they exhort teach and reproue and correct and instruct the people in righteousnesse Antichrist sitteth not in the Church after this sort He teacheth not nor exhorteth the people He maketh that no part of his office How sitteth he then What shal he say what shal he doe The Apostle telleth vs He exalteth himselfe against al that is called God or that is worshipped He shal be honoured with the honour that is due vnto God He shal shine and glitter in gold and precious stones Hee shal be carried vppon the shoulders of men and waited vpon by kings and princes and great estates So shal he bée contrarie to Christ. Christ was humble and lowly The prophet in his owne person speaketh of him I am a worme and not a man a shame of men and the contempt of the people And the Apostle sayth He humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse Beholde his parentes his birth his cradle beholde his life his disciples his doctrine and his death Al were witnesses vnto his humilitie He sayth of himselfe The sonne of man hath not whereon to rest his heade And to his Disciples he sayeth The kings of the Gentiles raigne ouer them and they that beare rule ouer them are called gracious Lordes but you shall not be so And againe Learne of me that I am meeke and lowly in heart and yee shall finde rest vnto your soules Nowe on the other parte take viewe of Antichrist Beholde his birth his place his thaire his estate his doctrine his disciples and al his life You shall sée nothing but pomp and glorie Gregorie calleth him the King of pride He is proude in life proude in doâ—…trine proud in worde and proud in déedes Hée is like vnto Lucifer and setteth himselfe before his brethren and ouer nations and kingdomes Hée maketh euerie knée to how downe to him and worship him hée maketh Kings to bring him water to carie his traine to holde his cup to beare his dish to leade his bridle and to holde his stirrup hée claimeth power ouer heauen and earth hée saieth hée is Lorde ouer all the worlde the Lorde of Lordes and the King of Kings that his authoritie reacheth vp into heauen and down into hell that hée can commaund the Angels of GOD that hée condemneth whom hée will condemne that he maketh Saints at his pleasure that whatsoeuer he blesseth is blessed and that it is cursed whatsoeuer he curseth Hée selleth merites the forgiuenesse of sinnes the sacrifice for the quicke and the dead Hée maketh marchandize of the soules of men Hée laieth his filthie handes vppon the Lordes annointed Hée remooueth kings and deposeth the states and Princes of the world This is Antichrist This is his power Thus shal he worke and make himselfe manifest So shall he sit in the temple of God The people shall woonder at him and shall haue him in reuerence They shall say who is like vnto the beast Who is so wise so mightie so godlie so vertuous so holie so like vnto God so intolerable and monstrous shal be his pride It were much for hym to sitte in the seate and to occupie the roome of an earthly King or Emperour But he shall take vppon him the authoritie and the name of GOD the name of the liuing Lorde the name of GOD which hath made heauen and earth euen the name of GOD the father of our Lord Iesus Christ. And in this pride hée shall excéede al others that haue béene wicked The Pharises and the Scribes were wicked yet none of them did sit in the temple of God shewing himselfe that hée was God Arius Nestorius Montanus Valentinus were wicked heretiques yet they neuer â—…ooke vppon them the name of God What shoulde I saie of this blasphemie or in whom may wée find the like Mahomet was a Turke and a false Prophet and a deceiuer of the people yet he tooks not vppon him the name of God This point and reach of vngodlinesse belongeth onelie to Antichrist He shall sit in the place of God in iudgements he shall shewe himselfe out of that place as if he were God Irenaeus saieth Quum sit servus tamen â—…dor ari vultâ—…ut deus Whereas hee is but a serâ—…ant hee will be worshipped as if hee were God But some will saie Antichrist shall be mortall as other men borne of a mortall father and mother hée shall knowe that he shal die and that he is but dust and shal returne againe into dust that hée can not make himselfe no that he can not make the least and â—…ilest of al creatures Howe then will he proclaime himselfe to be an immortall God How wil he cal himselfe God that made heauen and earth or God which had no beginning nor shall haue anie ende no this is not the meaning of these wordes Hée shall not so thinke of himselfe nor so saie I will tell you after what sorte hee shall sitte in the Temple of GOD and howe the worlde shall receiue him and reuerence him as GOD. Hée shall take to himselfe that supreme authoritie and prerogatiue which appertaineth onelie to GOD by nature Although hee be but a man yet in office he will be accounted as GOD. He shall compare his lawes with the lawes of GOD. He shall say his worde is the worde of GOD. Whatsoeuer he saieth he shall saie it is the voice of the spirite of God of the same authoritie that is gospell of Christ no man maie breake it no man may touch the credite thereof if aniâ—… man with stande it hée must thinke he doth sacrilege committeth blasphemie and sinneth against the holie Ghost Againe he shal breake the lawes of God to vphold his owne and shal pul downe GOD to set vp himselfe Such shall be the power and auctoritie of Antichrist so shall he possesse the consciences of the people so shall hée sitte as an Idoll in their hearts so shall he stande in the place of God and shew-himselfe that he is GOD. The people shall receiue his doctrine and beléeue his worde They shall sall downe before him and worship him They shall saie Who is like vnto the beast What creature is so beautifull as he They shall honour him as God But what is hée which hath suffered himselfe to be so called Who is hée which hath béene called by the name of GOD Of all the creatures which haue professed the faith of Christ of al the Kings or Bishops or Priests or laie people that euer were in the Church of GOD who euer required to be called by the holie name of GOD Or who euer liked well of them which so called him Who hath béene so wicked Who hath euer so much forgotten himselfe In what place hath he dwelt Or what hath hée béene Here mée thinketh I sée the secrete motions of your heart You looke that I shoulde name the Bishoppe of Rome that it is hée which hath suffered himselfe to be
of man commeth shal he finde faith on the earth S. Iohn prophecying of that day sayth The sunne was as blacke as sackecloath of hayre and the Moone was like bloud The beautie of the Church shal be defaced the light of the Gospel shal be put out Then shal few be left of those that shal behold the glory of God These shal giue witnesse vnto the truth And albeit they be but few yet are they ynough to condemne the vngodlinesse of the wicked We shal not go in rowtes for we shal be but few we shal then be in the bodie and liue in this world and looke vp and sée these things yet when the Lord shal come we shal not preuent them that sléepe Although we liue and they were dead yet shal they be as readie as we Why For the Lord himselfe shal descend with a shout c. Here is laide before vs the true maner of the terrible iudgement of God For our better vnderstanding let vs compare heauen with earth and the iudgement of God with the iudgement of men The Judges sitte on high accōpanied with noble men and Justices attended on with Constables and baylifes and the state presence of the countrey the théefe is brought foorth piniond and bound in chaines and fetters The poore wretch standeth in great feare his conscience accuseth him and sayth thou didst steale thou art worthie to die The boyce of the Judge is as a blast of thunder the face of the Judge terrible to him as hel fire But the innocent that is wrongfully imprisoned and hath not offended he séeth himselfe cleare his conscience ercuseth him and therefore reioyceth at the comming of the Judges He thought it long before they came These saith he wil strike off my shackles and set me at libertie Their voice vnto him is as the voyce of life he beholdeth them and they are as the angels of God Such shal bee