuer sayde Math. 22. giue vnto the Pope that which is the Popes for as I doe finde his authoritie is and hath béene from time to time vsurped So that for my owne parte I tell you truely you that are here the hirelings of the Pope you the very members of the very Antichriste I am so farre from beléeuing either his ordinances or his decrées or his Canons that he hath made that I will not cease to praye continuallye daye and night that the Lorde our God woulde reuenge the iniquitie of the man of Rome and plucke him out of that seate of deadly sinne wherein he sitteth For what is the Pope and his vsurped authoritie that wée should obey his ordinances His customes are the customes of Egypt and his abhominations are the abhominations of Chanaan and they are not to bee followed Facietis iudiciamea praecepta mea seruabitis Leu. 18. in eis ambulabitis You shall doe my iudgementes you shall keepe my preceptes and walke in them sayth the Lorde I will tell you the deapth of my heart You are like vnto the men that the king of Assur brought from Babel for euen as you doe in Rome so did they At the first they serued the Lorde indifferently but in processe of time when the Lyons were taken from them they returned to their olde customes againe and did as the Nations and as the Countries round about them did From whome as I suppose you haue made stealth of your Demye Goddes 2. Reg. 17.27 retaining the maner of that seruice which the Nations did You can giue no reason of your religion It was saide of olde time that men beleued on the Lord as Abraham Isaac Iacob did and after that in the GOD of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and after that men did beleeue in Christ in the doctrine of the Apostles but the Papistes say they beleeue as their fathers beleeued This did Lucius Papa 24. and Marcellus Pope reprehēd and they referred all to Christ and his Apostle◠not to Fathers if it be demaunded at your handes saue onely this that you doe as your Fathers doe and that this your faith is that by which your auncestors were saued O be not beguiled shall your saluation be grounded vpon man shall you not aunswere euerie one for your selues and euerie man for his owne soule Yes your fathers shall not defend you at the day of wrath your fathers shall not be able to maintaine your cause when both they and you shall giue an account of the workes you haue done Your fathers downfal may not be your rising your fathers miserie can not be your ioy your fathers curse shall not be your blessing but if all they did goe astray returne you home vnto the Lord and so shall you be deliuered at the day of appearing of the iust God And if you will followe the fathers remember what the good fathers haue saide and followe them I wil not hinder you It is good counsel I tell you that Cyprian giueth who hath this saying to a brother of his Non est frater charissime Lib. 2. Epist Epist 3. quod aliquis aestimet sequendam esse quorundam consuetudinem c. That is It is not to be thought my welbeloued brother that a man should esteeme the customes of al men to be retained among vs as cōmendable things For this is to be regarded who they were that they folowed Did not God say from heauen this is my beloued Sonne heare him Then it is Christe alone to whome we must giue eare The aduise of Augustine may be taken herein that in his second booke of Baptisme hath such or like wordes Lib. 2. Dist 8. Can. Veritate Veritate manifestata cedat consuetudo c. That is Custome after trueth is knowne must giue place For no man will allowe of any custome as he will of reason and of the trueth of any matter bicause reason and trueth goe before all thinges I call to minde what Gregorius saide vnto Gulielmus Auersanus Bishoppe Dist 2. Can. Si consuetudinem Si consuetudinem fortassis opponas aduertendum est quod Dominus dixit Ego sum via
whether he did well or euill And Osorius did but the other day sende abroade his CoÌ„nfections to poyson the young Frie of England who as he flaunteth it out in a leafe or two yet halteth he in many places and speaketh verie roughly and breaketh out euery where vnpleasauntly and then healeth vp the wound so rawly againe as that his gleaned and piked vp corne stolne words borrowed ware deceiptfull stile quauering Notes and slaunderous speeches against the trueth be wundered at and greatly pittied of all cunning woorkemen Moreouer the other day was the like seene for the Snowe hath not yet falne vpon the ground nor yet hath the Sickle beene put into the Corne sithence one to name Campion and an other to name Howlet haue caste out Rebellious Pamphlets and offered combate to all the learned in this Realme Now all these men for that they wanted credit and estimation where they liued before are coÌ„tent like Maisterlesse men to goe abegging and aske for entertainement abroade Therefore haue they praesumed to enter the Courte gates and there to open their Pedlers Packes and to set out to sale their counterfeit Merchaundies supposing that because her Maiesties Subiects vpon hope of amendement haue in all clemencie beene borne with all to this day Therefore also they should looke for the same fauour and good woordes bothe of her Maiestie and your Honours handes as a rewarde giuen them for their slaunderous and Scismaticall Libelles May it please you therefore with the same eyes and like harte as you haue to this daye moste Honourably continued so also to turne back and looke vpoÌ„ the learned with in this Realme It wil be knowne vnto you that God hath so blessed them in England with all kinde of furniture Timber Wood and Stone fine woorke wrought woorke and needell woorke golde siluer and all other kinde of Science Arte and knowledge bothe diuine and humaine as all theyr outlandish falshoods robbery pilfering and stealth with their foolish and mishapen Quiddities loose arguments broken reasons falsified Scriptures coloured and disguised Authors are neuer able to be compared or come neere vnto vs. For whye the Lorde is on our side and he rayseth vp bothe the eloquent and the good man As for those men what haue we to doo with them seeing they are bewitched with falsehood and lyes The Lorde our God is he that we must follow his voyce must we heere and as for those that bring not his woorde the Lorde shal be reuenged on them himselfe For my owne parte what I haue set downe against our aduersaries the Iesuites in this booke in the same I will not be my owne Iudge but I will referre that I haue spoken to the indifferent Reader and he all that I haue doone vnto the Scriptures The Lorde the true and righteous euermore the God of our fathers that hath alwayes beene with you kindle your noble and vertuous proceedings more and more that you maye bee a light and fartherer in the same to all those that looue and feare the Lorde And the Lorde graunt that his countenaunce may shine vpon vs that his word may be knowne rightly his lawes and commaundements obserued diligently the vertuous and godly men defended mightely the wicked and obstinate punished seuearely and his goodnes and mercie spreade abroade openly vpon vs all That her Maiestie may raigne long time ouer vs to see the iudgements of our God put in execution that her Grace may see an end of all vnquietnes dissention and strife and establish peace vnitie and concorde in the Church of God Amen Your Honours moste humble to commaund Iohn Keltridge From my Chamber in Holborne at London Iune 10. To the Readers and faithfull Christians health and peace in Christe Iesus THe great looue that the Lord our GOD hath borne to the Church neither is it neither can it be hid from any man and if we which haue nowe Itued in the same many yeeres be not either stuffed and choaked vp with his manifolde benefites or carelesse secure for that they haue béene so plentifull Then will euerie faithfull and good man say as I say that of all Nations and Countries vnder heauen we haue hitherto liued most happily For if Warres were looked for the Lord hath turned all to peace If conspiracies and Treasons were practised they haue béene reuealed from time to time If Insurrections were made they the authors haue béen suppressed immediatly If Forrainers and straungers haue determined any thing against vs their pretended deuises neuer tooke effect If at any time they haue purposed to spoyle vs the Lord hath deliuered them into our handes If the heauens haue portended any great thing or the earth hath shaken her pillers against man or the Elements in flaming manner cast foorth their sparkes of fyre yet haue all these moste straunge thinges to this day shewen their force declared their effectes and plainely manifested their angrie countenaunâ—â—s against other Nations and straunge people not against vs of England So that I may say happy are we if we may continue happy and blessed be we aboue all other if we be still blessed of the Lord and most of all are we to praise our God if héereafter we shall be able to stande as hetherto we haue done which he onely knoweth not man Of this I am certaine and for the same I haue a good warrant that if our sinnes be not come vp vnto the brim if our iniquities be not ripe or our manifolde transgressions come vp before God then haue we not to feare any thing but whatsoeuer kinde of â—â—â—righting it be howsoeuer mens heartes doo fayle them or what rumors and signes of alterations the wicked doo forecast in their hearts all shall be turned to the best if we haue not prouoked the Lord. In verie déede it is true that the Lord is able to remooue our Candelstitke that the Lord is able to carrie vs into a straunge lande and he is of power to hang vp our Harpes vpon the willowe Trées and enforce vs to sing a song of Sion in Babell Yet let Israel be of good chéere and you the people of the Lord comforted for if you will feare the Lord and obey him all thinges shall goe well with you Deut. 28.2 all the blessinges of God shall be powred vppon you and you shall stande in feare and dread of none But and if you disobey the Lord your God and cleaue not vnto him all the plagues and curses set downe in his booke shall ouertake you Leui. 26.14 Lamen 2.17 I tell you of a trueth that if we looke not to our wayes and take héede to such thinges as the Lord our God hath forbidden vs without questioÌ„ he will bring such a thing to passe as all the eares of men that heare thereof shall tingle at it For my owne part I am perswaded that euen now God hath begun to becken his hand and shake his rod at vs and of the same I will
