religion the three and thirtye yeare of his age S. Paule began ill and yet he ended well Of a cruell persecutour he became a mighty defender of Christes religion Of a scatterer he became a gatherer Of a wolfe a lambe Of an Antichristian enemy a Christian souldiar Of a learnd lawier at Hierusalem a learner of the Gospell at Damascus and of a Saul a Paul. God of his mercy graunt that all they which haue traced the path of Antichrist may renouÌ„ce their foolishe dreames and fonde assertions and after the example of S. Paule professe Christ detest Antichrist goe forward in all godlynes euen vnto their liues end Dauid may fall and Saule may rise Wee ought to hope the best of all men to iudge the best and to thinke the best For charity thinketh no euill S. August sayth wel Bononorum desyderuÌ„ est vt qui mali sunt corrigantur ma 〈…〉 dium est vt qui boni sunt consumantur Good men would faine haue ill men amended and ill men would faine haue good men consumed There are too many such in this doting age of the world which hate all meÌ„ extremely that please not their fansies yet they make great shew of holynes But if their visardes were pulled of Good Lord what a masse of malice should a man see what enuy what falshode what spightfulnes rancour should a man behold Turkes and Iewes are better to be lyked than such hipocriticall Christians Charitye ouer commeth all thinges without charity nothing preuaileth and wheresoeuer charitye is shee draweth all thinges vnto her and shee is the bewtye of the soule I surcease humbly and hartely beseeching Christ the Prince of Pastours to perserue your honour by the vertue of his holy Spirite many yeares to the aduauncement of his glory to the repayring of the ruines of Sion To the vtter ruin of BabyloÌ„ and finally after your peregrination vpon earth to geue you the laborers peny of euerlasting blessednes At London the 2. day of September Your Lordships alwayes most humble at commaundemeÌ„t Iohn Dyos COntio Dios celebrata crebris Vocibus flexit populum potentem Atque plebeios animos rigauit Nectare suaui Pauit aeternis epulis Iehouae Indigas mentes sitibunda prata Rore diuino fluuioque sparsit Corda salubri Fregit vires Latij Tyranni Praescidit cristas triplicem coronam Contudit fido Salios salaces Arguit ore Inuidi Momi malesuada lingua Putreat corui lanient dolosos Zoilos Laruae valeant facessat Dira Megaera ק ב Papa loquitur NOs pedibus nostris dominos supponimus orbis Nos plantis premimus Caesareumque genus Si placeat Genios volumus detrudere coelo Nostra manus Manes ex Acheronte vocat Posse sacerdotes Paniscum condere Christum Dicimus Ergo Dei gloria danda mihi Namque creatorem mundi facit ille quis ipse Nonne Deus summus solus vtrunque creo â–ª Maior caelitibus sacrifex genijsque supremis Sacrificis praesto dicite quantus ego Sacrificus praestat Mariae semel illa gerebat Christum sed sacrifex saepius ore vorat Saepius ore vorat carnem cum saenguine crudo Ossa vorat pectus brachia crura pedes Est nostrum genus eximijs spectabile factis Gregorius Magnus carminae mirae canit Christo pulsanti patuit vix ianua Ditis Sed mihi pulsanti mox paetuere fores Namque ego Traeâ—â—â—um tetri de faucibâ—s Orci Extrâ—xi â—â—â—trem Dite fremente meam Semper bonos noâ—enque meum laudesque manebuÌ„t Quae Christus câ—ndis condere iure queo Christus respondet TV lupus et vulpes Tu summum de decus orbis Tu ruis in baerathrum te manet atra dies A Sermon Preached at Paules Crosse the xix day of Iuly An. 1579. By Iohn Dyos Luc. 5. IT came to passe that wheÌ„ the people preassed vpon him to heare the word of God he stode by the lake of Genezareth and sawe two shyppes stand by the lakes side but the fishermeÌ„ were gone out of them and were washing their nettes And he entred into one of the shippes whiche pertained to Simon and prayd him that hee would thrust out a litle from the land And hee sat down and taught the people out of the shippe When he had left speakyng hee sayd vnto Simon launche out into the deepe and let slippe your nettes to make a draught And Simon aunswered and sayd vnto hym Maister we haue laboured all night haue taken nothing Neuerthelesse at thy commaundement I will lose forth the nette And when they had so done they inclosed a great multitude of fishes But their net brake and they beckned to their felowes which were in the other shippe that they should come and helpe them And they came and filled both shippes that they sonke agayne When Simon Peter saw this he fell down at Iesus knees saying Lord go from me for I am a sinnefull man For he was astonyed and all that were with hym at the draught of the fishes which they had taken and so was also Iames and Iohn the sonnes of Zebede whiche were parteners with Simon And Iesus sayd vnto Symon Feare not from heÌ„ceforth thou shalt catch men And they brought the shippes to land and forsoke all and followed him IT is written in the 5. of Luke and read in the Churche this day It came to passe that when the people pressed vpon him to heare the worde of God he was standyng by the lake of Genezareth c. In the ende of the former chapter Christian audience Christ our Sauiour being ill intreated in Nazareth no Prophet is accepted in his owne countrey came downe to CaphernauÌ„ a Citie of Galilee there taught the people on the Sabboth dayes cast out deuils and cured SimoÌ„s wiues mother sicke of a great feuer and when the sunne was downe healed what soeuer sicke were brought to hym laying his handes on euery of them Deuils also came out of many crying and saying Thou art that Christ the sonne of god c. There they preassed and here they preasse The summe of all Séeke ye first the kyngdome of God and his righteousnes and all these thynges shal be ministred vnto you The text principally compriseth these thrée places an Example teaching to heare the Gospell feruently and the causes therof The ship wherein Christ was is an image of the Church of Christ militant the request of Christ and faithfull obedience of Peter The successe of all It came to passe when the people preassed vpoÌ„ him to heare the word of God. Sinfull men of euery condition preassed vppon him to heare his heauenly doctrine We neuer read of any such preassing of Scribes Phariseis to Christ I thanke thee O Father Lord of heauen earth because thou hast hid these thynges from the wise and prudent and hast shewed them vnto babes The people preassed vpon him to heare the word of God. Luc. sayth not people came to him