the shewe and sight of the sonne of GOD he shal come downe with maiestie from heauen the Trumpet of God shal sounde and be hearde from the one ende of the heauen to the other and whosoeuer shal heare it shal quake for feare Then shal he be the iudge ouer al flesh Then be shal shew him selfe to be King of Kings and Lorde of Lords Then shal he not come in humilitie méeke nesse and mercy but with dread and terrour of iudgement and iustice Not with twelue poore Apostles but with twelue thousande Angels to attende vpon him Not in the preaching of the Gospel calling sinners to repentance but in the sounde of a Trumpet wherewith al the corners of the earth shal be amazed Then shal he not say come vnto mee al ye that trauaile and be loaden and I wil refresh you I am sent to the lost Shéepe of Israel He shal not say Father forgiue them for they knowe not what they do But you haue béene ashamed of me and of my worde before men therefore now wil I be ashamed of you before my heauenly father Then shal they that despired y e word of God know what they despised and the blasphemers shal reape the fruit of their blasphemie Then the carelesse Sheaphearde which hath not fed the Lords shéepe but neglected them and left them at al aduentures which hath betrayed his flocke and giuen them to bee a praie vnto the Woolfe shal receiue a iust rewarde for his treason Then the adulterer oppressour and Vsnrer shal haue their life layde open before them Then shal euerie eye sée him They shal see him whome they pearced through they shal sée his woundes which they did not regarde They shal sée his Sworde readie drawen to slaie all his enemies and shal fal downe for feare of him that sitteth vpon the throne and of the Lambe But the harts of the righteous shal reioyce They shal lift vp their heades and sée him in whome they haue trusted Then they shal say this is the day which the Lorde hath made let vs reioice and be glad in it Come let vs reioice vnto the Lord let vs come before his face with praise lette vs sing lowde vnto him with Psalmes Such shal be the state and countenaunce and honour and maiestie of our God when he shal come downe from heauen for our deliueraunce And the dead in Christ shal rise first The earth shal open yéelde foorth her dead bodies that so they may be ready with vs that remain to go before the presence of our iudge Which are dead in Christ. Who are they They whom he chose out of this world and which haue chosen God for their portion whome God hath sealed vnto the day of redemption Which haue saide Christ is to me both in life death aduantage And I liue not I now but Christ liueth in me And againe whether we liue or bie we are the Lords Which say I haue boūd my selfe to serue the Lord all the daies of my life They are dead in Christ which commend them selues wholie vnto him and say O Lord in thée haue I trusted let mée neuer be confounded I desire to be losed and to be with Christ. Into thy handes O Lord I commend my spirite thou hast redéemed mée O Lord of truth To be shorte whosoeuer liueth in the Lord he dieth in the Lord. He in whom Christ liueth which hath a tast and féeling of Christ in his heart he that reioiceth in Christ and looketh for that blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the mightie God and of our sauiour Jesus Christ he is a shéepe of his pasture he is a member of his bodie he is the apple of his eie he liueth and dieth in Christ. Blessed is he that so liueth and so dieth for he shall rise with Christ in the resurrestion of the righteous and shal haue his part in the land of the liuing V. 17. Then shal we which liue and remaine be caught vp with them also in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the aire and so shal wee euer be with the Lord. 18. Wherefore comfort your selues one another with these wordes We which shall sée al these things shal also be caught vp our selues But here you must note that Paul speaketh not this of his owne person and of them that liued in his time as if they should continue aliue vntil the ende or that the world should haue an ende before they should die but he sheweth what shal be the state of such whosoeuer shal then remaine aliue And againe marke that he saith not we which liue and remaine shall die soorthwith or our bodies shall be turned into dust and so our soules alone go to méete the Lorde but whether we be standing or sitting doing well or ill occupied Wee shall be caught vp For the Trumpet shall sodainely blow and then the dead shall rise and we shall be changed So saith Saint Paul Behold I shew you a secrete thing we shal not al sleepe but wee shal
might be saned in the middest of burning fire yet y e thrée seruauntes of God walked in the fire safelie and came safe foorth againe We knowe sayth the Apostle that all thinges worke together for the best vnto them that loue God The Apostles reioyced in their persecution that they were counted woorthie to suffer rebuke for Christes sake And Paule speaking of this perfection in the godly sayeth We reioyce vnder the hope of the glorie of God And not so onlie but also we reioyce in tribulations Who hath not heard of the patience of Iob his heardes of Cattel were driuen away his houses consumed with fire his children slaine his body stricken with a scurfe or manginesse his wife loathed him and his friendes for sooke him What did Iob in all these miseries what thought hée or what spake he let his patience in suffering his wordes of thankesgiuing teach vs howe to beare aduersitie The Lorde sayeth he hath giuen and the Lorde hath taken it blessed bee the name of the Lorde Againe Though he slay me yet wil I trust in him Who is able to expresse the manly comfort of his heart which said I wil trust in him though he kill me He is my God I am his creature His wil be doone I wil alwayes giue him thankes and praise his holie name By these we are learned to giue thanks in pouertie in afflictions in miserie and in al things though they are heauy and greeuous vnto vs. What are we then that are neither thankful for riches nor for health nor for our pleasures nor in the aboundance of al things yea which abuse the good giftes of GOD to dishonour God who hath giuen them vnto vs the earth is the Lords and al that therein is the world they that dwel therin He openeth his hand and filleth al thinges liuing with his good blessing Let vs looke vp into the heauens there is God the Father of lightes from whom euerie good and perfect gift commeth there is our redeemer Iesus Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge-When we turne in our beddes when we sée our fare and the furniture of our â—…able when we sée our seruants and children about vs when we sée our money and houses and lands let vs thinke with our selues how many good men faithful seruants of God lack the same and haue not receiued these blessinges in such measure as we In al these thinges God speaketh to vs and sayth I haue giuen them thée thou hast them at my handes vse them well and be not vnthankful If I would stande herein and declare what rauses we haue to giue thankes vnto God I shoulde neuer make an ende There is no beast on the grounde no fish in the Sea no bird in the ayre no starre in the heauens no leafe of the trée no corne of the field no sande on the shoare no droppe of water no sparckle of fire but GOD hath created them all for the sonnes of men So much are wée bound alwayes to giue thankes to God and to say as the Prophet O Lorde our Lorde howe excellent is thy name in all the worlde Let vs confesse before the Lorde his louing kindnesse and his woonderful workes before the sonnes of men But who is able to render thankes sufficient to God for that he giueth vs y e knowledge of his Gospel and maketh vs know the secrets of his wil this is a great blessing and farre aboue al the other comforts of this life They that haue not this are in darkenesse and in the shadowe of death To be short euen in death we haue to praise God we must say I thanke thée O God for thou hast deliuered him froÌ„ the bodyof this death thou hast translated him vnto thy selfe that so he may remaine with thée in thy glorie Thus whither soeuer ye turne what state or part of life or death soeuer ye coÌ„sider