the Lord willinghe yet for the commaundement sake and for necessitie we must obey him The exhortation is to the good and godlie men whome the Lord hath alwayes vsed to styrre vp and prick foreward in his seruice The Commaundement is to the wicked wilfull and vnbeléeuing persons who albeit the beanies and light of trueth apppeareth will not for all that beléeue Wherefore I am of opinion that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 the generall Proposition ende purpose and drifte of Moses is this to exhort and require all such as are the Lordes to haue a regarde to his Commaundements and to feare his name and of this I must speake two manner of wayes First generallie 1. To all that are heere and to such as shall heare heereof heereafter Next perticularlie 2. To certaine persons whom I see in this place and I would they were rather in some other place then heere The first kinde of reuerence and feare to be spoken of generally is appertinent vnto all that looue the Lord who in yeale with perfectnesse in looue with thankfulnesse in great care with earnestnesse ought bothe daylie and continuallie to serue the Lord their God For who defendeth them at all assayes but hée who protecteth them when they are in distresse but onely hée who is able in néede to ease them in myserie to reléeue them in daungers to comfort them in anguishe of soule and heart to deliuer them but onely this whome we should feare whome we should dread whome we should reuerence the Lord our God For this cause in Deuteronomie I finde it thus written Deur 11.18 First that you shall lay vp Secondly the wordes spoken by the Lord. 3. In your heart 4. In your soule 5. You shall binde them as signes on your hands 6. They shal be as Frontlets between your eies 7. Then you shall teach them your children 8. Euen then when thou sittest in thine house 9. Then when thou walkest by the way 10. Then wheÌ„ thou lieft down 11. Then when thou risest vp 12. Then shalt thou write them vpon the postes of thy house and vpon thy gates The reason of this That your dayes may be multiplied that the dayes of your Children may be multiplied in the Land for the Lord sware vnto your Fathers to giue it them so long as the heaueâ—s are aboâ—e the earth Yet there is a condition for this blessing is graunted vpon a bonde wherein Israel was and we nowe his people we bound also Euen to looue the Lord our God to walke in his wayes and to cleaue vnto him c. In the Prophesie of Isaiah Isa 8.19 where as the Lord God dooth most gréeuoustie denounce the heauy Iudgements vpon Iuda Israel and the Affirians for not obeying and seruing the Lord their God At the length the Lord comforteth his people and encorageth the Saintes and wylleth them not to feare albeit they be as signes and wunders to the wicked men and he fetteth downe his will and his purpose of his feare and reuerence in two thinges First In an Inquisition Secondlie In an aunswere to the same The Inquisition is of the wicked men and of Idolaters that say vnto the godlie Enquire of them that haue a spirite of Diuination enquire of them that are Southsayers enquire of them which whisper and murmure The olde Idolaters vpstart Papistes are a lyke in all things and the first kept away the law froÌ„ the people these make ignoraunce the mother of deuotion Then at that tyme this shall be the aunswere made by the godlie Should not a people enquire at their God should you goe from the lyuing to the dead Nay to the Lawe and to the Testimony should you goe and if then you speake not according to that woorde there is no trueth and no lyght in you wherefore they haue first done vs great iniurie I meane the aduersaries of the grace of God the Papistes who haue drawne away not onely the simple and plaine men from the Lord by kéeping the booke of God shut from them but also haue taught them an other lawe of their owne inuentions and contrarie to the lawe they haue receyued of the Lorde O that they had perfectly the Lawe of the Lord in Mathew Where at such time as the Saduces had béene put to silence by our Sauiour Christe and the Pharisées vnderstanding thereof gathered together them selues also to dispute with him Math. 22.34 One among them all an expounder of the Lawe could not temper his affections but boldly rusheth out and speaketh which shall be séene by you in the circumstaunces of the Text. First in a Question The Question mooued by a Scribe Secondlie in a replie to the Question The replie made by our sauiour Christe The Question is the greater moued by the Scribe 1. In the asking 2. In the tempting 3. In the speaking to Christe The Question mooued was Maister VVhich is the greatest commaundement in the Lawe The Aunswer and replie by Christe is this Thou shalt looue whome the Lord thy God Howe 1. With all thine heart 2. With al thy soule 3. With al thy mind And this is the first coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„t the greatest Moreouer for the aunswer of Christ is twofolde it concerneth The Lorde onely as before is seene in his seruice Man onely which is thus 1. Thou shalt loue 2. Thy neighbor 3. Euen as thy selfe And in these two coÌ„sisteth the Law and the â—…ophets In Marke the Euangelist This same peruerse man the Scribe that did oppose him selfe against Christe after the Question mooued and the replie added the revnto by our sauiour Christe is â—pted to haue spoken discretelie and to haue set downe his opinion bothe soundlie and wiselie concerning this thing And his iudgement was this Maister thou hast saide truelie For there is but one God For there is none other but he And to loue him 1. With all the heart 2. With all the vnderstaÌ„ding 3. With all the soule 4. With all the strength 5. And thy neighbour as thy selfe Is more then all burnt offeringes and Sacrifices In these places rehearsed you plainly sée that in the seruice of the Lord the principall thing required is this That we obey him and his commaundements O how godly and pleasaunt a thing is it for Israel to know the Lord his statutes are in his mouth his Ordinaunces shall make him blessed his séede shall inherite the land he shall not feare by night nor stand in dreade at noone day for the Lord of hoasts is with him the God of Iacob is his defence The Lorde shal be a shéelde to that man and the stay and staffe of peace shal be vpon his head he is sure not to be mooued and to the nethermost hell shall he neuer fall His pathes are pathes of righteousnesse his wayes be the wayes of lyfe Glorie is on his head honour and renowne are a couering for that man happy shall he be for euer and all generations shall remember him
Basill nor with Gregorie Nazianzen nor with Ambrose in this matter but with the Lord will I holde And yet I tell you that euen these men Contra Idola Ambrosius Lib. de spiritu sancto cap. 12. Denieth it law full to pray to the Virgin Marie named by me are contrarie to them selues For Athanasius sayth in his booke of Prayer that Mens fons est orationis 1 The minde is the fountaine and well spring of Prayer And to the same vpon the fiftie and fowre Psalme he sayth Promptae semper in hominum praecationes Dei aures sunt 1 That is The eares of the Lord are alwayes open to the prayers of men By which his Testimonies he is contrarie to the other places of praying to Saintes for first Athanasius referreth all to the spirite of man and secondlie The Fathers haue not defended the praying to Saintes giueth all audience to the Lord and none other And Basill in his booke De vita solitaria is verie flat against him selfe he speaketh much in other places against praying to Saints For this he saith Ora ad Deum cum timore et animi humilitate That is Pray vnto God in feare and all humilitie of the minde You sée prayer made by him to God excludeth all other For it went a lyttle afore Pete ex fide semper quod binum est operans 1 Aske by faith doing that alwayes which is good Faith excludeth héere praying to Saintes séeing that Faith and beléefe is not to be reposed in them I may say the same of Gregorie Nazianzen and of Ambrose and Ambrose him selfe is flat against praying to Saintes and against all prayers that are to be made to the Virgin Marie as appeareth in his booke Lib. 3. De spiritu sancto ca. 12 Non quicquam adorandum praeter Deum sicut Scriptura dixit Dominum Deum tuum adorabis 1 There is nothing to be worshipped but God He giueth an other reason For it is written in the scripture Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God Wherefore I am of opinion that some Miscreant and wicked man moued by the Spirite of error hath enterlaced and in many places corrupted the good sayinges of the Fathers with euill opinions Tertullian in his Apollogie Cap. 17. sayth We must worship this onely one and true God who with his worde hath made the heauens and the elementes and all spirituall bodies in the same Epiphanius Lib. 3. against the Antidicomarianites and against the worshippers of the Virgin Marie hath many excellent sayinges concerning this thing to whome I referre you Gregorius Nazianzen in his Oration to the Subiects that were affrayde sayth thus Christus tanua et reconciliatio hominum ad Patrem factus 1 Christe is made the doore and the reconciliation of man vnto his Father Cyrill vpon Iohn Lib. 7. Cap 3. sayth That an entraunce is made vnto the kingdome of heauen all onely by Iesus Christe Wherefore I doo request you to reade that learned Theophilact in his Epistle to them of Colossa and Augustine to Honoratus Cap. 10. and the same in his booke of True Religion and they will satisfie you in this Question of praying and to whome to pray Wherefore I will conclude with two reasons drawne out of the Scriptures Psal 51.6 Iob. 14.4 Pron 24.16 Rom. 3.10 The first is this They which sinne as wée doo can not be helpers of vs in our prayer for all prayer is to them that are holie and perfect but the Saintes haue sinned and sinne as we doo Ergo Psalm 3.8 Esa 27.3 Hos 13.4 we haue no cause to pray to them but to the Lord that can helpe vs. Also it is euident that prayer is not to be giuen to any but such as can helpe themselues and other Now the Saints can helpe neither themselues nor any other but Christe Iesus onely must doo it Then no prayer is to be giuen to them for this is the nature of prayer and such things are to be required herein 1. First we must pray to God for he heareth the prayers of the whole world 2. Secondly to one that is able and can doo all thinges which onely is God 3. Thirdly that he be a worthy Person to whom we pray and so is none but the Lord. 4. Fourthly that he be no creature least we derogate from the creator so that the dead haue no portion or inheritaunce in our prayers but onely the Lord. Now therefore I will conclude that Israell must all onely serue the Lorde his God and none other neither in heauen neither in earth neither aboue the heauens neither vnderneath the earth is there any one to whom we must giue homage but onelye to him Then take the Cuppe of salnation into your handes and call on the name of the Lorde Sanctifie your selues and drawe néere to his Tabernacle A stronge Towre is the name of the Lord he that runneth to him shal be saued In Ierusalem is saluation and on the heads of the Goodly is strengthe no falsehood is found in the wise and no halting in those that feare God Though the world doo delight in Chariots and the Kinges of the earth in their Horses and great men in theyr strength yet will we onely call vpon the name of the Lord we wil say glory to the highest and prayses vnto him in the vppermost heauens we will offer sacrifice of thankes giuing vnto our God and paye our vowes to the Almightie we will singe to the Lord a new songe and Sion shall not staye to prayse her God we will singe with Moses and prayse the Lorde with Aaron in his holy assemblye we will not giue his powre vnto man nor the strength of his arme vnto a Forrainer our Crownes shal be set vpon his heade and we will fall downe to him as to our God we will giue blessing and glorie and honour vnto him that sitteth on the Throne for euer and euer and all the Beasts of the earth shall subscribe vnto vs. But as for you you haue not knowne the Lord the God of Iacob hath not béene your defence you haue giuen his honour to the great Beast and the Oragon hath frayed you so that you haue his markes of blasphemie in your foreheads you haue serued that great whore and bowed your knées to the Woman of sinne Therefore shall your portion be without the Gates of the holy Cittie and you shall not sée the Lambs and his face for euer In the Vinepresse of his wrathe shall you bee troden to péeces and if you repent not your portion shal be Fier and Brimstone for euermore You are the sonnes of the bloody Fathers that haue killed the Prophets you are the Children of the cursed séede You are of the posteritie of Amelech vnworthie to liue among Israell You are the reliques of Iebus and of the remnaunt of the Hittites that haue béene prickes and thornes in the sides of the righteous men You are the Chemerims