benefites The formall cause is the gladsome message of free remission of sinnes purchased by Christ Iesus The finall cause is that mankynd beyng deliuered out of the handes of his enemies Death Sinne Hell Sathan should serue God in holynesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of his lyfe He that is of God heareth Gods word he loueth it beleueth it doth it These thyngs are included in the word Heare The word of God hath sūdry hearers some receiue it some receiue it not Note the parable of the seede The séede of the word of God when it was sowed fell some by the wayes side some vpon stones some vpō thornes and some in good ground c. but more strictly and briefly the word of God hath two sortes of heares Elect and Reprobate The elect say with Peter Domine ad quem ibimus verba vitae aeternae habes Maister to whom shal we goe thou hast the wordes of eternall lyfe The reprobate say Durus est hic sermo This is a hard saying who can heare it Can this mortalitie put on immortalitie Cā this corruption put on incorruption Can Christ be God and mā Can God beget a sonne as of late the deuill of Norwiche deuilishlye sayde yea worse then a deuill was he For the deuils in the former Chapter acknowledged Christ crying and saying Thou art Christ the sonne of God but this deuill denyed Christ The word of God is preached in vayne to many the hony is lost that is put into vessels of gall the fishe is cast away that is cast into dry pooles and the séede perisheth that is sowed vpon the sand S. Cypriā sayth Certe labor irritus est nullius effectus offerre lumen coeco sermonem surdo sapientiam bruto Cum nec sentire brutus possit nec coecus lumē admittere nec surdus audire Truly it is lost labor and to no purpose to offer light to a blind mā speach to a deafe mā wisedome to a grosse head seyng that a grosse head cannot perceiue a blinde man can not see a deafe man can not heare The auncient father Origen sayth Quāto melius esset nonnullis omnino non audire verbum Dei quam audire cum malitia vel audire cum hypocrisi melius autem dicimus ad comparationem malorum How much better were it to some not to heare the word of God at all thā to heare it with malice or to heare it with hypocrisie we say better in respect of euils Excellent is this word therefore ought we to heare it It differreth from ours manifoldly in truth for God is true yea truth it selfe man is false yea falshode it selfe Omnis homo mandax Euery mā is a lyer It differeth from ours in profit Lord to whom shall we go sayth Peter thou hast the wordes of eternall lyfe our wordes haue no profit they are wordes of eternall death It differeth in certaintie for very truth and certainty it selfe sayth that the most firme Elements of heauen earth shall passe but his word shall in no wise passe The Prophet Esay sayth Verbum Domini manet in aeternum The word of the Lord endureth for euer Mary hath chosē the good part which shall not be taken away from her our wordes are vncertaine as vnconstāt as the Weather-cocke We say and vnsay and vnsay and say againe That which liketh vs to day misliketh vs to morow It differeth in power as soone as hee had sayd to the band of men and officers of the hyghe Priestes I am he they went backewarde and fell to the grounde Note here the power of the word of God They came armed they came to take Iesus and after they heard his mightfull word they fell to the groūd Mathew sayth Docebat eos tāquam authoritatem habens He taught them as one hauyng power and not as the Scribes Our wordes are sinnefull corrupt and vnperfect It differeth in spirit The wordes that I speake vnto you are spirit and lyfe But our wordes are prophane and transitorie Christ sayth Qui de terra est terrenus est de terra loquitur He that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth It differeth from our woordes in swéetnes The seruaunts of the Phariseis high Priestes which were sent to take Christ returned and said thus of the excellencie of his word Nunquam sic loquutus est homo Neuer mā spake as this mā doth Not Demosthenes out of whose mouth flowed fluddes of eloquence not Cicero the Father of eloquence not eloquent Pericles of whom it is written that he did thunder out his wordes But Christes Argumentes were so mighty and his woordes so swéete that a certaine woman hauyng great admiration therof lifted vp her voyce and sayd vnto him happy is the wombe that bare thée and the pappes which thou hast sucked To be brief this word differeth in perfection In his word all things endure Take away this perfect word what is man a brute beast Take the Sunne out of the world what remaineth Horrible darknes Lactantius sayth Lumen mētis humanae Deus est remoto Deo coelestique doctrina omnia erroribus plena sunt God is the light of mans soule If you set a side or put away from you God his heauenly word All thynges are ful of errours Take away this word what is a man a captiue of Sathan a pray of death