whether it be trouble or peace things present or things to come heaueÌ„ or earth life or death you shall alwaies finde causes to be thankefull V. 19. Quench not the spirite Hée meaneth by the spirite the giftes and graces of the spirite The spirite of God is the spirit of wisedome and the spirite of truth No man sayeth S. Paule can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost Againe The spirite helpeth our infirmities and againe The same spirite beareth witnesse with our spirite that we are the children of God It is he that leadeth vs into all trueth that openeth our hearts to vnderstanding and guideth our féete into the waie of peace O saith he despise not the wisedome of the spirite refuse not his help but seek it that you may be strengthened comforte your selues in his testimony of your adoption quench not the light he hath kindled in your hearts disdaine not his leading abuse not his mercy abuse not the time of your visitation let not so great mercie of God be bestowed on you in vaine fulfil not your own willes abstaine from fleshly lusts walke in the spirite desire the best gifts and let euerie man as he hath receiued the gift so minister the same to another as good disposers of the manifold grace of God V. 20 Despise not prophecying Prophecie is the preaching and expounding of the word of God and he is called a Prophet and doth prophecie that openeth vnto vs the wil of God This is not meant of fond and vain and lying prophecies as were those of Merline and such like which tell you tales of lions and beares and goates of the sunne of the moone and manie strange deuises Such prophecies must be despised they are workes of darkenesse and forged by the Diuell to make vproares and to beguile the people But despise not prophecying That is despise not to heare the word of GOD turns not awaie thine eare from vnderstanding God giueth power to his word that it may worke according to his good pleasure It will let thée sée the weakenesse of thine errour and settle thée in the waie wherein thou shouldest walke If it had béene dangerous for the people to heare the preaching of the Gospell hée would not haue sent his Apostles into all the worlde If Lidia shoulde not haue liked to heare Paule prophecie howe might she haue knowne GOD If those great numbers which heard Peter and were connerted had despised prophecying and woulde not haue heard him open the Gâ—…pell vnto them they had neuer considered the great mercie of GOD nor sought to be instructed in their saluation Faith commeth by hearing This hath béene the meanes by which Christ hath giuen knowledge to Kings Princes and al nations It hath pleased God saith Saint Paul by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue Despise not then to come to the Church of God to praie in the congregation of the faithful to heare the Scriptures of God read and erpounded it is
the great citie the harbor and palace of Antichrist and is become the habitation of Diuels and the hold of al foule spirites And I heard an other voice from heauen say â—…o out of her my people beléeue her not do not as she commaundeth you that ye be not partakers in her sinnes and that ye receiue not of her plagues For her sinnes are come vp into heauen and God hath remembred her iniquities Reward her euen as she hath rewarded you giue her double according to her works and in the cup that she hath filled vnto you fill her the double In as much as she glorified her selfe and liued in pleasure so much giue you to her forment and forrow For she saith in her heart I sit being a Quéene the world is mine no ill shal touch me Therefore shal her plagues come at one day death and sorow and famine and she shal be burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God which will condemne her And the kings of the earth which haue committed fornication and liued in pleasure with her shall bewaile her when they shall sée the smoake of her burning and shall stand a far off for feare of her torment saying alas alas the great ciâ—…ie Babylon the mightie citie for in one houre is thy iudgement come And the Marchants of the earth shal wéepe and waile ouer her for no man buieth their ware any more the ware of gold siluer and of pretions stone of pearls and of fine linnen of purple and of silke of scarlet and of al maner of Thime wood of al maner of Yuorie of al vessels of most pretious wood of brasse and of yron of marble and of cinamome and odours and ointments and frankencense and wine and oile and fine flower and wheat and beasts and shéepe and horses and chariots and seruants and soules of menâ—…o man anie more shall buie her parchment waxe and seales no man shall buie her orders her dispensations pluralities totquot non residence Perinde valere no man shal buie her concubines her oile salt holie water holie bread no man shal buie her palles her agnos dei her iubilees masses trentals and pardâ—…ns no man shall any more buie of her forgiuenes of their sins and life euer lasting no man shall regard her no man shall buie or séeke to get this marchandise of her anie more The marchants of these wares shal stand a far off for feare of her plagues and saie alas that great city that was clothed in reines and scarlet and purple and golde and diamonds and pretious stones in one houre is al thy glorie stript from thée O what city vnder heauen was like vnto thée Thou wast the great citie the noble and the holie citie Then a mightie Angel tooke vp a stone like a great milstone cast it into the sea saying With such violâ—…nce shal the great citie Babylon be cast and shal be found no more She shall be out of remembrance they shall séeke the place where shée stood and not find it The voice of harpers and musitions shal be no more heard in her The light of a candle shal shine no more in her her marchants officers and dataries were the great men of the earth and by her enchauntments were al nations deceiued And in her was found the bloud of the Prophets and of the saints of al that were staine vpon earth Then I heard a great voice of a great multitude in heauen saying Halleluiah saluation and glorie and honour and power be to the Lorde our God For he hath condemned the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication and hath auenged the bloud of his seruants shed by her hand And againe they saide Halleluiah and the smoake rose vp for euermore and the foure and â—…nentie elders fel down worshipped god that safe on the throne saying Amen Halleluiah Then a voice came out of the throne saying praise our God al ye his seruants both small great And I heard like y e voice of a great multitude and as the voice of manie waters and as the voice of strong thunderings saying Halleluiah for our Lord God almightie hath raigned Let vs be glad and reioice giue glorie to him for she is fallen she is fallen Babylon that great citie there she lieth the mother of filth and fornication There lieth Antichrist the man of sin the son of perdition which is an aduersarie which hath sit in the temple of God and exalted himselfe aboue al that is called God that wicked lawlesse man lieth there The Lamb the roote of Iesse the lion of the tribe of Iuda hath ouercome and gotten the victorie He is worthy to receiue glorie and honor Then shal the Apostles and the Prophets the Angels saie praise and honor and glorie be vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne and vnto the lamb for euermore We thank thée we giue thanks to thée O God which art and was and shal be Thou hast auenged the bloud of the Prophets and Martyres thou hast destroyed them that haue defiled the earth Thy name be blessed for euer Amen Halleluiah Such glée and triumph shall be in heauen for the ouerthrow of Antichrist Thus haue I by occasion of the Apostles words spokeÌ„ of the comming and of the kingdome of Antichrist And least we might be deâ—…eiued as touching his person I haue saide what hée should bée what thinges he shal doe of what estate he shal bée what countenaunce he shal carie in what place he shal sit at what time shal be his comming by what meanes he shal preuaile who they be that shal beléeue in him what power shal beate him downe what ende hee shal haue what triumph shal followe vpon his fal I haue tolde you that he shal be the ouerthrowe of the worlde the confusion of the Church the sonne of perdition that he shal destroye himselfe and be the destruction of others I haue tolde you he shal be a reuerend father and weare a myter and be a Bishop and a Bishop of Bishoppes So saith Gregorie so Ierome so Augustine and Barnard and others And can not we tel who it is that calleth himselfe an vniuersal Bishop the Bishoppe of al Churches Doe we not heare of such a one Doe we not know him What soeuer he be wheresoeuer he dwel what countenaunce soeuer he beare he is Antichrist I haue tolde you he shal sit in the temple of God in the consciences of the people that the people shal heare credite follow and honor him as if he were God and thinke it sinne and daâ—…aioon to breake his loare I haue tolde you where hee shal be stalled where his chiefe place shal be whence hée may be séene Saint Iohn sayth he shal sit in a Citie built vpon seauen hils that citie is the citie of Rome Rome is so built Rome is set vpon seauen hils Dame Sybilla sayth Antichrist shal sit by the