both to the right hand and to the left hand contrarie to the word of God I appeale to your owne consciences I referre my selfe to that spirite which I knowe euen nowe pricketh you The profession of Iesuites and the name of theÌ„ was taken of two sundrie per sons the profession vpoÌ„the ererection of a college by a Pope the name is taken was before the erection of the house almost 1050. yeares for they be Iesuites of Iesus Haeret. fabularum Compend 10. lib. 4. and in the same tel me whether I charge you wroÌ„gfully yea or not Where haue you warrant for that profession which some of you here professe Why are you seuered from men by an other name and wherefore haue you that same vnheardof title of Iesuites what Prophete what Apostle what good and auncient dustoâ—â—e of the Primitiue Church sinde you this in The time will not permit me now but hereafter I will shewe your originall at large But yet tell me what authoritie what warrant what Scripture you haue for your whippings and your shauings Truely they are good marks for you to be knowne by as of such as be right Priestes of Baal Who as you whippe your selues so they also launched them selues to be séene of men Or you be like vnto the Donatistes of whome Theodoretus Bishop of Cyrus speaketh For they fat vp them selues like Porklings before they dye and offer vp sacrifices to them that are aliue and whip one an other oftentimes One merrie pretie conceited thing I do remember written of them by the same Theodorete which thing a yong Gentleman is said to haue done Now it fell out that many of them vpon a time assembled together being like vnto madde men and in a phrensie The Arrian in killing of him selfe the Donatist in his madnesse doing the same and the Iesuite in whipping of him and shortening his time agree al in one fell vpon a noble and couragious young Gentleman and among them one reached vnto him a naked sword and bid him runne him thorowe for he was wearie of his life the young youth aunswered that he was afraide to doe any such déede and then peraduenture if I should doe it your companions also would kill me But they forced him at length the Gentleman vpon condition condescended so that they would be all bound with cords that he might be in feare of nothing They also yealded to that This Gentleman bound them fast then tooke he the sword of them which done he would not runne vpon them or kil them but tooke whippes and whipped them For my owne part of a trueth I commend this young man and I would that our grayheaded Fathers in this Realme were of his minde Not that I doe desire they should drawe out the sword to cut you off but bicause you are so well vsed to whippings as being a profession of your owne to doe it I would councell them to haue a care of the same and no withered armes in the tryall of this matter Nowe if you like your owne countrie cordes better than ours they shall doe a good deede to shippe you ouer to Rome againe There can be no better lawe to tame them then is the same to which they are sworne â—â—d is so well allowed of them from whence you came Then can you not complaine of vs for we haue done no more vnto you then you would haue vs doe no nor then you do vnto your selues And weout al dout if you should be touched according to your deseruings I do not finde howe you should escape w e your liues the both seditiously come hither to raise vp her Maiesties subiectes and tumultuously spread abroad rebellious pamphlets and with so horrible sacriledge to the Maiestie of God cause our people to refuse comming to the Church Thrée which if both her Maiestie were not merciful and our learned and sage Fathers willing also to heare of your conuersion and amendment are able to cut you short enough for euer séeing Rome or the Pope any more For my owne part The false Churches vse fire and â—aggot in much crueltie therefore the true Church may vse some discipline and some sharp punishmeÌ„t with out tyrannie I will not add willingly affliction to affliction or griefe vnto griefe yet what we suffered in those bloudie and late dayes the world knoweth and for the bread and good kéeping you finde in the Towre you trussed vs vp at the Gallowes and fiered vs at the stake The Lord graunt that it be not layde vnto your charge But thankes to our Lorde God that hither to hath saued vs from you I hope that for his names sake he will deliuer vs still In déede you beginne to bussell nowe and by little and a little to shewe your heades in this Realme but your hope shall be turned to distrust and your day you looke for to an vnknowne day and what so euer it be that you trust vnto whether to the hollowe heartes of England The church was nener without one Achitophel some Doeg or other or one Iudas to betray it or to the faire prontifes of those that sent you â—uer or to some Oracle you haue by which you haue receiued courage or to the foreigne powers which haue bewitched you or to the trayterous attemptes that haue bene practised or to the seditious tumultes which the Pope and Spaine haue raised or else to what so euer it is you trust I tell you plainely you are beguiled you are deceiued you are blinded you are infatuated and your Counsel is brought to nought You may retire wel enough with your companions for of a truth as Achior saide to Olofernes captaine of the armie of Assur Iudeth 5. so can we and so will we answere you If we haue done no great sinne or committed no euill in the sight of our God whereby we haue prouoked him he shall fight against you all But if we haue then if we repent not the Lord will surely deliuer vs into your handes and if there be none iniquitie in vs it is best for you and for your confederates to goe by and to returne backe for I tell you the Lord will fight for vs. Nowe if it should come to passe that God should deliuer vs into the handes of forainers and into she handes of the wicked God not man is to be feated when man commâ—â—deth haâ—â—is coâ—tratie to God yet will we say as Shadrach Meshach and Abednego saide to Nebucadnezar We woulde neither obey them nor their commaundement but let the Lord do what semeth him good in his eyes And in the meane season as wee depende vpon the Lorde our God that made both heauen and earth So also wee will not cease to crye out against you to desire the Lorde to deale with you accoâ—ding to the iniquitie of your inuentions Psal 28.5 To disperse your lying lippes and your deceiptfull tongues Psalm 12.3 To reward you seuenfolde into your
fortibus pax necessaria est nec morientibus sed viuentibus communicatio a nobis danda est c. That is At this present peace is necessarie not to the weake but to the strong and the communion is to be giuen not to the dead but to them that are aliue c. And after this Cyprian giueth Pope Cornelius a great charge concerning the soldiers that were then in armes that before they went to the battaile they should receiue the supper of the Lorde In Sophonianâ— Proph. both in breade and in wine Ierome is a sufficient witnesse for his tyme of this who both allowed of receiuing it in both kinds and commaunded all other to do it Therfore I shal néede to wade no further in confuting and gainsaying you whome both the Scriptures and the fathers Pope Leo did make a petition and in the same did commaund that none shuld digresse from the Apostles you do ergo and all good men of all times for this grieuous sacriledge haue condemned Wherfore it followeth My wordes shal be in your heart In this graue vehement yet short commaundement from the Lord from Moses and for the lawe of the Lorde and for the kéeping of the same I haue to obserue especially this That customes of men antiquitie in matters of waight Chanons of Bishops decrees of Popes opinions of fathers constitutions prouinciall and fond ceremonies obserued of olde are not to be allowed of against God And as euery good and faithfull Christian ought to beléeue this so is it not possible that your religion for you call it religion should stande if you helde not vppon the vaine customes and foolish inuentions of your auncesters I knowe right well that I haue in many your articles sayde something against this your vayne authoritie yet haue I nowe more occasion Against this vaine sacrilegious vsurped authoritie did Vrban Pope 25. Cyprian to Pompeius against Stephanus Augustine to Paulinus inueyghe much as I see you more diuelishly bent and more hautily at this present to lift vp your heades For if the pryde of your father the Pope were not in you or that it did not burst out at this present in your faces when you heare the trueth auowched and your lyes impugned wee could conceiue some good opinion of you and thinke that of ignorance you did that you doe but nowe that wée sée howe you kicke and spurne against the quicke and against the worde of the Lorde and his commandements oppose the decrees constitutions of your Popes wée plainly perceiue that of malice you withstande vs of disdaine you contemne vs of an euill heart you fight with vs and as carelesse and faithlesse persons you thrust in your selues for to controll vs. Dist 21. C. in no uo Testam What if Anacletus that presumptuous Herod in his Epistle to the Bishops of Italy vaunted of his Popedome and royall state which he set vp aboue others as mistresse and Quéene of all the worlde shall wée therefore thinke that his lawes can moue vs or his Decretals concerne vs or his counterfeit holynesse delude vs so that we also though he haue bewitched others shoulde nowe againe be inchaunted with his deadly cup of poyson I tell you no wee serue the God of heauen wee serue the Lorde of hostes and we knowe it is better to obey God than you what De maioritate obedientia folit howe where when what time did