a slaue of sinne a firebrand of hell Ignorantia Scripturarū Christi ignorantia est Ignoraūce of the Scriptures is ignoraunce of Christ As far as heauen is distant frō earth so farre ought heauenly thynges alwayes to be preferred before humane things yea incomparably ought they alwayes to be preferred It is cōpared to the Sunne whose office is by spreadyng of his radiant and bright beames to expell darknes and to dispose euery thyng to beare frute Right so the office of Gods word is with his bright shinyng beames of grace to expell the darknes of heresies errours to take away the cold frost of iniquitie and to dispose and frame euery man and womā to bring forth the frutes of pietie godlynes It is compared to fier for that it enflameth vs by loue The two Disciples whiche went to Emans sayd after that Christ had interpreted vnto them in all the Scriptures did not our hartes burne within vs while he talked with vs by the way and opened to vs the Scriptures and Christ sayth I am come to send fier on the earth and what is my desire but that it be already kindled It is likened to a glasse in this glasse euery man may sée whence he came what he is whether he goeth his sin his banishmēt his miserie S. Hierō geueth swéet coūsaile to a certain virgin Vtere lectione diuina vtere speculo vide speculū foeda corrigenda pulchra cōseruāda pulchra faciēda
Scriptura enim speculū est foeda ostēdens corrige dicens Vse to read the holy Scripture vse the glasse sée the glasse That deformitie may be amēded fayrenesse preserued and fayre thynges performed For the Scripture is a glasse shewyng deformitie saying amend Gregory sayth Sacra Scriptura tanquam speculum quoddam mentis The holy Scripture is as a certaine glasse of the mynde S. August sayth Scriptura sancta sit tibi tāquam speculū Speculum hoc habet splēdorem non mēdacem non adulantē nullius personam amantem Formosus es Formosum te ibi vides Sed cum foedus accesseris foedum te ibi videris noli accusare speculum ad te redi nō te fallit speculum tu te noli fallere Let the holy Scripture be to thée as a glasse This glasse hath no deceitfull or flatteryng brightnesse it is not in loue with any mans person Art thou bewtifull Thou séest thy selfe there bewtifull But when thou commest deformed séest thy selfe there deformed accuse not the glasse aduise thée selfe The glasse deceiueth thée not deceiue not thou thy selfe It is lyke to a cleare fountaine or well The womā of Samaria found Christ at the well Would you finde Christ At the well of his word shall you finde him S. Basill sayth the Scripture of God is like to Apothecaries shop full of medecines sundry sortes that euery man may there chose a conuenient remedy for his dissease This is that pillar exhibited to the children of Israell Factae sunt tene brae horribiles in vniuersa terra Aegypti vbicunque habitabant filij Israel lux erat There was a thicke darknes vpon all the lād of Egypt but all the children of Israell had light where they dwelled Where the word of God is there is light Where the same is not there is darkenes Without this fierie piller we can not walke in the light He that walketh in darknesse knoweth not whether he goeth This is that piller which mightely conducteth our vnderstandyng out of the the Egypt of infidelitie This is that Lucifer the bright mornyng starre whiche commeth before the sunne of righteousnesse by whom the light of grace doth rise whom foloweth the day of glory This is that starre of the sea descrying port and coūtrey to the saylers on the sea of this world This is that starre which led the wise and faythfull men frō a far countrey to Christ This is that most heauenly iewell treasure the precious stone whiche the Christian Marchantman sought with great diligēce and care ▪ when he had found it sold all that he had to buy the same He whiche preferreth the word of God before all transitorie thynges Which for saketh him selfe taketh vp his Crosse and foloweth Christ is truly sayd to sell all that he hath and to buy the same This is a most pleasaunt garden In this garden you may gather many swéete flowers the plantain of sayth the roses of patience the lillies of innocēcie the oliues of mercy and many other of most excellent vertue In this garden are planted many goodly and fayre trées bringyng forth most swéet and delitesome frute The Ceders of contemplation the Cyprusses of noble fame the Okes of constācie the Laurels or Bay trées of vertue and many other such like It is called a candle or light The kingly Prophet sayth thy word is a candle vnto my féete and a light vnto my pathes The lighters of this cādle sayth Chrisost are the father the sonne and the holy ghost The candle sticke is the Church or euery godly man hauyng the word By this cādle the théefe or false teacher is espyed so sayth Theophilact It is called the bread of the soule for that it feedeth the soule Man shall not liue by bread onely but by euery word that procéedeth out of the mouth of god A fishe can not liue without water a shéepe can not liue without pasture this mortall body cā not long endure without foode the soule cā not long liue without the word of god This is the meat of fayth This word is light The people that walked in darknesse haue sene a great light This is condēnation that light is come into the world and men haue loued darknes rather then light because their déedes were euill To giue light to them that sit in darknes c It is named water Christ said to the woman of Samaria if thou knewest the gift of God who it is that sayth to thée giue me drinke thou wouldest haue asked of him he would haue geuen thée the water of life It is a royall and kyngly feast It is the sword of the spirit This sword