and a new spirite wil I put within you I will put my spirite within you and will cause you to walke in my statutes and you shall keepe my iudgements and doe them And by the Prophet leremie I wil put my lawe in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Therefore Dauid maketh his praier Teach me O Lord giue me vnderstanding and I will keepe thy law The words of the Preacher enter in at the â—…are The spirite of God conueyeth them into the heart Augustine saith Auditur euangelium Auditur credunt quidam non credunt qui credunt intus a patre audiunt discunt qui non credunt foris audiunt intus non audiunt neque discunt Hoc est illâ—… datâ—…r vt credant illis non datur The Gospesis declared Some there are which beleeue some there are which beleeue not They which beleeue heare it inwardly by the father and so learne it They which beleeue not heare it onlie with their outward sense and not with inward feeling and therefore learne it not As much to saie to them it is giuen to beleeue to the other it is not giuen In the Actes of the Apostles Lydia a woman of the Citie of the Thiatirians heard the preaching of the Apostle Paul But it is saide Whose heart the Lord oponed that shee attended vnto the things that Paul spake The people which said vnto Peter and the other Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do did heare al the wordes of Peter but they had another teacher that gaue force vnto the worde and made it fruitefull in them and therefore it is said They were pricked in their hearts This also appeared in the Disciples which walked towards Emaus they heard Christ open the Scriptures vnto them they reasoned with him yet vntill their eles were opened they knew him not His worde crept into their eares but it was the spirite of God which wrought within them which inflamed their hearts and made them to knowe him Thus God blesseth his word and maketh it yéeld fruit in such measure as his wisedome hath appointed His blessing appeareth greater when many are conuerted yet is his word al one and the power thereof no whit shorter when it is vtterly refused or receiued but of few Surely saith God as the raine commeth downe and the snow from heauen and returneth not thither but watereth the earth maketh it-fruitfull that it maie giue seede to the sower and bread to him that eateth so shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth It shal not returne vnto me voide but it shall accomplish that which I wil and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it It is the word of the liuing God which is blessed for euer And blessed is that hart which can receiue it which GOD instructeth and to which he giueth knowledge of his worde which doth so learne it that he is assured of the truth thereof and nothing doubteth but it is indéede the worde of life which saieth thereof this is the waie in which if I walke I shall certainely go forward to the Citie of my GOD this is the truth if I hearken vnto it I shall neuer be dereiued Whosoeuer findeth himselfe indued with this grace he doth as plainely and evidently iudge of the wordes of God and trie out the trueth thereof from the deuises and doctrines of men as a man of cléere eie sight is ahle to iudge of colours and to knowe one colâ—…ur from an other Yea in this is the knowledge of that more certain because colour doth fade and alter and manie times one colour thereby waxeth like an other but the truth of GOD doth neuer alter it continueth one throughal ages it is the word of euerlasting life Heauen and earth shall perish but one title thereof shall not be lost The truth of God shall be established for euer The humble shall heare it and be glad As ye knowe after what maner wee were among you for your sakes You knowe howe I behaued my selfe after what maner I haue liued among you You knowe my first comming and entrie vnto you You knowe what doctrine I haue taught and what hath béene my conuersation of life I neuer deceiued any nor offered wrong vnto the simplest I sought not you nor yours but those things which are Iesus I haue liued by the labor of my hands in watchings in hunger in colde and nakednesse God hath ordained that they which teach the gospel should liue by the gospel Who séedeth a â—…lacke and eateth not of the milke of the flocke But I haue not vsed this libertie For I haue a great care least by anie meanes I should offend you Yet would I neuer flatter anie in that thing they had done amisse I neuer spared to rebuke ill If I should feare or séeke to please men I were not the seruant of Christ. I séeke not mine owne glorie but the glorie of him that sent me who also hath made me a minister of his gospel I haue forsaken al things my goods and life my flesh and my bodie and am daily in perils compassed daily by persecution séedeath death daily before mine eies for the loue I be are to you and for the care I haue of the Church You are the Lords shéepe I am your shaepeheard you are the house of God I am your builder you are Gods orchard I am your ouerséer and workeman I shall giue an attâ—…mpt for your soules You know how â—…ly I haue loued you in thâ—… Lord. Your griese hath béene my griese your ioie hath béene my ioie I haue praied for you daie and night and haue giuen thanks to God for you and reioâ—…ced in your behalfe What is more deare to a man than life yet haue I desired to yeeld vp my life that you might liue I haue béene readie to suffer death if thereby I might doe you good These things you cannot but remember your conscience beareth mée witnesse that I haue thus liued among you for your sake V. 6. And ye become followers of vs and of the Lord and receiued the word in much affliction with ioie of the holie ghost He commendeth the godlie for the practise of that which they haue learned and séene in him in that they haue receiued the gospel and framed their liues accordingly and haue continued stedfast in the same in the middes of persecution Herein he doth not onlie laie out himselfe and the other Apostles for an example but telleth them that this waie is also â—…roden out by our Lorde himselfe Who as he is the waie and the light that lightneth euerie man which commeth into the worloe so did he heare his crosse and did laie downe his life for his shéepe Therefore he saide to his Disciples The disciple is not aboue his Maister nor the seruant aboue his Lorde It is enough for the Disciple to be as his Maister is and the seruant as his