the Lorde euer saye as Innocentius 3. sayd the second Nimrod of the earth that the sacerdotall dignitie was aboue the imperiall crown and maiestie of the Lordes annoynted And because that one man sayde that as the Sunne was higher and greater then the Moone so the Pope is greater and higher then the Emperours Shall wee for him and his saying obey all that he did I tell you no but whatsoeuer the Lorde commaundeth that will we doe For that same decree of Pope Leo the fourth at the Councell holden of threescore and twelue Bishops may not preuaile with vs wee regarde not his edict nor cursse doe what he can and the thing that hee and all the other agréed vnto was a damnable thing For it was thus enacted Si quis dogmata mandata sanctiones c. If any man shall violate and breake the ordinances Ex conc 4. Leonis Papae 4. decrees appointmentes constitutions and edictes inacted by the see of Rome for reformation of any thing that same man shal be accursed Nowe I tell you that that same prowde Peacock is he that togither with his shal be vnfeathered and accursed to wee wil be safe in the name of the Lorde and dwelt in peace vnder his winges all the Hornets of Rome shall neuer sting vs. Thinke you that wee are moued at Adrian Pope Adrianus Papa Synodo apud Trecas for all his seuere lawe made Quòd nulli liceat vel addere aliquid vel demere de decretis Pontificum Howe it is lawfull for no man to adde or detract from the decrees of the Bishops of Rome You cannâ— shewe me any one Pope by the space of 400. yeares after Christ but he hath been tainted for his pride for som damnable and grosse sinne You may feare and you may feare in déede for it is a fearfull thing to you all to take awaye she reuerende maiestie from the soueraigne God and giue it to a cursed man as your predecessours and you haue done And I am assured and I knowe that no one Pope from the beginning of your Popedome within the compasse of these thousand yeares hath liued so vertuously or behaued him selfe so reuerently or done that he did so Christianly or raigned so peaceably among men but that he still incroched and mounted vp with Icarus winges a great deale higher then be ought to haue done and at length hath melted and béene tumbled downe very soudenly which assuredly hath béene the greate and heauie iudgement of God vppon your Prelates that the pryde and moste hautie looke of the whore of Rome might be detested of the worlde Hath not euery one for these your deformities abhorred you Verily at this time the gouernement of the worlde which sometimes you had is taken from you For who can suffer it and who wil tolerate your presumptuous hearts what are your decrées as antentike as allowable as sounde as good as holye as trewe as vndoubted as strong and as cerâ—eine as are the writinges of the Apostles In veritie Epistola 2. Anacleti episcopis Italie so haue all your Bishops sayde and what by armes what by force what by treacherie what by collusions and deceit and what by thretenings and manaces Dist 63. Ego Ludouicus Dist 63. Cap. Constitutum In Iob. lib. 35. Cap. 10. they haue attained to all that they haue attained It made the Emperour Ludouicus the first to stoope to the Bishops It made Henry the first and Otto the firste to subscribe vnto him and they both
veritas vita non dixit ego sum consuetudo sed veritas That is You will peraduenture set some auncient custome against me but it is to be noted what God saith It is saide by him I am the way the trueth and the life and GOD did not say I am the custome but I am the trueth Wherefore Augustine saide well Ad Casulâ—num Praesbyterum Dist 11. Can. consuetud Consuetudinem laudamus quae contra fidem catholicam nihil vsurpare dignoscitur That is We allowe and commend that custome that is not knowne to haue vsurped any thing at any time contrarie to the true and Catholique faith Therefore I aunswere you here if you can proue to me out of the Scriptures those Articles and pointes of religion which you affirme you holde by custome I will yelde and condiscend to your opinions otherwise I am of the minde these learned Fathers are of That we must beléeue the truth before all your customes and if you doe not thinke that my iudgement is sound you shall giue me leaue to offend to erre and to goe out of the way with them There is nowe remayning the last thing yet as good and necessarie a thing as any other and it is this God saith thus My words shall be in your heart what his words the words of the Lord You will heare no word at all Is it so and the Lordes wordes howe hardly are you drawne to heare them at this present Why how in what manner where shall we lay them vp where shall we repose them In your heart and in your soule they should be laid vp And I do ensure you sithence my last being in this place and from the time that I haue séene so dissolute and lewde behauiour among you and howe pyningly and howe vntowardly and howe scornfully and howe irreuerendly howe hautily and howe disdainefully you stand here before the Lorde before his Angels in his Church before vs I am not onely astonied vpon the wickednesse and sinne I sée within you as I am amazed at the heauie iudgements of the Lord that hang ouer you Contempt of his word It was neuer noted but in Castawayes Irreuerend behauiour when the word is preached It was neuer séene but in the reprobate vnséemely demeanor and disdainfull lookes vpon the Prophetes You finde it not all onely saue in the Baalites and Chemerims or Saducées or Pharisées or in some such like vnto to them Wherefore you are of that froward generation and those vntoward sprigges That claue and rent in sunder that gnashed their teeth Actes 7. and fell vpon Stephan when they heard his preaching Why 2. Pet. 1.23 Matth. 13.33 Ephe. 6.17 Mark 4.32 Iere. 5.14 Ezech. 3.33 Wherefore for what cause should this be so The worde of the Lorde is that which assureth The worde of the Lorde is the leauen that leaueneth The word of the Lord is the sword that striketh The worde of the Lorde is the graine that increaseth The worde of the Lorde is the fire that inflameth The worde of the Lorde is the honie that sweetneth Howe then shall you escape the iudgements of God the fierce wrath of the highest the furie of his countenaunce the displeasure of our God that both vnwillingly doe come to heare and so like men of Bedlam and as if you were possessed by some foul fiende rage and byte when you vnderstand the trueth Then if not for Gods cause yet for your owne safetie regarde and marke this reason taken out of the former scriptures alledged That thing which bringeth death with it and destruction and confusion for euer is neither to be done or allowed or committed by any godly man nor by you The contempt of Gods worde your irreuerend behauiour in this sacred place bringeth death with it and destruction and confusion for euer if you repent not Ergo This vnseemely dealing in you which bringeth with it all these inconueniences should be done or allowed or committed neither by any godly man nor by you Consider then weigh and regard where and before whom you stand Here is the Lord that seeth you here be his Angels that behold you 1. Cor. 11.12 For whose sakes also you should do the things that are comely And vndoubtedly a greater comfort should there be none to the godly man or to any one vnder heauen then to féede vpon the trée of life then to drinke of this spirituall drinke Deut. 32.2 Mark 4.14 Psal 119.104 Ier. 23.29 Esai 55.1 the word of God This Why It is the rayne that bedeweth It is the seede that groweth It is the rule that leadeth It is the axe that heweth It is the fountaine that springeth It is the well that draweth the water of life to all that come that heare that beléeue that will be saued Then receiue to your comfort comprehend vnto life attaine vnto saluation heare and refuse not that the Lorde may blesse you For there is a verie comfortable reason and a strong conclusion gathered out of this place thus That which bringeth life and is commaunded by God is to be doone of all to be allowed and to be obeyed without exception The worde of the Lorde doth bring in life and is that which is commaunded by God vnto all Ergo The word of the Lord and the Gospell of trueth which is preached is to be heard of al and of you without exception His worde 2. Sam. 22.31 Psal 12.7 it is pure it is immaculate it is tried in the fire it will followe all them that hope and trust in him His wordes they are chaste and milde speaches they are seuered from the earth Psal 18.33 and purged more then seuen times His wordes his wayes They are not polluted wayes but they are leaders vnto life and the Lord is a protectour of all those that trust in him As for you I sée it as for you I doe well perceiue it as for you you doe declare it That you are none of those that haue his statutes before you His lawe is not regarded by you the bright morning starre hath not shined on you You you walke according to the wayes of them of Gomorrah You you trust in Pharaoh and in his mightie power you repose all on the Popes shoulders not on GOD You you are comforted in Herode his pleasaunt Oration and swéete style hath bewitched you You you are protected vnder the shadow of the great beast in the reuelation to whom the most of the Kinges of the earth doe â—â—ll downe and giue worship you you are angrie with Caine you you are hardened as was Sehon you you are the sonnes of the fathers that haue cast stones at the Prophetes you you are bouldened with Zedechias you you are still and you will be Sacrificers stil to the Quéene of HeaueÌ„ you you are peruerted as were false Prophets you you are proude and stately as were the Scribes you you couer sinne with sin as the Iewes dyd you you