is very necessary to all that be in this warfare For who goeth to battaile without a sworde Hee that hath no sword let him sell his coate and buy a sword The spiritual Māna Gather your Manna while you haue tyme The horne of saluation The incorruptible séede whiche liueth and lasteth for euer A hāmer that breaketh the hard stone A key that giueth entry into the house which is the kyngdome of of heauen The scepter of the kyngdome An arrow that pearceth the enemy A heauēly trumpet A net enclosing and bringyng vs together The word of grace The word of saluatiō The word of recōciliation The word of truth The word of vertue The word of lyfe euerlastyng The word and way of righteousnesse yea righteousnesse it selfe Grace and veritie The wisedome of God in a misterie That good word whereof Esay speaketh which is called good for that it bringeth all goodnesse And to conclude it is called the kyngdome of God The kyngdome of God shal be taken from you and giuē to a nation bringyng forth the frutes therof The premisses considered I may say with the Prophet Hieremie Terra terra terra audi verbum Domini O thou earth earth earth heare the word of the lord The foolishe carle Nabal still carieth earth in his eyes earth in his eares and earth in his toung Aboue all thynges he desireth to sée earth to heare of earth and to speake of earth Many Nabals many carles many fooles But one thyng is necessary one thyng is necessary one thyng is necessary that is the word of god Mary hath chosen the good part whiche shall not be taken away from her The first precept that Isocrates gaue to prince Demonicus was τίμα τὸν θεό◠feare God. The first law that should be geuen to any man sayth Plato should be to the encrease of godlynes The chiefest oth which the Atheniens toke was this Pugnabo pro facris cum alijs solus In defence of Religion I will fight both in company and alone Among the Atheniens no king was created before he had taken orders and was a priest They iudged the wisest best and most renowned to be
heart word and worke against God and Moyses saying Anima nostra nauseat super cibo isto leuissimo Our soule lotheth this light bread we may assuredly loke to be plagued with the Israelites God is a righteous iudge strong and patient and God is prouoked euery day If a man will not turne he wil whet his sword he hath bent his howe and hath made it ready He hath prepared for him the instruments of death he hath ordained his arrowes against the persequtours Behold the day is come sayth the Lord that I will sēd a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst of water but a hunger thirst of hearing the word of god And they shall wander from sea to sea and from the North vnto the East shall they runne to and fro to séeke the word of the lord In that day shall the fayre virgins and the young men perish for thirst He will also send famine of bread pestilence fire and sword he will send Tamerlane Nabuchadnazer the host of Sēnacherib Titus and Vespatian The Syrians shall deuoure before and the Philistines behinde He will destroy murtherers burne vp their citie as Esay sayth the leage which they haue made with death and hell shall be disanulled He suffereth long he is a patient god It is sayd that he hath leaden feete but he hath iron handes He commeth slowlye but when he commeth he payeth home Violatours and contemnours of Gods word alwayes haue bin punished For this fault Adam and Eue were banished out of Eden a most fruitfull and delightsome garden into a valley of teares miserie and calamitye there to eate their bread with the sweate of their face The enemies of Noah were miserablye drowned in the floud The enemies of Lot were destroyed with brimstone and fire The Israelites were greuously punished and plagued as Moyses and the Prophets in many places make mention Dauid lost seuenty thowsand men plagued with pestilence Absolon was hanged slayne and cast into a pit Saule was sore plagued deposed from his kingdome afflicted and vexed with a deuill and finally slayne with his thrée sonnes his harnes bearer and all his men in one day Sedechias was sent into Babilon and made blinde Roboam the sonne of Salomon of twelue tribes lost tenne Sennacherib was slayne of his sonnes Pharao with all his chiualrie was drowned in the red sea Herod horriblely ended his lyfe Iesabel was cast out of a window and doggs did eate her Ionas was cast into the sea A certayne Prophet was killed by a Lyon. The children that mocked Eliseus were torne of beares Corazin Bethsaida and Caphernaum were cursed with woe woe and cast downe to hell That famous citie Hierusalē named sometyme the holye citye was piteouslye plagued made euen to the ground with the children within it destroyed stick and stone and turned to a heape of stones for contemning the gracious and mercifull visitation reiecting Christes heauenly word miracles and all his benefites So Christ prophecied and so it came to passe For the same fault truely a horrible fault the kingdome of the Romaines was destroyed the kingdome of the Chaldeans the kingdome of the Macedonians the kingdome of the Persians the kingdome of the Carthaginiās and many other moe Paule preached to the Collossians Hierapolians and Laodiceans but they contēned his wordes and therefore as Orosius witnesseth the earth opened and swallowed them vp O Hierusalem Hierusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which haue bene sent vnto thée how oftē would I haue gathered thy children together euen as a henne gathereth her chickens vnder her winges and ye would not behold your house is left vnto you desolate O England england which contēnest the word of god and dealest vnthankfully with them that are sent