fondly or peeuishly saith Erasmus It would be ouer long to declare vnto you the foolish or rather blasphemous applying of the Scriptures to approoue their gestures at masse the soueraintie and chieftie that they chalenge One of their Bishops in y e late counsel as Trent saide of Paulus 3. then Pope Papa lux venit in mundum the Pope which is the light is come into the world Which are the words of the Euangelist declaring the Godhead of Christ. By these few it may appeare how vniustly they charge vs with corrupting the word of God And howe truely this fault is to be laid 〈◊〉 to them which either abridge the sense of the Scripture or reach it further than it yéeldeth or vtterlie refuse to stande to the authoritie thereof and in no case can like that the people of God shoulde reade the Scriptures and haue adiudged them heretiques and consumed their bodies in the fire which haue defended in spéech and sought to maintaine the doctrine of truth set down in y e holy scriptures The Apostle saith He was allowed of God They that enter into the ministerie must be allowed not of men onelie but of God Therefore whosoeuer taketh that charge ouer the people must looke narrowly into himselfe sée whether his calling be of God If be haue not a testimony that God hath called him inwardly al other outward calling is to smal purpose God is a righteous iudge He will saie to the conscience and to the heart of such a one friend how camest thou in hither without thy wedding garment Who brought thée in Giue an account of thy stewardship thine account is great And because some are this date to be admitted into this office let vs praie vnto God for them that god wil alow them that he wil giue them hearts to conceiue and tongues to speak the trueth of God that they maie be the seruants of Christ and disposers of the mysteries of God that they maie be the salt of the earth and the light of the world that they maie laie out the Lords money to his aduantage and so it maie be said vnto them Thou hast beene faithfull in little I will make thee ruler ouer much enter into thy maisters ioie V. 5 Neither yet did we vse flattring words as you know nor coloured couetousnesse God is record 6 Neither sought we praise of men neither of you nor of others The seruant and messenger of God must so speake as God speaketh God speaketh déeply and to the heart He launceth the spirit and woundeth the inward parts He biddeth Esaie them the people their transgressions and the house of Iacob their sinnes God himselfe saith I visite the sinne of the fathers vpon their children vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me Againe he saith If yee shall despise my ordinances either if your soule abhorre my lawes so that yee will not doe al my commandements I wil set my face against you and you shal fall before your enimies and they that hate you shal raigne ouer you But vnto those that repent them of their sins and turne 〈◊〉 to him God saith Turne vnto me ye shal be â—…aued Againe Thou disobedient Israel returne saith the Lord and I wil not let my wrath fall vpon you So must the minister of God he must â—…hew foorth the mercie of God not hide his iudgements He hath the Lords busines in band he maie not do it negligently A flatterer maketh it his greatest care to please men hée séeketh their fauor he feareth to displease and dareth not speake that that will be euill taken When he séeth a theefe he runneth with him is partaker with the adulterers he soweth pillowes vnder the armes of sinners Whosoeuer saith nay his nay is readie if any saie yea he is ready to say yea he chaÌ„geth often as y e weatherecock he dareth not striue against y e stream his hart is at the wil of others he séeketh some gaine he séeketh his owne glorie and not the glorie of God They which are such are called in the Scriptures hirelings dumbe dogs that cannot barhe They denie God betraie his truth and deceiue the people They locke â—…ppe the truth in lies Of such the spirit of god saith Woe vnto them that haue a double heart and to the wicked lippes And A double minded man is inconstant in al his waies And He that is not with me is against me And He that gathereth not with me scattereth And How long halt yee betweene two opinions if the Lorde be God follow him but if Baal be hee then goe after him And againe What communion hath light with darknesse and what concord hath Christ with Belial Cursed is he which â—…attereth the people and is vnfaithfull in the Lordes worke Nothing is so requisite in the steward of God as that he be found faithful and that he speake those things whereunto the Lord hath sent him boldly That they kéepe not backe the message giuen them of God nor feare to doe their errand for anie malice of men Who is it saith Saint Peter that wil harme you if you follow that which is good notwithstanding Blessed are yee if yee suffer for righteousnesse sake yea feare not their feare neither be troubled If the Apostle speake this comfort to all Christians which haue a care to serue God and thereby erhorteth them to stedfastnes and to sanctifie the Lord in their bearts and to â—…e readie to giue an account of their faith and of the hope that is in them howe much more ought â—…reachers and they which are appointed to the ministerie lay aside al feare and flatterie of men Woe vnto them that goe downe into Aegypt for help The Aergyptians are men and not God and their horses flesh and not spirite and when the Lorde shall stretch out his hand the helper shal fal and hee that is holpen shal fail and they shal altogether faile Christ â—…leth his diâ—…iples they are salt and they are light Salt must néedes be sharpe to a rotten wound Light must néeds be painful to a 〈◊〉 A good Phâ—…ution must néeds trouble and disguiet his sicke patient before hée can heale his disease and a good surgion must néeds trouble and rip vp â—…tered woundes We are Sur â—…eous we are â—…tions The worde of God is committed vnto vs that by vs it miâ—… be applied to season the earth and that the light ther of shonlâ—… shine foorth in al the worâ—… Crâ—…put aloud lift vp â—…hy voice as a trumpet If the trumpet giue an vncertaine sound who waâ—… prepare himselfe to the battel When God had called â—…eremie to the office of a Prophet said Thou shalt go to al that I shall send thee and whatsoeuer I commaund thee shalt thou speake he said further Feare not their faces least I destroy thee before them For beholde this daie I haue made
of the highest wherein they shaldwell this is the holie mountaine wherein they shall rest that walke vprightly and worke righteousnesse and speake the truth in their heart Here lette vs consider the rages and tempests of a troubled minde and of an vnquiet conscience which knoweth that GOD is an auenger of all wickednesse and that death is the due rewarde of sinne which acknowledgeth him selfe to be a sinner and findeth no way howe he shall escape Hell fire This man when he thinketh with him selfe of these things hée can not but be amazed and disquieted aboue measure The sounde of the Trumpet is euer in his eares he heareth the voice of the Judge saying stand foorth sinner now declare how thou hast vsed thy bodie giue a reckoning of thy whole life Then his conscience beginneth to quake and tremble Then he néedeth no witnesse to accuse him nor iudge to condemn him Hée is both witnesse and iudge against himselfe The daunger hereof maie somewhat appeare in those which are taken and prisoned and arraigned before a Judge When hée knoweth him selfe guiltie heareth the euidence prwued against him séeth the Judge seuere to deale iustice without mercie and therfore is assured of death what griefe and torment féeleth he at heart what would he not giue what would he not doe to scape the danger But the danger whereunâ—… God iudgeth vs is greater And the maner of his iudgement is straighter Here the Judge maie be deceiued he is but a man but there GOD is the Judge who is the searcher of the heart and raines and no man shall be hidde from his heate Here nothing can be done without euidence without witnesses and proofe before God he that hath offended shall accuse himselfe This is the case of conscience It selfe is witnesse it selfe caâ—…eth for iudgement to condemnation His conscience shall make the sinner say I haue offended against God I haue despised his word would not giue care to learne it I would not knowe the time of Gods mercie and of my visitation I liued in fornication and committed theft and kept wrongfully other mens goods I was disobedient to parents nourtered not my children in the feare of God kept not my heart from doing iniquitie I abused my goods my wits my senses and the good grace of God I haue sinned against heauen and against God and am not worthie to be called his sonne the wrath of God is worthily fallen vpon me hel fire is my méede the mercie of God can not saue me for my sinne is greater than that it can