practised so many things against vs this many yeeres these are the wicked whome the godlie haue feared these are the disturbers haue disquieted this Realme these are the conspirators haue withholden the hearts of the wicked from their loyaltie these are they that if God had not beene on our side would long ere this haue ouerthrowne vs. VVe know that Papistes were authors of rebellion in the North. We know that as in the Shambles men sell meate so in their priuate assemblies haue these wicked ones bothe bought and solde vs of England We know that many a time the Pope hath sent secrete messeÌ„gers hether and haue stolne away many of the Subiectes hearts We know that newes hath very often ben brought ouer how the time hath been appointed that King Phillip should haue eaten bread and giuen his Souldiors drink in LeÌ„dâ—â— We know that multitudes of Papists hauing been taken examined and imprisoned for the fame they haue sayd openlie that they hoped one day to see their golden day It is seene of all men what numbers haue beene taken 〈◊〉 Masse in despite of the Gospell It is seene of all howe many haue for treason not onely beene taken but executed in London It is seene of all men that they haue vsed witchcraft sorcerie inchauÌ„tment to destroy the Lordes annointed It is seene how vnquiet her Maiesties Realme of Ireland hath been and all only thorow them It is seen what signes and Crosses the Papistes haue had brought ouer as is their Agnus Deis and other Tablets which continually they weare about their necks as tokeÌ„s to be known by if time serued And it is seene and perceiued of all openlie how that innumerable Bulles and Pardons haue are continuallie sent ouer by the Pope And can or may true and faithfull Christians see all this and not speake Naie the heauens the earth crie out against them and if both these should cast out their slaine and dead bodies which sometimes the Fathers of these men haue killed in this coÌ„men wealth vve that liue now were neuer able to abide the yelling and crying the sighing and groning of our Fathers our Mothers SoÌ„nes Daughters Kinsfolk neighbors and of all fortes of people some for the vnspeakeable tormentes wherewith these wicked and vngodlie Baalites haue tormented them And now they thinke the time to be at hand in which they may embrew their handes and a freesh againe be dronken with the blood of righteous men which hope which trust which confidence which desire which practise which sight which thirst of theirs cannot be extinguished if God either stay not their pretended purpose or that some speedy reformation and sharpe discipline be not sought after for these Heretiques And albeit we be ready to pawne bothe our liues and ourbodies in the quarell of the Lord yet haue we a care of the Familie and house of God to keepe the wilde Boare of the wood from deuowring it Vndoubtedlie as Achan troubled Israell Iosh 7.21 in taking of the excommunicate and forbidden thinges so haue these Iesuites with their companions that of late came into this Realme greeuouslie prouoked the Lord and moued vs in bringing ouer their whorishe forbidden and Babilonish garmentes with them Gen. 35.4 True it is that all the Trinckettes and rubbishe they haue is nothing else but Ceraphims and the same straunge Gods or some such beggerlie and vnmeete trashe as the Patriarke Iacob tooke from them of his household when as for very shame he buried them vnder a Terebinth Tree in Schechem Their worshippe is all one with the worshippe of Aaron when he offended in making the golden Calfe Of which sinne committed Moses was so afraide Exo. 32.20 as in the same he let fall the Tables of stone and they brake but Moses dealt with them according to their iniquitie for all that and he stamped the golde of which the Calfe was made off to powder and made the Israelites drinke thereof And this was much that Moses did but Asa the King did more then he 1. Reg. 15.12 For he put away the Sodomites and bannished the Idolaters out of the Lande and he remooued Maacha his mother and disinherited her of Crowne and dignitie for that she offered Sacrifice to Priapus Notwithstanding Iehu did more then did he 2. Re. 10.26 for he killed all the Prophets of Baall and suffered not one of them to liue he defaced the Temple of their Gods and made a Drawght house of it for euer And Iehoiada the heigh Priest 2. Reg. 11.4 together with the yonge Kinge Ioas killed the Idolatresse Athaliah as she fled for her life out of the Temple Ezechias did wonderfull thinges in his dayes and he spared not an Idolater in the Lande How Iosiah delte being but a younge Prince and how he visited and went thorowe the Realme in his owne person the booke of the Cronicles and Kings of Iuda doo declare 2. Reg. 22.8 He put the Idolatrous Priestes to death and was so zealous in the behalfe of his God that he burnt their boanes and sacrificed them vp vpon their owne Altars We are not ignoraunt right Honorable of all the Statutes Ordinaunces and decrees from age to age which the primitiue Churches haue bothe made and confirmed against the Idolaters of there time what the Emperour Constantinus did appeareth in Eusebius Euseb in vita Con. lib. 3. and how he delte in Phaenitia and in Cilitia with the Idolaters Theodosius as witnesseth Theodoretus Theod. lib. 5 cap. 20. did referre all his studie to the suppressing downe of the Idolatrous Gratians And I doo remember that Leo in his Epistle Leo. Epist 66. requireth of Licinia Eudotia Augusta that she would roote out those Heresies spread abroade by the roauing Monkes in Palestine Therefore seeing their children are sprong vp in our dayes and in their steede are risen vp as wicked and as great Idolaters as were they It is very heigh time they should be looked vnto among vs. For my owne part I doo protest that if any thing hath made me to write it is the Lords quarrell and the feare of his name that hath doone it And in the same I haue great reason moouing me therevnto which your Honour shall vnderstande and they all perceiue that shall reade this Booke But it hath greeued me moste of all and stirred me vp espetially in that I haue from time to time seene and vewed the impudent behauiour and bolde presumptions of the Papists Amonge whom some men of late time in a sound speech perfect tongue fine wit and choyse phrase as they did thinke of them selues haue rashly encroached vpon her Maiestie and vpon your Honours the Lords of her Maiesties Honourable priuie Councell with sundrie of theyr bookes Thereby making vs beleeue that because they durste doo it they did it well Of these Maister Harding was the first that reuolted and ranne away from Christe but neuer returned who by this time knoweth
Yea I will set foorth the prayses of such a man as feareth the Lord for it is a good thing to obey him and to haue a care and reuerence to his name and this feare and dreade this seruice belonging to his Maiestie is thriâ—folde in this place Therefore it eyther 1. Concerneth God alone not man 2. Concerneth God as well as man 3. Concerneth man onely not God The seruice due vnto the Lorde is seene in Circumstaunces 1. First that Israel his pople 2. Secondly heare or vnderstand 3. Thirdly such thinges as concerneth their God This seruice is seene in those Epithites and titles giuen vnto the Lord in this place whome you onely ferue 1. First he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Lord of all 2. Secondly he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 God seeing all 3. Thirdly he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 our God in deliuering all 4. Fourthly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 he is only one God there is no more among all The first name of Dignitie héere set downe as Augustine noteth Potentiam denotat She weth his power For God ruleth and gouerneth all And in the same he sate the FirmameÌ„t aâ—one that spreadeth it selfe as a Canapie and the earth beneath the is inustoouâ—able as be the Pillers of heauen and betwixt bothe the fire which burneth not by the power of his woord and the ayre which infecteth not for he restraineth the gates of death And the water which as in the house presumeth not to goe ouer the thresholdes and bankes that are limited The Lord it is indéede that lifteth vp and pluckesh 〈◊〉 shaâ—exaltath hâ—â—bleth that deliuereth casteth 〈…〉 pleasure he brought Israel thorow the red Sea 〈◊〉 his eniâ—â—ies as in a wall he brought in the Waters and drowâ—ed them but he led Israel his people on drie land The Countries of the Nations did the Lord giue vnto them to possesse returned with an angrie couÌ„tenante against the â—ings he spared not the Giâ—nit with his Chaâ—â—ots nor the Mike Countries with the walled Townes but brought in destructioÌ„ for their sinnes and gaue them the slaine as a portion for their vngodlinesse wherefore let all men praise the Lord and serue and obey him aboue all The second tytle giuen vnto the Lord is that he is called 〈…〉 which is as much â—s To see take a view and to to perse thorowe all things very narrowly For the eyes of the Lord are vpon all the earth he giueth strength to them the trust in him vnderstanding to them that walke vprightly he beholdeth the endes and coasts of the Sea and stilleth the raâ—ing of the tempeste 〈◊〉 in his fury he mounteth foorth on she â—â—â—ges of the winde and with the same he bringeth in all 〈◊〉 thinges to trouble sinners who like vnto our God whose eyes are vpon the iuste whose countenaunce is against all those that doo euill to roote them out 〈◊〉 â—he land he giueth and man receyueth he detayneth and man perisheth For the cup of his wrath is powred foorth vpon malefactors and as a man prepared to the battell so is the Lord girded to fight against the wicked For why all thinges are done by him he filleth the hungrie soule and replemisheth with meateÌ„ the néedy Creatures His woorkes are séene aboue and his wunders in the deapth Among the holie ones dooth the Lord raigne and filleth with his blessing euerie lyuing soule The haires of our head are numbred before him and the Sparoâ—e séeketh for meate in due season let euerie soule therefore feare the Lord and let nothing staye him to acknowledge his name for he is a God which séeth all things and nothing may be hidden from him at any time This vvord our then God also our God dooth exclude all forrain and straunge Gods and prooueth that the Lord all on ly is to be feared The thirde tytle and Epithite giuen vnto God is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 our God euen the God of Iacob and the God of Israel which name of remâ—nthraunce no 〈◊〉 was put in and added in this place that Israel should neuer forgetts their Lord God that fought for them therefore is it sayde The Lord can God is Lord onely as being none other that fought for them but ouâ—ly he For in déede the Lord kept the promise that he made them and the â—athe which he swâ—re vnto their Fathers he wought them out of the house of bondage and redéemed them out of the straunge land For why God was iâ—yned to their séede and he would not forsake them for their Fathers sake the Lord gaue vnto them Ierusalem for their portion and the land of Mountaines for their rest he planted his Posteritie to the which 〈…〉 sworne and withdrewe not his woorde though they 〈◊〉 therefore is the Lord woorthy to be praysed and Israel must haue none other God then him alone that saued them The fowrth name and rythe giuen to God is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thy God is onely one For there is no 〈◊〉 then he he is the Lord of Hoases meyther will the Kord 〈◊〉 God giue his gloâ—ie to any other Ierâ—â—e of this word sayth Identitatem 〈…〉 alnatem notat 1 That is The 〈…〉 and vnitie of the same not the varietie or plurality of Gods is to be noted and considered heere For I doo finde that the most best learned haue gathered out of this place of Scripture bothe the Vnitie in the Trinitie and the Trinitie in the Vnitie which is to be worshipped For the word Lord in the first place may signifie the Lord God the first person which made all the worde God in the second place may represent Christe the worde of God that redéemed all And one onely Lord in the third place may be well the spirite of God who béeing equall with them bothe doo make but onely one true eternall euerliuing and glorious God Then you sée that I haue two things héere proportioned and drawns out vnto me wherof I must of necessitie speake 1. The first that Vnitie in Trinitie and Trinitie in Vnitie is to be worshipped 2. The second that all manner of Idoll worship and all seruice not agreeing to this commaundement in this place is to be abhorred The maner of theyr preaching in tyme of Popery was known wheÌ„ they handled nothing else but the defence of theyr filthy and Idolatrous Ceremonies as for doctrine of faith of maÌ„ners of life of religion or any other good vvholsome Article of our beleese they neuer dealt vvith any of them For the first point which is our Faith we ought to holde concerning the Trinitie I say this As you whereof I sée too many héere Schollers of the Pope are not able to escape without suspitioÌ„ of great Sacriledge for that diuers of your sect and your heresies with whome I doo confesse I haue reasoned haue béen of opinion that in the body of the Bible the olde Testament no man