vnto thée hating them that rebuke thee in the gate and abhorring them that speake vprightly how oft sayth Christ woulde I haue gathered thy children together as a henne gathereth her chickens vnder her winges ye would not Behold your house shall be left vnto you desolate and the vineyard shall be let out vnto other husbandmen which shall yelde fruite in due season except ye spedely repent For now is the Axe layd to the roote of the trée and euery trée that bringeth not forth good fruite shall be cut downe and cast into the sire Therefore know the tyme redeme the tyme while you haue time The swallow knoweth her time The Crane knoweth her tyme The whery man taketh his tyde The sea-man his gale The Smith stryketh whilest the Iron is whot The husbandman felleth his corne when it is ripe the haruest mā maketh haye whē the sunne shineth The sower casteth his séede when the ground is melow As yet the sunne shineth as yet is the acceptable tyme as yet to day lasteth as yet the gate is open as yet grace is offered yet the tyde serueth and yet Christ cryeth by his preachers Earth earth earth heare the word of the lord Therfore especially considering the season after the exāple of this people let vs with all indeuour and feruencye preasse vpon Christ to heare his swéete and comfortable worde Thus much for the first part And he stood by the lake of Genezareth and sawe two shyps stand by the lakes side but the fishermen c. The place is noted where these thinges were done Mathew Marke call it the sea of Galilee It is called also the sea of Tiberias The place was pleasaūt and delectable not without goodly pastures Nighe to the same were many goodly and populous Cities as Capharnaū Bethsaida Corazin the regiō of the ten Cities and the region of the Gadarenes In these Cities he often taught both in their Synagoges and houses as occasion serued You haue an elegant description of this place in Egesippus Iosephus and Plini Here he saw two shyppes but the fishermē were gone out of them and were washyng their nets They had now no hope at all to catche any fish but God of his infinite mercy doth often tymes shew his power in workyng when thynges are past all hope of good recouery And whē he was entred into one of the shyppes which belonged to Simon he prayed him that he would thrust out a litle from the land c. Behold the wonderfull humilitie of Christ he might haue commaunded but hee prayeth For the earth is the Lordes and all that therein is the cōpasse of the world and they that dwel therein c. Learne humilitie of this Doctour of humilitie the best doctour that euer was who sayth Learne of me for I am méeke and low in hart Whiche wholesome counsaile that excellent learned diuine S. August notyng sayth Ille ille cui omnia tradidit Pater c That euen the king of kinges and Lord of Lordes and onely son of the euerliuyng God to whō the father had
Petrus misericordia motus sayth Epiphanius Peter beyng moued with pitie more than with zeale and trueth sayd he would refuse none immediatly vpon their repentaunce Meletius moued with trueth zeale affirmed that he would receiue none except they shewed the fruites of true repentaunce by long triall and proofe of amēdement Epiphanius sayth farther Cōtigit Petrum martyrium subire decessit beatus ille It fell out that Peter suffered Martyrdome and died a blessed man and they that held with Peter were called the Catholicke Church they that dyd sticke to Meletius were called the Churche of Martyrs very few stode with Peter the most of the prisoners stode with Meletius who called his Church the Church of Martyrs which were such as would take vp Christes Crosse and folow him The Church of Rome beyng moued neither with pitie zeale truth reasō nor honesty but onely with ambition and couetousnesse refuseth none so they will shew thē selues to be of that Catholicke Church Traytours murtherers théeues coseners cutters adulters baudes strumpets and all other gracelesse persons may vpon the sayd cōditiō haue safe accesse to Rome and be of that Church Whereas these men alledge Succession of place and persons not beyng hable to proue Succession of true doctrine we may say their Succession is nothyng worth For that is not a iust Succession which lacketh the puritie of the Apostolicke doctrine right vse of the Sacramentes Succession of doctrine is the true and infallible marke of the true Church Irenaeus sayth they are not alwayes true Ministers which séeme so to be but they which kéepe the doctrine of the Apostles S. Paule sayth fayth commeth not by Succession but by hearyng and hearyng commeth not of legacie or inheritaunce from Byshop to Byshop but of the word of god He sayth also be ye folowers of me as I am a folower of Christ S. Ambrose sayth Non habent haereditatem Petri qui fidem Petri non habent They haue not Peters inheritaunce that haue not the fayth of Peter Chrisost sayth The pulpit maketh not a Minister but a Minister the pulpit Christ sayd to the Iewes boastyng that they were the séede of Abraham you are of your father the deuill They are not alwayes godly that succéede the godly For S. Paul sayth in the Actes I know this that after my departyng greeuous wolues shall enter in among you not sparing the flocke Also of your owne selues shall men arise speakyng peruerse thyngs to draw away disciples after them He spake this at Miletum to the bishops of Asia Christ sayth that by Succession desolation shall sit in the holy place and Antichrist shall preasse in to the roome of Christ Manasses succéeded Ezechias Hieroboam succéeded Dauid at this day by Succession the Turke possesseth and holdeth the foure Patriarchall seates or seas of the Church Alexandria Hierusalem Constantinople