be forgiuen Mine owne hart conscience heauen and earth the angels and archangels God himselfe and Christ the redéemer of them that beléeue in him are against me I can not cast mine eyes to any place but euer I sée my damnation before me Then doth he tremble with agony and stande in feare His hart dasheth and beateth as the waues of the sea He sâ—…leth vprore warre lightning thoÌ„der death and hel in his heart hée shal flée when no man followeth him He shal sayâ—… to the hilles and rockes fal on me and hide me from the presence of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe Such is the terrour of an vnquiet mindâ—… Though al the princes in the world would ioyne themselues to do it The wicked can neuer enioy peace God kéepe vs far from such agonies and giue vs pure hearts and cleare consciences CHAP. 4. ANd furthermore wee beseech you bretheren and exhort you in the Lord lesus that ye increase more and more as yee haue receiued of vs how ye ought to walke and to please God 2. For ye knowe what commaundementes we gaue you by the Lord Iesus WE commaunde you not nor vse any force but entreat you with all pacience and méekenesse that yée wil loue your owne soules and thinke and doe those thinges which please God You are they to whom the promise was made God hath called you out of darkenesse into his maruailous light He hath not dealt so with euery nation neither haue they knowen his iudgementes Wee come not to you in our owne name We haue charge to preach y e gospell to al nations Therefore we speake vnto you in y e name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We shewe you the way that you may walke in it we declare vnto you the wil of God that you may be saued For yet wil the Lorde waite that he may haue mercie vpon you and therefore wil he be exalted that he may haue compassion vpon you sayeth the Prophet Esay Wee haue opened vnto you that whole treasure of Gods mercie We haue lead you to the throne of grace and made you sée the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the worlde We haue preached vnto you remission and forgiuenesse of your sinnes through his name If you haue hearde vs and beléeue you shal be saued If any man preach vnto you otherwise than that you haue receiued let him be accursed How ye ought to walke and please God It is not ynough that ye beléeue Ye must also walke and liue according to knowledge This is the wil of God For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which GOD hath ordained that wee should walke in them For the grace of God hath appeared that bringeth saluation vnto al men teacheth vs that wee should liue soberly and righteously and godly in this life Looking for the blessed hope appearing of the glorie of the mighty God of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. In this sort hath our teaching béene among you That you might shewe foorth your faith by your works That it auaileth you nothing to say you haue faith if you haue no workes because the faith that hath no workes is dead This we are taught by the words of our Lord Iesus he sayth Not euery one that sayeth vnto me Lorde Lorde shal enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doeth my fathers wil that is in heauen Againe Euerie tree that bringeth not foorth good fruite is hewen downe and cast into the fire The seruaunt that knoweth his maisters wil and doeth it not shal be beaten with manie stripes Thus hath our Lorde commaunded vs to be like our father which is in heauen to let our light so shine before men that they may sée our good workes Thus the Apostle taught Thus the church of God this day teacheth It requireth faith as the instrument and meanes to apply the merites and passion of Iesus Christ for our saluation and good workes as fruits and witnesses of our faith Whosoeuer learneth aright and beléeneth the gospell as he ought groweth and goeth forwarde from vertue to vertue If be were ignorant before he commeth thereby to knowledge If hee were weake he groweth in strength If hée were wicked he turneth vnto gedlinesse V. 3. For this is the wil of God euen your holinesse and that yee should
that taketh vsurie killeth without a sword These be holy Fathers and worthie of credite they shewe vs that Vsurie is as badde as to kill and murther a man wilfully Chrysostome likewise In his sensibilibus pecunys prohibuit ne quis vsuram acciperet c. God hath forbidden that no man shall take Vsurie in this sensible or common monie Why because either of them is much hindered Hee that oweth money is made poorer and he that lendeth it by this kinde of enriching himselfe encreaseth the number of his sinnes Againe he saith Sicut fermentum modicum quod mittitur in multam farinam totam consper sionem corrumpit c. Euen as a little leauen leaueneth the whole lump of dowe euen so Vsurie when it commeth into anie mans house draweth all his substance and chaungeth it into debt He that is an Vsurer wisheth that al others may lacke and come to him and borow of him that al others may lose so that he may haue gaine Therefore our olde forefathers so much abhorred this trade that they thought an Vsurer vnworthie to liue in the companie of Christian men they did excommunicate him They suffered not an Vsurer to be a witnes in matters of Lawe They suffered him not to make a testament and to bestow his goods by wil. When an vsurer died they would not suffer him to be buried in places appointed for y e burial of christians So highly did they mislike this vnmerciful spoyling and deceiuing our brethren But what speake I of the auntient fathers of the Church there was neuer any religion nor sect nor state nor degrée nor profession of meÌ„ but they haue disliked it Philosophers Gréekes Latins Lawiers Diuines Catholiques Heretiques al tongues and nations haue euer thought an Vsurer as daungerous as a theefe The verie sense of nature proueth it to be so If the stones coulde speake they would say as much Therefore our sauiour saith Doe good and lende looking for nothing againe Hée sayeth not lende and looke not for your principal againe But looke for no gaine thereby looke not to receiue more than thine owne for the vse and occupying of it Defraud not another thou wouldest not an other shoulde defraude thée Dppresse him not haue pitie on his wife and children thou wouldest not haue thy wife and children vndoone In Leuiticus God sayth If thy brother be impouerished and fallen in decay thou shalt take no Vsurie of him nor vantage but thou shalt feare thy GOD that thy brother may liue with thee GOD saith thou shalt take no Vsurie And hee hath power and authoritie to commaunde And in Exodus If thou lende money to my people to the poore with thee thou shalt not bee as an Vsurer vnto him yee shal not oppresse him with Vsurie Shewe them mercie for my sake they are my people I can enrich him I can impouerish thée I set vp and throwe downe whome I will When thy neighbour néedeth thy helpe and séeketh comfort at thy handes afflict him not as an enemie oppresse him not like a tyrant Ezechiel the Prophet setteth downe the wrath of God against Vsurers He that hath giuen foorth his money vpon Vsurie or hath taken increase shal he liue he shal not liue saith the Lorde He shal perish in his owne sinne his bloud shal be vppon his heade Therefore when he reckoneth the offences of Ierufalem and declareth the heauie plagues that are prepared against that wicked Citie he saith Thou hast taken Vsurie and encrease and thou hast defrauded thy neighbours by extortion and hast forgotten me sayeth the Lorde God Beholde therefore I haue smitten mine handes vpon the couetousnesse that thou hast vsed Thou hast doone iniurie to my people that thou mightest make thine owne gaine Thy wrongs and oppressions doone by Vsurie rise vp into heauen therefore I wil gather thée and blow the fire of my wrath vpon thée sayth the Lorde Thus hath GOD spoken euen the Lorde of heauen and earth which can scatter thy gold in the winde and blowe it to nothing Thus hee speaketh to thée that hearest and readest his worde which knowest that his wil is thou shouldest not lende thy money to Vsurie Thou doest oppresse saith he WhoÌ„ thy brother for whome Christ vouchsafed to shed his bloude And what