was able to finde out the name of the blessed Trinitie By reason whereof the people stoode in a manunering supposing it was a newe Doctrine Your Massemongers and Idoll Préests durst not preach of it for feare of dulling the peoples heads with so great and déepe Mysteries And diuers of your Church of Roome doo thinke that this Doctrine is to hie a Doctrine for the people yet what colour so euer you all haue and beare of zeale and Religion I sée plainlie that you doo but cast away the soules of men for you reade in an vnknowne tongue you condempne your selues for you speake flatlie against the trueth you doo but dissemble in this waightie Article of our faithe and of the Trinitie and how cunningly soeuer you glose and do ceitfully soeuer it be that you colour your imquitie the Lord shall reueale it and we doo knowe it alreadie Wherefore I will first of all begin with this pointe of our faithe this ended I will come to the rest In all which I promise that no new doctrine shal be taught you or vaine matters opened to you or any doubtfull thinge deliuered to you But for that which I speake I will giue you a good and sufficient warrant out of the booke of God Thus I beléeue therefore and thus I teache all that faithfully will beléeue to hold and kéepe this ground of saluation for euer which is This reuerend doctrine of the Trinitie is in all holy and sacred wise to be read of euery person that vvilbe saued That Trinitie in Vnitie and Vnitie in Trinitie is to be woorshipped For there is the father who created all there is the sonne and he redéemed all and there is the spirit the holie Ghost that dooth sanctifie all The Father is made of none neither made nor created nor begotten The Sonne is of the Father alone not made nor created but begotten The holy Ghost is of the Father and of the sonne not made nor created nor begotten but proceeding And as in the Scriptures all things that are taught vs are of thrée sorts Either put in and set downe for man to beléeue and not to sée as was the heauen and the earth made of nothing by the Lorde Either to beholde and containe by faithe as is our redemption by Christ either which is last sensiblie to perceiue and naturally to take héede of and beware as is our obedience and disobedience in the commaundements of the Lord The naturall man is lead by reason and sense the godly is directed by faithe and hope So I am of opinion that the carnall and grose man is not able to comprehend the depth of this Christian veritie for that he referreth all thinges to the senses which deceiue him or to the outwarde apparaunces which ouerthrowe him or to naturall reasons which ouâ—e come hun or to materiall and visible apparitions which are alwayes drawing and with holding him so that as he measureth his faith by his sight and the truthe by his corporall and palpable blindnes so is he neuer able to attaine vnto the liuely perfect trueth which riseth of faith is giuen by the Lord. For my owne part I am not of your opinion which deuide your selues from the Church by your foolishe â—â—nes of Catholiques Iesuites Seminaries by which as by sâ—les coates you haue béene alwayes known amoÌ„g the righteous you shinke that this doctrine is haroÌ„e If it be it is no â—â—â—aile in you for you be hard hearted vnbeléeuing persoâ—â— you thinke that the depth thereof caÌ„not be attained vnto The vvilful and blinde are more more blinded by God in euerie thing that euery chyld coÌ„trolleth I easily grauÌ„t you this for séeing you serue not the Lord aright in matters wherin children sée your grosenes wherfore should you presume to search the depth of this secrete you thinke that the people is not able to coÌ„prehend this doctrine I think so too for at your hands they caÌ„not be taught at all your selues are ignorant In the scriptures they caÌ„not learne for you kéepe close the booke of the Lord and you hide these Misteries froÌ„ them But they be carnal you worldly it is therfore ouer hard meat for them to féede on They then be as you are no marueile if the blind leading the blind they both fall at length wherefore lye you still snorting in your Closets rather inglutted with surfetting and riot then experienced in articles of your faith and lie there so loÌ„g as you list suffer your own people to die for want of the light as you haue done rather then as ruÌ„nagates and maisterles men to trouble vs in EnglaÌ„d The Pope hath alwayes been knowne to be Antitichrist in sending foorth such as dysturbe common vvealthes I tell you the plainest Preacher that we haue caÌ„ vtter doctrine you caÌ„not coÌ„prehend and now as you fit dumbe mute speaking nothing you shal be witnesses in your own coÌ„sciences that I will speake no other thing then the trueth Therefore I make protestation of my faith vnto you in this manner There is in the Trinitie thrée persons but one God the persons be these the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost In dignitie none desire to rise higher then the other in power they are equiualeÌ„t none goeth beyoÌ„d the other in glory they are glorious none is worshipped more then is the other Such as is the Father in diuinity such is the SoÌ„ne also in his exceltencie as the Father the SoÌ„ne is in theyâ— brightnes so is the holy Ghost equal vnto them in his highnesse Maiesty which power Principality which right Honour and renowne which hath béene with them from all beginning is common and proper to all thrée Thrée be they in person one and all onely one in Goodhead In béede the Father died not but the Sonne died for vs â—he Sonne was begotten of his Father before all worldes the Father was not begotten of the Sonne The Spirite the holy Ghost protéedeth from them bothe the Spirit the holy Ghost is of them bothe the Spirit the holy Ghost is with them bothe The Father the SoÌ„ne procéeded not of the Spâ—rit yet are they vnited so in the Godhead as the one is not aboue the other neither is there superiority in the one more then is in the other The Rabbines were pitthy and vvittie in many thinges though scrupulous and superstitious in som things The Hebrew Rabbines doo assigne and expresse the Trinitie by this name God which is with them Iehouah This the Gréekes call Tetragrammaton which is a name or word of fowre Letters to outward she we yet there are but thrée indéede for He is put in twise as in the second in the fourth place By these thrée Letters they doo expresse the Trinitie Iod betokeneth Principium 1 A beginning aptlie sheweth the Father that began and created all The second Letter He signifieth To be or to lyue and declareth the SoÌ„ne which is
that you are hardned for the same poyson which you drunke in your first yéeres is a cause why you are broken out into the â—â—â—â—titude of your gréeuous sores at this present Then want of prayer to the Lord dooth againe putrifie you so sore within as busied and occupied in their inuocation to Saint Peter to Saint Thomas to the Virgin Marie others you haue not any leysure at all to call on God wherfore you doo not wel for those Personages are great Personages béeing troubled with a multitude of Suters they may not presently heare you neither can they preferre your prayers vnto God so soone Peraduenture also they be abroad or busied in some waightie affayres or else they haue some other request for some néerer fréend of theyrs and you most wayte yet longer Wherfore turne to the Lord and he will heare you indéede neither will he deferre saluation from day to day Lastly I am afraide that one of you infecteth an other therefore I doo wishe that you may be seuered asunder when the Tempter is gone It is euident that the Kings Keisars dyd vvithstand the Pope a long season tyll by maine might the Pope took in hand to staÌ„d in armes against them For Carolus in his tyme made an Edict against the Pope and cut off halfe his Crowne yet dyd the Pope swell and ryse more more but in blood the spirit of the Lord will walke more effectuallie And I for my part together with my brethren will pray for you continuallie that the Lord God would open your eyes that you may sée the trueth for vndoubtedlie your hearts are full of woormwood gall and I sée that bitternes is within you euen to death if the Lord God quicken you not Who euer sayd that that was proper to man which is to be giuen to God but you who euer affirmed that the Pope was Lord and God and King and Keisar saue all only you who hath giuen him power by which as of himselfe he standeth who hath giuen him honour by which through his might he striketh he cutteth off he saueth saue onely you who hath giuen him the keies of hell and heauen where he bindeth and he loseth saue all onely you who hath sayd he is God Vicegerant in earth by which he ordaineth and deposeth but onely you who hath made him equall with God and most like vnto the highest saue all onely you his Schollers his Disciples his Ministers and such as are and haue béene accoumpted Heretiques and are of the same profession as are you wherfore returne come away flie froÌ„ the whore of Roome Apoc. 17. O be not deceyued she hath poysoned all the Kings of the earth with the venome of her cup Stay a while pause and consider and you shall sée the dampnation of this great whore that sitteth vpon many waters With her haue the Kings of the earth committed fornication with her haue the Inhabitants of the earth béene made drunke for shée sitteth vpon a scarlet coloured Beast A Beast is Roome called for the eruell sauadge vnnaturall beastly qualities found with in her as appeareth in Daniel Dan. 7.7 Sitting in Scarlet for that the was red and inglutted with the blood of the Saintes The outragious pride of this vvhore of Roome the Pope is séene In that at this day he hath vpoÌ„ his Pallace a Piller of stone that is valued at 20000. Crownes Hee hath his roose seeled vvith golde couer His hanginges are of precious stone lyke glasse And yeerely hath he comming in out of the common stewes an Annuall reuenew vvhich is his tribute of 20000. pounds from amoÌ„g the vvhores common vvomen of Roome so that he is the vvhore that sitteth in the golden chayte Then hauing names full of blasphemy for is there any one now or was there any euer héeretofore