and Antioche Iohānes Saris buriensis sayth In Romana Ecclesia sedent Scribae Pharisaei By Succession the Scribes and Phariseis sit in the Church of Rome Thus you sée how Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Succession helpe the cause of the shakers of the shyp It foloweth in the text Now when he had left speaking he sayd vnto Simon launch out into the deepe and let downe your nettes to make a draught Christ hauing ended his heauenly Sermon certifieth vs of the truth of the same and declareth himselfe to be God the Lord of heauen earth the sea and all that is in them Hee sayd vnto Simon launch out into the déepe Christ was able to geue fishe to Simon without launching out of his net and without his labour ▪ but his will was to haue him launch out his nette c. That which is sayd to Peter is sayd to al Launch out into the deepe c. Euery man of what estate and condition soeuer he be is commaunded paynefully to follow his vocation with fayth Man forthwith after his creation was set to labour The Lord tooke man and set him in the pleasant garden of Eden to dresse it and to kéepe it It was sayd to Adam after that he had tasted the forbiddē fruite In sudore vultus tui vesceris pane thou shalt eate thy bread with the sweate of thy face The same is sayd to euery man Man is borne vnto trauaile sayth Iob as the sparkes flye vpward Whē thou eatest the labours of thy handes thou shalt be blessed it shall be well with thée Our Sauiour Christ sayth the kindome of heauē is like to a man that is an housholder which went out earely in the morning to hier labourers into his vineyard This housesholder is God the father The kingdome of heauen in in this place is the preaching of the gospell of Christ The labourers are all men The vineyard is the Church Why stād you heare all the day idle goe ye also into the vineyard apply your vocation with fayth in Christ Iesu Laboure while you haue time when the night commeth no man can labour Idlenes is the mother and nourisher of all vices which thinge hath bin obserued in the Primitiue Church where it was ordayned that euerye one should liue of his owne labour The which also the auntient Romanes kept straightly as writeth Cicero in his booke of lawes wherein he affirmeth that in tyme past no Roman durst goe by the streates if he bare not a shew whereon he did lyue to th end that it might be knowen the he liued of his owne labour and not by the sweate of others In consideration thereof the Consull did beare a battell axe before him The priest a hat in manner of a Coyfe The Tribune a mace The Cutler a sword The Smith a hammer The Tayler a payre of sheares The Oratour a booke All godly men heretofore haue laboured and also haue continued in spirituall exercise Noha planted a vineyard The kinglye prophet Dauid laboured euen from his youth The Apostle Paule sustayned great labours Reade of that vertuous and painefull woman in the last chapter of prouerbes she eateth not her bread with Idlenes A good lesson for good huswiues to remember A good lesson for ill huswifes to follow But what shall I say of the holye of all holyes is it not written Iesus fatigatus exitinere Iesus being weary of his iorney c Such was his labour he trauailed sometyme among the Iewes sometyme among the Samaritanes he trauailed to the sea side to the moūtaynes to the wildernes so much trauailed he that his handes féete and whole bodye did sweate droppes lyke bloud trickeling downe to the ground and all for the redemption of miserable man to destroy the works of the deuill It is writtē to the praise of Cyrus king of Persia that in tyme vacant frō the affaires of his realme he with his owne handes had planted innumerable trées which long before he dyed brought forth aboundāce of fruite And for the cunnyng and delectable order in setting of
plenty sufficient both for the strong to eate and for the litle one to sucke So Irenaeus Scripturae in aperto sunt sine ambiguitate similiter ab omnibus audiri possunt The Scriptures are playne and without doubtfulnes and may be heard indifferētly of all men So sayth Chrisost Omnia clara plana sunt in Scripturis diuinis quaecūque necessaria sunt manifesta sunt All thynges are cleare and plane in the holy Scriptures whatsoeuer thyng is necessary for vs is also manifest So sayth Epiphanius Lib. 2. So sayth Saint Hierom. in Psal. 86. So to conclude Gregory sayth it is a streame wherin the litle lambe may wade and the great Elephantes may swymme But touchyng the discourse of naturall reason S. Ambrose sayth that No creature in earth or in heauen is able to reache to the depth of these thyngs These are his wordes Mens deficit vox silet non mea tantum sed angelorum supra potestates supra angelos supra Cherubim supra Seraphim supra omnē sensum est The mynde is astonyed the voyce fayleth not onely of me but also of the angels it is aboue the powers aboue the angels aboue the Cherubins aboue the Seraphins aboue all maner of vnderstandyng Notwithstandyng all these excellēt properties of Gods word and mo then a thousand thousand tounges cā declare We become Citizens of Corazin Bethsaida and Capharnaum Tyrus Sidō Sodom the Quéene of the South the men of Niniue and that barbarous Eunuche shall rise agaynst vs in the day of iudgement If such preachyng had bene in Tyrus Sidon as hath bene in England especially these xx yeares they would haue repēted in sackcloth and ashes Therfore it shal be easier for Tyrus Sidon at the day of iudgemēt thē for England If the mighty workes which haue bene done in England had bene done among them of Sodom They had remained without plague of fire and brimstone The Quéene of the South shall rise against vs at the day of iudgement A