brother him that was poore which came to thée for néede to séeke thy helpe Howe wickedly closely falsely craftily deceitefully like an hippocrite vnder colour to doe him good Wherewith with thy money thy gold and siluer which God hath giuen thée to relieue the poore and néedie withal God hath saide thou shalt not take Vsurie and what art thou that despisest the voyce of the Lorde whose words wilt thou heare that wilt not heare the words of God remember the wordes you can not forget them Thou shalt not take Vsurie of thy brother he is poore and fallen in decay thou shalt not be an vsurer vnto him thou shalt not oppresse him with vsurie For it is crueltie and abhomination in the sight of God therefore wil God powre â—…ut his wrath and consume the Vsurer hee shal not enter into the Tabernarie of the highest he shal haue no part in the kingdome of Christ and of God but shal be cast into the vtward darkenesse But some wil say al kindes of Vsurie are not forbidden There may bee cases where Vsurie may stande with reason and equitie And herein they say so much as by witte may bee deuised to paint out a foule and vglie Idol and to shadowe themselues in manifest and open wickednesse What so euer God saieth yet this or this kinde of Vsurie say they which is doone in this or this sort is not forbidden It profiteth the common wealth it relieueth great numbers The poore should otherwise perish no man woulde lende them By like good reason there are some that defende theft and murther they say there may be some case where it is laweful to kil or to steale for God willed the Hebrewes to rob the Aegyptians and Abraham to kil his owne sonne Isaac In these cases their robberie and the killing of his sonne were laweful So say they Euen so by like reason doe some of our Countreymen maintaine Concubines Curtizans and Brothel houses and stand in defence of open Stewes They are say they for the benefite of the Countrey they kéepe men from more daungerous inconuenience take them away it wil be worse Although God say There shal be no whore of the daughters of Israel neither shall there be a whore keeper of the sonnes of Israel yet these men say al maner of whoredome is not forbidden In these and these cases it is not amisse to allowe it God sayde to Saul Goe and strike Amalek and destroy ye al that pertaineth to them and haue no compassion on them but slaie both man and woman both infant suckling both oxe and sheepe both camel and asse So strait and precise was Gods commaundement Foorth marcheth
theft therefore lawful S. Iames sayth The Diuels beleeue and tremble take example of the Diuels They beléeue but their bare vaine and dead faith in which they can doe no good can not serue them Euen so shal not your faith if it be dead and voyde of al good workes saue you God himselfe to reproue the vnthankefulnesse and forgetfulnesse of his people which did so often forsake him and followed Baal and Astaroth sayeth in this manner vnto them What nation did euer forsake their Gods Doeth he in this spéech approue that the Idols of the heathen are Gods or because God taketh example of idolatrie shal idolatrie therefore be laweful he biddeth his seruaunts to be as faithful and willing and readie to serue him the God of heauen and earth as the gentils were in seruice of their Idols the workes of their owne handes As God did wil the Israelites to take example of the Ido laters And as Christ biddeth take example of the false steward and as Iames of the Diuels so is this parable an example of that which is commendable that is the diligence of the seruauntes Vsurie is no more allowed by this than idolatrie and falshoode and the diuel is by the other Some wil say I haue no trade to liue I must néedes giue my money to Vsurie or else I must begge This is it that I spake of This sheweth that despaire and mistrust in the prouidence of God is the mother of Vsurie If this were cause why he should be an vsurer if this be wel spoken for defence of his wickednes why may not the théefe or y e bawd or the enchanter by like answere excuse themselues and stande in defence of their dooings Augustine therefore saith Audent etiam fenerarores dicere non habeo aliud vnde viuam c. The vsurers are bold to say they haue no other trade whereby to liue So wil the theefe tel me when I take him in his theft So wil he say that breaketh in to other mens houses So wil the baude say that buieth young maidens to vse them to filthines So wil the wicked enchanter that selleth his sinne If we reproue any of al these they wil answere that this is their mainteinance and that they haue not any other way to liue But August sayth Quasi non hoc ipsum in illis maxima puniendum est quia artem nequitiae deleâ—…runt vnde viuerent inde se volunt pascere vnde offendant eum a quo omnes pascuntur As if they were not therefore most worthie to be punished because they haue chosen a trade of wickednesse to liue by and will mainetaine themselues by that thing wherewith they displease him by whom al are mainetained Howe much better would it be with them if they did serue God truely in such place and calling wherein they might most set foorth his glorie and doe such thinges as should be profitable to themselues and others The seruaunt of God knoweth there is no want to those that feare him He knoweth the Lord hath care ouer him and therefore casteth his care vpon the Lorde He sayth as the Prophet The Lorde is my shephearde I shal want nothing And The Lord is the defender of my life of whome then shal I be afrayde I trusted in thee O Lorde and saide thou art my God My times are in thy hande Thus much I thought expedient to speake of the loathsome and foule trade of Vsurie I knowe not what fruit wil growe thereby and what it wil worke in your hearts If it please God it may doe that good that I wish I haue doone my dutie I cal God for a record vnto my soule I haue not deceiued you I haue speken vnto yoâ—… y e truth If I be deceiued in this matter O God thou hast deceiued me Thy word is plaine Thou sayest Thou shalt take no Vsurie thou sayest He that taketh encrease shal not liue What am I that I shoulde hide the words of my God or kéepe them back from the hearing of his people the learned old Fathers haue taught vs it is no more laweful to take Vsurie of our brother than it is to kil our brother They that be of God heare this and consider it and haue a care that they displease him not But the wicked that are no whit moued and care not what God sayth but cast his word behind them which haue eies and sée not and eares yet heare not because they are filthie they shalbe â—…lthie stil. Their gréedie desire shal encrease to their confusion and as their monie mcreaseth so shal they encrease the heapes of their sinnes Pardon me if I haue béene long or vehement Of those that are vsurers I aske no pardon I heare that there are certaine in this city which wallow wretchedly in this filthinesse without repentance I giue them warning in the hearing of you all and in the presence of God that they forsake that cruel and detestable sinne If otherwise they continue therein I will open their shame and denounce excommunication against them and publish their names in this place before you all that you may knowe them and abhorre them as the plagues and monsters of the worlde that if they be past all feare of God they may yet repent and amend for worldlie shame Tel me thou wretched wight of the world thou vnkinde creature which art past all sense and feeling of God which knowest the will of God and doest the contrarie how darest thou come into the Church It is the Church of that GOD which hath saide Thou shalt take no Vsurie And thou knowest he hath so laid How darest thou reade or heare the word of God it is the word of that God which condemneth Vsurie And thou knowest he doth condemne it How darest thou come into the companie of thy brethâ—… Vsurie is the plague and destruction and vndoing of thy brethren And this thou knowest How darest thou looke vpon thy children Thou makest the wrath of God fall downe from heauen vpon them Thy iniquitie shal be punished in them to the third and fourth generation This thou knowest How darest thou looke vp into heauen Thou hast no dwelling there thou shalt haue no place in the tabernacle of the highest This thou knowest Because thou robbest the poore deceiuest the simple and catest vp the widows houses Therefore shall thy children be naked and begge their bread therefore shalt thou and thy riches perish together But Christ saith The houre shall come and now is when the dead shall heare the voice of the sonne of God and they that heare it shall liue Zacheus was a receiuer of tribute was rich when he receiued Iesus to abide in his house He stoode foorth and saide vnto the Lord Beholde Lord the halfe of my goods I giue to the poore and if I haue taken from any man by forged cauillation I restore him foure â—…olde Then Iesus said vnto him This daie salâ—…ation is