that had the same blasphemous titles as hath the Pope Then hauing vâ— heads which are seuen hylles on which Roome did stand and was built and so sometimes had seuen Kinges within her The whore is said to haue ten hornes many kingdoms vnder her Then she is arayed in Purple and Scarlet For the glorie of your Popedome staÌ„deth in outward Pompe and we know that no Prince in the world is more ritchly attired then is that monster at Roome Then she hath a cup of abhominations in her hand And not without cause in as much as all Heresies false doctrine and Superstitions of the late Churches haue come from her Then in the forehead is there a Misterie written Babilon the great the mother of whordome A Mysterie in déede for none can comprehend this secrete but the Elect None can tell you that this Roome is that whore but such as God hath touched None can open this plainly to the world saue onely those to whome God hath giuen it And therefore if your hearts were not hardned if in hearing you dyd not heare or in séeing you sawe not and were not blinded or if the Lord had not shut vp your vnderstanding for your wilfulnesse it could not be possible but in this lyght and beautie of our time of the trueth you should vnderstand and conuert be saued and deferre not off from day to day for the longer you stay the more fierce God is the longer you prolong the more seuere he is This day if you heare his voyce harden not your harts I tell you that the wicked man dooth moste prowdely kéepe his countenaunce and will not be chauÌ„ged the heart of the godly man melteth when he heareth of the Lord Rom. 2.5 wherefore take you héede that according to your hardnesse of heart and your impenitent soules which will not repent you heape vp vengeance against the day of vengeance against the day of wrathe the reuealing of the iust iudgement of God For wherfore should you stand thus in defence of the Pope wherefore should you hazard your selues for a mortall man wherefore stande you against the truthe is it for the you are ignoraunt you may sée Is it because you haue learned so Our Fathers are to be followed no farther then you follow the Lordet Reade Origen in Esech Hom. 7. reade Augu. vpon Iohn Tract 49. cap. 11 you shall haue another lesson the Lord God shall be your maister Is it because you feare man why the Lord our God is greater stande to him what haue your Fathers beléetâ—ed so then be you other men you shall not beare theyr iniquities what haue you learned this from them of olde why what then They erred go you vprightlie they sinned against theyr God prouoke you him not they liued in miserable dayes and sawe little you haue the lawe in your mouthe and it is open to all they desired and could not haue it you may haue and will not take it They had the Gospell kept from them by the Tiranny of the man of sinne that brused and stamped vnder his féete the Saints of
egredietur de ore meo c. My woord shall not returne vnto me voide but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thinge whereto I sent it Isa 55.11 And therefore I desire you and I pray you in the Lord that you would redéeme the time knowing that those things which I haue spoken are not spoken by me but by the Lorde And for that you shall not in any thing mistrust me looke into the Reuelation of Saint Ihon Apoc. 9.1 and there shall you finde that I haue spoken nothing but that which the spirit of God prophesied of before should happen to the Churche of Rome and all her abhominations and all her filthines are opened long before the things shoulde happen are expressed in thrée circumstaunces Three circumstaunces 1. First in the Angell 2. Secondlye that sounded 3. Thirdlie the Trumpet The statelie messenger is a token of the certaintie of the thinge The sounde betokeneth it should come to passe The Trumpet signifyeth that it should be blased commonlie knowen thorow out the world to all And the things to be knowne are these A description of the Pope 1. First a Starre that is a Bishop and Minister and who greater with you then the man of Rome 2. Secondlye that fell for your Pope from time to time hath gone from God Novve that vvhich should be done and should happen is this 3. Thirdly from heauen for heauen and heauenly thinges hath he forsaken and taught mans Traditions 4. Fowrthly to the earth for as all things therin are vncertaine so be all things taught by you and by the Pope most vnstable most wauering and earthly 5. Then he had giuen vnto him a gifte for without Gods permission he dooth nothing 6. The thinges giuen were keyes you say that he hath the keyes on his shoulders yet I thinke you will scarse reioyce in them if you consider well 7. But what keyes the keyes of the bottomles pit for he openeth hell gates to all that follow him 8. Then he opened the bottomles pit for all abhominatiōs and all sin iniquity that leadeth vnto hel come frō him 9. Then there arose a smoake from the pit and you knowe that all filthines hath been spread abroade by the Pope Roome Romanistes are neuer able to aunswer Iohn to this place 10. Then the smoake was like a furnace for the aboūdance of his errors and heresies darkned Christe and his Gospel 11. Then the ayre was darkned by the smoake of the pitifor what trueth what good and perfect doctrine hath not beene obscured by him the Pope 12. After that appeared Locustes false Teachers Cardinals Bishops Monkes Friers c. 13. After that power was giuen vnto them euen false and deceiueable doctrine pleasaunt vnto men 14. Not power onely but the power of Scorpions for your Abbie lowbies did so sting the cōsciences of men of the weake as they died an eternall death by their teaching 15. Yet they hurt not the grasse such as were vpright and knew God for the Elect can not be beguiled by you doo what you can 16. But onely those that were not sealed in their foreheads 1 such as God had not praeordained to life but Infidels whome Sathan had blinded 17. Lastly those that were sealed they should be troubled sixe moneths Euen a certaine time which God had appointed for though Rome hath troubled along time all the faithfull yet is your time limitted and we know that this trouble is but for a season ◠But enter in farther sée and looke whether this be so yea or no your whole Idolatrie knauerie bawdrie of Roome is described and it is showen plainly that the Romanistes be the Locustes Homoiomata A description of the Locusts 1. First they are like horses rebellious bolde cruell fierce lecherous and impenitent 2. Secondly they are prepared for they are armed and readie against the Saintes 3. Thirdly vnto battell for they fight and they encounter and they are in armes against the righteous 4. Fourthly they haue crownes on their heads for they of Rooome challenge honour and dignitie aboue all 5. Fiftly their crownes are like golde they haue no right to that supremacie they claime But they make a false challēge thervnto rob others of their right dignity 6. Sixtly their faces are like faces of men quicke politique brabling and subtill such as pretend humanitie and curtesie and looue and good will towards men yet are they sauadge and cruell and such as eate vp the people of God Harding dooth defend the Stewes erected at Roome 7. Seuēthly they haue haire like vnt o the haire of women which noteth the wantonnes idlenes whorishe apparell and effeminate mindes of the Clergie of Roome 8. Their teeth as the teeth of Lyons for you of Roome haue oppressed the Saints of God and deuoured them 9. They haue Habergions of Iron for they be sturdie and not moued to pittie countenaunced by Princes 10. They haue winges for they be prowde and lyfted vp aboue Kinges and Emperours 11. They haue stinges in their tayles for the number of the Saints of God that are slaine is innumerable 12. They haue a King and he is the king of the bottomlesse pit euen the Deuill and Sathan 13. Your Kinges name is Abaddon and Apolyon euen a most horrible cruell and bloody deuowrer of the Saintes of God a destroyer in doctrine by the Pope Antichrist a destroyer of men bothe of body and in soule in soule with falsehood and lyes in body with fire and sword This feare of the Lord is to be knowen of all for God commaundeth it This reuerence is to be obserued of all for else God punisheth and to be kept for vve are bound vnto it it is alwayes to be looked vnto and vve ought espetially to regard it You haue had a most liuely description of the Pope with his Cleargie not at my handes but at the handes of God Nowe followeth that I should saye some thing of the true feare reuerence and homage which is to be giuen vnto the Lord God it is the last member of all whereof if I speake at large I shall doo great iniurie to this honourable great assemblie If I say nothing I shall be suspected of you our aduersaries and be iudged able to doo nothing If I clippe my spéeche I shall leaue but the halfe man to be séene of you whome I had rather you should sée fully drawne out and in his strength Therfore I am determined to speake yet not fullie because that I doo must be done bréeflie I will speake but not to please or satisfie you but to shewe that duetie which bothe I and all other good Christians doo owe vnto the Lord I will speake that I will speake of no otherwise then of the most true and Christian Veritie which I finde as vndoubted holie and to be euidently declared in the booke of God The
feare due vnto the Lord and vnto none else dooth exclude and shut out all other feare and reuerence and homage giuen to any other whatsoeuer for God vvill not part stakes with any man For in the last and perticular diuision of all I noted that worshippe which toucheth and appertayned vnto Man thus O Israel the Lord thy God is Lord onely and thou shalt feare him c. Heere is a reuerence that man oweth to his God and to none other To God to the Lord to the Lord onely To none other I say to none No not to Marie no not to Peter no not to the Saintes What not your Letanie not your Orate pro nobis 1 Your generall Praiers made vnto the Saints Pray for vs be they not good I say they be not good they be dampnable I say no they be not good they derogate from the Maiestie of God I say no they be not good you aske helpe of Man not of the Lorde I saye and I affirme that you committe sacriledge and you doo that which is forbidden in the booke of God I finde it thus written by Dauid Psal 50.15 Inueca me in die tribulationis et eruam te et honorificabis me i Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will delyuer thee and thou shalt honour mee I finde not any commaundement to pray to Peter or to Marie In the Hebrewes Hebr. 10. we are charged to drawe néere vnto Christe our highe Préest who béeing the highest of all hath not that I doo finde giuen his Ioel. 2. glorie vnto any other In Ioel the Prophete Ioell 2. this is written Who soeuer calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saued Wherein who séeth not that all other inuocation is excluded Vnlesse you will affirme that they the Saints to whome you pray be Lordes also and Gods of the earth What is plainer then an other Scripture 