woman a Quéene a frayle sexe the weaker vessell yet of Princely power men the stronger vessell and yet most of them not of Princely power She was a straunger we are now Domestici of the houshold She wanted the promises of Messias we haue the promises of Messias She came to Salomō a wise man certainly yet a mortall and sinfull man whiche could not helpe her but in externall thynges and therein peraduenture barely and slenderly we refuse to come to Christ God and man who can helpe vs in all thyngs who is all in all and all to all She came to heare the wisedome of Salomon Wōderfull was his wisedome his wisedome exceeded the wisedome of all thē of the East all the wisedome of the Egyptiās he excéeded all mē in wisedome he wrote iij. thousād Prouerbes His songes were a thousād fiue He disputed of trees euen from the Ceder trée that groweth in Libanō vnto the Isop that springeth out of the wall And he disputed of beastes foules wormes and fishes There came of all nations to heare the wisedome of Salomon from all kynges of the earth whiche had heard of his wisedome But behold he that preacheth this day out of the ship is greater then Salamon and preacheth farre greater and better matters Notwithstāding fooles refuse to heare his preachyng This famous Quéene came to Salomon from far out of a swéete and frutefull countrey the frutefull Arabia called also Saba so frutefull that it bringeth corne and fruite twise in the yeare where groweth all kind of spices and swéet gummes and the Townes are vnwalled because the people do liue alwayes in peace But we neglect to walke a litle way within the walles of our Cities to leaue ill ayre ill soyle ill company ill exercises ill maners to come to Christ She came with great perill we may come without perill yet we come not She left her happy kyngdome with long and painful trauaile came to Salomon we haue Christ in the kyngdome of England without leauing of kyngdome and with litle trauaile may wee heare him yet wee heare him not She came with giftes She came to Hierusalem with a very great trayne with Camels that bare swéet odours gold excéedyng much and precious stones But wee may haue accesse to Iesus Christ cōmyng without trayne without gifts Come to the waters all ye that be thirsty ye that haue no money come buy c. We refuse grace offered fréely This noble Queene knew Salomō by onely fame we know Christ by his manifold miracles yet we come not yet we beleue not yet we bring forth no good fruites Therfore iustly shall we be condemned It is shamefull to be vanquished of a woman more shamefull of an heathē woman most shamefull in such a cause The men of Niniue shall rise agaynst vs and condemne vs and reproue vs of vnbeliefe not by authoritye but by comparison of the better act They heard Ionas a very man we reiect Christ God man They heard Ionas a straunger we neglect to heare Christ a Sauiour a father a maister a freind cōnuersant with vs many yeares They repented at the preaching of Ionas we repent not at the preaching of Christ Ionas preached but only thrée dayes Christ hath preached most gratiously and mercifully these Twenty yeares in England and for all his so gratious and mercifull preaching we repent not Ionas wrought no miracle Christ hath wrought many maruelous miracles He hath mightely deliuered vs from Pharao of Egipt from Nabuchadnazer of Babilon from Holofernes of Syria and hath miraculously preserued Iudith of England her people For all these graces and giftes wée are nothing thankfull we are become carnall gospellers wée waxe colde in religion the Papistes waxe whot we waxe colde I knowe it We amend Mandrabuli more as sower ale in sommer we become euery day worse worse That barbarous Eunuche of the Queene of the Ethiopians shall at the day of iudgement rise agaynst vs and condemne vs He was an Eunuche florishing in authoritye estimation riches and yet for all that in his iorney sitting in his chariot he read Esaias the prophet Moreouer he vnderstode not what was contayned in the prophet He aunswered Philip not onely gentlely and courteously albeit he asked him saying vnderstandest thou what thou readest but also desired him notwithstanding he was clothed in poore attire that he would come vp and sit with him in the chariot You sée the promptnes of his minde you see the godly feruēcie of a barbarous Eunuche Chrisost largely and swéetely discoursing of this matter in fine concludeth thus Idoneus est barbarus iste qui nobis omnibus doctor fiat This barbarous Eunuch is méete to be a doctour and teacher to vs all Sithence the case thus standeth that we are wearye of spiritual Manna the best meate and demeane our selues with the vnthankfull Israelites vngratiously in
vnitye to the Church of Roome and to their Byshop the head thereof the aduersary of Christ and vtter enemy to his crosse boldly braying and bragging that out of the vnitye of this bodye and head of theirs no man can be saued For these miserable men ought to vnderstaÌ„d that this necessary vnitye without which no man can haue saluation is not that vnitye whereby members are ioyned to members bunches to bunches monsters to monsters and the deceiued to Antichrist the deceiuer but that it is that vnitye wherby the true members of the true bodye are conioyned to the true and onely one head Iesus Christe our mediator and Sauiour The tyranne of Roome is not the head of the true church I proue thus He hath not the worde of God for his warrant Ergo he is not the head of the true church Christ sayth that he himselfe is the onely vniuersall Shepheard The prophets haue prophesied so of Christ Esai 40. Ezech. 37. 34. Hierem. 30. Psal. 33. c. The Apostle so nameth him Christ himselfe not long before he left this worldâ— sayd to his disciples I will pray the father and he shall geue you another coÌ„forter that he may abide with you for euer euen the spirite of truth Here we learne what vicar Christ hath substituted Not the Pope but the holy ghost So writeth Tertul. Barnard and others This place of Iohn I am the good shepheard S. August expoundeth of Christ So doth Chrisost So doth Nicholas Lyra as simple an interpretour as he was Fiet vnus pastor id est Christus There shal be one shepeheard that is to say not the Pope but Christ The Apostles had no knowledge of this monstrous head The Nicene Councell knew it not The Councell of Carthage excommunicated cursed him to the deuill that called him selfe vniuersall Byshop or chief Priest The whole Councell of Aphrica condeÌ„ned the attempt of this vsurped iurisdiction and called it the smokie pride of the world The Romish Prelate doth subuert corrupt prophane the doctrine of Christ and his Sacraments manifestly maintaineth Idolatrie Therfore he caÌ„ not be the vniuersall Shepheard He is not worthy to be called a Shepheard A Shepheard nay a fleashéepe A Byshop a Butcher a Pastour a Pyrate a Prelate a Pylate a Vicar of Christ a Vicar of Venus a Cephas Caiphas Phocas that execrable murtherer was he that first proclaimed the Byshop of Rome to be head of the vniuersall Church about vj. hundred xiij yeares after Christ was borne This Phocas beyng but a common souldiour did by treason and conspiracie lay hands vpon his liedge Lord and Maister the Emperour Mauritius and in cruell sort did him to death and so by trayterous vilanie he aspired to the Empire The maner of his crueltie was this First he commauÌ„ded foorth the Emperours yongest sonne and caused him to be slayne euen in the fight of his father and so the second and then the third and afterwarde the Empresse Mauritius heauely lookyng on lamentyng saying vnto God Righteous art thou O Lord and rightfull is thy iudgement Last of all he vsed the like tyranny also vpon the Emperour and layd him his wife and his iij. children on a heape together After that he had thus liued and coÌ„mitted sundry murthers and other great misâ—â—â—â—â— the people tooke him slue him â–ª 〈◊〉 â—â—ew him in to the fire Here you maâ— sée the first promotour a holy promotour of the Popes holynes A murtherer â—â—e finder out of supremacie And Supâ—â—â—â—cie fouÌ„ded and builded vpon murther S. Cyprian calleth Stephen and Cornelius Bishops of Rome brethreÌ„ and companions And whereas certaine Schismatickes yelded them selues subiect to the Byshop of Rome perswading them selues that the Bishops of Aphrica had lesse power theÌ„ the Byshops of Rome Cyprian called them desperate wicked persons for so doyng I frame this Argument out of Chrisost Quicunque desyderauerit primatuÌ„ in terra in Coelo inueniet confusionem Whosoeuer ambitiouslye desireth supremacy vpon earth shall finde in heauen confusion The Byshop of Roome ambitiouslye desireth supremacye on earth Therefore he shall finde confusion in heaueÌ„ The Pope is Antichrist Ergo he is not the head of the Church He which auauÌ„ceth himself aboue all that is called God is Antichrist The pope doth so Ergo the Pope is Antichrist Irenaeus a most auncient doctour of the Church who liued almost fiften hundred yeares since disputyng of Antichrist sayth thus Antichristus cum sit seruus tamen adorari vult vt Deus Antichrist notwithstaÌ„ding he be but a slaue yet he will be worshipped as if he were god Ioachimus Abbas saith Antichristus iam pridem natus est Romae altiùs extolletur in sede Apostolica Antichrist is long since borne in Rome yet shall he be higher aduaunced in the Apostolick sea Antichrist sayth Gregory is he that shall clayme to himselfe to be called the vniuersall Byshop and shall haue a garde of priestes to attend vpon him S. August sayth BabyloÌ„ is the first Roome and Rome the second Babylon And to come nearer the matter S. Iohn sayth Antichrist shall sit in the Citye that is built vpon seuen hilles and so is the Citie of Roome And Sybilla sayth that the greatest terror and furye of his Empire and the greatest woe that he shall worke shall be by the bankes of Tyber and there is Roome He that hath eyes to sée let him see he that hath eares to heare let him heare Agayne Christ was humble the Pope proude Christ was poore the Pope rich Christ patient the Pope impatient Christ merciful the Pope vnmercifull Christ vsed admonitioÌ„ the Pope imprisonment Christ communication the Pope extirpation Christ all manner of clemencie the Pope all manner of tyranny briefely you shall finde the Pope in all vertue seuered from Christ you shall finde him to Christ Beliall to light darcknes to truth falshode Are not these and such lyke the very fruites of Antichrist the trée is knowne by his fruite Whereas these shakers of the ship of Christ vrge Antiquitie Vniuersalitye and Succession to make much for them I aunswere these thinges make nothing for them but rather agaynst them Notwithstanding their Vincentius Lirinensis whome they haue in so high price This is Vincentius pretious assertion In ipsa catholica Ecclesia magnopore curandum est vt id teneamus quod vbique quod seÌ„per quod ab omnibus creditum est In the Catholick Church we must haue especiall care to hold that which euery where alwayes and of all men is beléeued Yet to helpe his credite the Church of Roome was not so deformed with heresies at the time when he did write which was a thousand yeares more since as it is mentioned Antiquitye doth not preiudice or hinder trueth Their antiquity is no marke of the Church Their Antiquitie is iniquitye Tertull. sayth nothing can prescribe agaynst truth neither time nor authoritye of