1. Iohn 2. If any man sinne we haue an aduocate to God Iesus Christe the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes And againe Not for vs onely but for the sinnes of the whole world If Christe be sufficient then neede vve no other If Christ be a recoÌ„ciler the helpe of others is nothing If Christ be our aduocat then vaine is the helpe of Saintes In which you cannot denie these sayinges 1. First that you are sinners 2. Secondlie you haue an aduocate to God 3. Thirdlie a person most righteous 4. Fourthlie that all only is named Iesus Christ such a one at maketh intercession and is a propitiation for vs. 5. Fiftlie not for vs only but for all euen the whole world Now then where is life but in Christe where haue you attanaâ—ment but of Christe where shall you looke for propitation but by Christe Who maketh intercession but Iesus Christe who deliuereth vs and the whole world but all only Iesus Christe It is a strong reason and a greater can not be 〈◊〉 then is this Roma 8. There are not two Mediatours of heauen and earth but one onely Christe Iesus is the mediatour of heauen and earth and of vs Ergo None other neyther Marie neyther Peter nor any other Saint but Christe onelie mediatour for vs 〈◊〉 The Fathers of olde knewe no other neither called they on the name of any one but only of their God Seth Gene. 4.26 restoring Religion called on the name of God and Abraham soiourning Gene. 12.8 when he pitched his Tent and had on the one side Bethel on the other side Haie built there an Altar and called on the name of the Lord. I am assured that Isaack would haue worshipped the Lord with that kinde of worship and that seruice that was most acceptable to God yet can it not be found that Isaack Gene. 26.25 or any other the Prophetes vsed the helpe of any dead man but called on their God And so am I assured dyd Iacob Gene. 32. together with Moses Exod. 34. and also Sampson The old fathers taught thus Epiphanius in his booke against the Antidicomarianites Gregorius Na. in Ioh. Lib. 9. Cap. 42. and Cycill in Iohn 16. and Chrisostomus Hom. de Muliere Chananeâ— and Theophilactus ad Coloss and August vnto Honoratus are all against the inuocation of Saints when they liued and not one of them vsed the helpe of any their fellow Patriarkes departed or brethren the good men that were dead but all of them prayed to the Lord their God wherefore your prayers to those departed are vaine they doo you no good your prayers to them are gone are diuelish and whoorish they are forbidden by the Lord they are to no ende they cannot profyt you they are detestable they are condempned in the Scriptures they are superstitious for they derogate from God they are Idolatrous and pernitious they infect and hurte such as doo vse them they are moste filthy and abhominable for no homage is to be giuen to them but to the Lord. As for you your worship your adoration your prayers to them whence haue you them where finde you them what warrant haue you for them what authoritie what commaundement from the Lord as of all other your whorish abhominations so may I say of this You haue no Author no defence no Protection no colour of the same but onely from Rome from Pope from Cardinall from your owne inuentions your owne decrées your own decretalies or els from the olde and damnable Hereticks Contra. octo ginta Haer. Epiphanins that olde and grayheaded father Bishop of Cyprus reckoneth this among the Heresies of the Collyridinns who came out of Thracia in Arabia the vpper parts of Scythia for the they also superstitiously as you do offered to the Virgin Marie now once in a yeare was the day very solemply kept and they celebrated it with great honour and to say truthe they were women Priestes who gaue that so great homage vnto her as being the Mother Lady and Mistresse of all Woemen And vnlâ—sse that you tooke this custome from them the first inuentors of the same I know not what you are able to saye for the antiquitie of Praiers giuen to her or any other This I knowe this I am assured off and this I finde in your owne writers that till it was within these late yeares you haue not so much as any mention made of your praying vnto those that are departed but all onely the nations and such as knew not God haue vsed to praye to them that are gone or els some of your owne vaine and fantasticall Bishoppes haue brought in this custome who as euery man was giuen wickedly or bent frowardly disposed idlely or affectioned fylthely The Popes the Authors of all Idolatrie or inneighled diuellishly or drawne away superstitiously or bewitched heathnish like haue made constituted and ordained lawes for this kinde of praier and more I fynde not Lib. 2. Yom. pr. haeresi quinquagesi Therefore in Arabia the
Christ was in the same manner compared to the rodd of Aaron that blossomed to the golden pott wherein the Manna was to the Manna that came downe from heauen Iesuites are in a damnable most dangerous estate resisting this opeÌ„ vndoubted veritie to the brazen serpent that was lifted vp in the wildernesse to the Prophet Ionas that was thrée dayes and thrée nightes in the whales belly to the high way in which men walke to the dore by which men haue passage to the sheepeheard which is a keeper of shéepe To a Lyon of the Tribe of Iuda which deuowred to a Lambe which is commonly slayne for men yet was not Christ really in all these no more is he corporally in the bread at the table Now if all only this kind of speech were vsed of Christ you might say something but I tell you that not only of Christ and his person all alone is this vsed but of all manner of things too in the booke of God Christe sayde of Iudas I haue chosen twelue and one of you is a diuel yet was Iudas no diuell Of the circumcision it was spoken thus My couenaunt shal be in your fleshe for all that the circumcision was not the couenant Gen. 33.20 but a signe of the couenant Iacob is saide to haue built an Altar to the Lord and to haue called it by this name The mighty God of Israel There is no dout but Iacob knew the the name Altar was not God yet did he cal the signe by the name of him the was signified This figure is so common as nothing is more common in the scriptures It was written of Iohn Baptist that he was the burning lampe and the candle that gaue light and that he was Helias Yet you all knowe that this was spoken but by a figure In Genesis the seauen kine and the seauen cares of corne are said to bee seuen yeres yet were they but representations of the same Ahias the Prophete the Sylonite gaue vnto Ieroboam the tenne peeces of his cloke which was cut and saide he gaue vnto him the kingdome of the tenne tribes Yet Israell was not in the péeces of the cloath So in like manner say I to you touching this take eate it is my bodie yet is not Christ a reall and naturall bodie there And that you may sée howe wee haue some thing more to say vnto you and that wee doe not ground our faith and religion vpon presumptions I am desirous to be satisfied at your handes and to be aunswered vnto two reasons that I will make against you For this I holde that Christ is not really naturally flesh bloode and bone in the Sacrament and I reason thus As Christ was with our fathers of olde in their sacramentes so and after the same manner is Christ with vs in ours But the bodie of Christ was not really bodily carnally and grossely in their sacramentes ergo Christ is not really naturall flesh blood and bone in ours For my first proposition â— Cor. 10. I doe referre you vnto the first to the Corinthians where you shall finde that wee haue no more priuiledge then haue they nor prerogatiue theÌ„ had they 〈◊〉 saluation by any other or by any other meanes then had they and when either you can or be able to say ought against those vndoubted and infallible truethes which we haue spoken then will I say more My second reason is this He that is really carnally bodily fleshly euen perfect man in the heauens is not so and in the same manner with vs here in the earth But Christe is verily humanely really bodily with the same bodie hee tooke of the Virgin Marie and perfect man in the heauens Ergo Christ is not really flesh bloud and bone in the breade here in the earth I doe remember what Augustine saith Qui vult viuere Super Iohan. tract 26. habet vbi viuat habet vnde viuat accedat credat incorporetur vt vinificetur that is He that will liue he hath the thing nowe by which he may liue he hath the place where he may liue Let him drawe neare let him beleeue let him be incorporated that he may be quickened And in the same place it followeth Coena dominica est sacramentum Pietatis signum est Vnitatis The Fathers neuer vsed to say really bodily grâ—â—ly flesh bloud and bond in the bread Vineulum est Charitatis that is The Supper of the Lorde is the sacrament of Pietie the signe of Vnitie and the bond of Charitie so that it appeareth Augustine thought as we doe thinke and beléeued as we doe betéeue which was that we haue a spiritual foode and a spiritual drinke in these external elements and outward signes of breade and wine Moreouer the Scripture is euident and plaine and proueth this which I haue spoken that is howe Christe is bodily and naturally in the heauens not bodily in the earth Mark 16. In Marke it is thus written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Christ was taken vp into heauen But he that is there is not also bodily here with vs Ergo Christ is not bodily here on earth In Luke I find this Luke 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is he went from them But in bodie Christe went from them and in the same bodie Christe is with his father Ergo not bodilie and carnally with men vpon the earth Another argument Semper pauper es habebitis vobiscum Matth. 26.11 non autem me that is The poore ye shall alwayes haue with you but me you can not alwayes haue with you Where out I gather this briefe The poore and Christ can not be together in one place but we are assured and persuaded certainely that the poore of the world are alwayes vpon earth Ergo Christ is not with them nor where they be here vpon the earth Then séeing Christ is not corporally with vs nor in fleshly and bodily presence We haue to inquire and search out the manner of his being here on earth For it is true that we eate and drinke his bodye and his bloud They that will learne they must apply one scripture with an other but after another manner then you affirme None is ignorant howe that man consisteth of bodye and of soule Therefore it is expedient we should as well be fed with spirituall foode as it is necessaris we should liue by temporall meate of which thing if any man here be ignoraunt then is it bicause the spirite of GOD hath not quickened him For if you reade the sixt of Iohn you shall finde it most apparantly Also Christe saith in an other place Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied Therefore as there is a spirituall which is an internall famishment so is there a heauenly Esai 55.1 which is to the soule spirituall nourishment Isayas saith Omnes sitientes venite ad aquas c. Al