therefore or die we are the Lords He goeth into his graue as into a bed he forsaketh this life as if he lay downe to sléepe he shall shake off his sléepe rouse himselfe and rise againe As we wake out of sléepe we know not howe so shall we rise againe though we knowe not how As we are much refreshed and our bodies strengthened by sléepe so shal we rise againe in much more strength and our corruption shal put on incorruption and our mortalitie immortalitie So often then as we goe to our beddes lette vs thinke of our resurrection from death Who is sorie to goe into his bedde what father lamenteth to sée his childe lie quietly and take his reste why then shoulde he so mourne for his death wherein GOD dealeth mercifully with him and doth translate him to the glorie of the sonnes of God where is no death nor feare but we shal be made like to the Angels of God The bodie rotteth in the grounde yet God preserueth it that it shal not perish His spirite shall returne to it againe and it shal liue God is able to bring this to passe He hath promised so to do He hath done it alreadie and wil doe it againe When Christ came neare to the gate of the Citie of Naim there was a dead man carried out the only begotten sonne of his mother which was a widow and much people of the Citie was with hir and when the Lord saw hir hee had compassion on hir and saide vnto hir weepe not And hee went and touched the coffin and they that bare it stoode still and he saide I saie vnto thee yong man arise And he that was dead sate vp and beganne to speake and hee deliuered him to his mother Lazarus was laide in his graue he had béene foure daies dead his bodie did stincke Yet when Christ cried with a loud voice Lazarus come foorth then he that was dead came foorth bound hand and foote with bandes and his face was bound with a napkin Iesus saide vnto them loose him and let him goe Saint Mathew saith The graues did open them selues and manie bodies of the Saints which slept arose and came out of the graues after his resurrection and went into the holie Citie and appeared vnto manie These fewe stories witnesse vnto vs the rising againe of our bodies vnto life But what do I speake of the bodies of men they are the houses of GOD the temples of the holie Ghost God hath appointed vnto them a kingdome Who considereth not the swallowes and other birdes they sléepe al the winter long But when the spring commeth they come to life againe and are séene abroad What creature so little so vile and so little worth as the stie Yet by those so base and contemptible things doth God teach vs to know our selues and our estate The greatest part of the winter they are as dead They créepe into chinks and corners as into their graue and lie there without life without féeling Prooue it who list he shall sée it so The bodie is dead the wings moulted Yet the verie same flie so little and so vile shall be refrozed againe at the spring and shall liue in the warme weather and haue the same wings and the same féete and the same bodie If we be hard of beléefe to giue credite to the word of God these are manifest proofes to teach vs the resurrection of our bodies If GOD do so much for the flies which are so vile a creature how much rather wil he quicken vs againe whome hée hath chosen out of this world to liue with him for euer The word of GOD is almightie Hée shall but speake and it shall be done The Trumpet shall sounde and the dead shal return to life I am sure saith Iob that my redeemer liueth and that I shall rise out of the earâ—…h in the latter daie and shall be couered againe with my skinne and shall see God in my flesh Whome I my selfe shall see and mine eies shall behold and none other for me This is my hope laide vp in my bosome Saint Paul willeth Timothie neuer to forget this doctrine Remember that Iesus Christ made of the seede of Dauid was raised againe from the dead according to my Gospell This is the foundation the beginning and the ending of religion If the spirit of him that raised vp Iesus from the dead dwell in you hee that raised vppe Christ from the dead shal also quicken your mortall bodies because that his spirite dwelleth in you This is an article of our faith We beleue the resurrection of the bodie euen of this bodie in which we liue and which we carrie about with vs. All flesh shal sée the saluation of our GOD. This is the hope of Christians the resurrection of their fleshe Set your affections on things which are aboue not on things which are on the earth For yee are dead saith the Apostle and your life is hidde with Christ in God When Christ which is our life shall appeare then shal yee appeare with him in glorie Therefore let not your heartes be dull through vnbeliefe As God was able to saue the bodies of his seruantes that they were not hurt in the fire as he was able to kéepe Ionas safe in the whales bellie so can he preserue our bodies safe in the earth Yea much better because the fire naturally consuineth and the fishes bellie destroieth those things which they rauine but the earth naturally preseruoth that which is earthie As our GOD is of power to diuide the waters to make the sea stand like a wall and giue passage to his people as he can chaunge the course of the heauens and make the sunne goe backe as he can drawe water out of the harde rockes so is he of power to raise our dead bodies againe vnto life If he made the earth the water the aire the heauens and all creatures in them of nothing he is much more able to restore againe those bodies which haue beene Wee looke saieth Paule for the sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile bodie and make it like his glorious bodie according to the working whereby he is able to subdue al things to himselfe The Prophet Esay comforteth the people of GOD in their affliâ—…ions Thy dead men shall liue euen with my bodie shall they rise awake and sing yee that dwell in the dust for thy deawe is as the deawe of hearbes and the earth shall cast out the dead Againe The earth shall disclose her bloud and shal no more hide her slaine Therefore saith our sauiour This is the fathers wil which hath sent me that of al which hee hath giuen mee I should loose nothing but should raise it vp againe at the last daie Againe hée saith The houre shall come in the which al that are in the graues shall heare his voice And they shall come foorth that haue done good
vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue doone euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation And againe I am the resurrection and the life hee that beleeueth in mee though hee were dead shal liue and whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in me shall neuer die For if wee beleeue that Iesus is dead and is risen that he was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification if we beléeue that he is ascended vp into heauen and sitteth at the right hand of GOD his father he will also raise vp our mortall bodies and bring vs with him Nowe Christ is risen from the dead and was made the firste fruites of them that sleepe He is our head wée are his bodie Wee are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone Hée hath giuen vs his Spirite to dwell in vs. But if anie man hath not the Spirite of Christ the same is not his Christ our head liueth His bodie then can not he dead Where I am sayeth he there shall also my seruaunt be Wherefore if we be dead with Christ we beleeue that wee shal liue also with him What then shal become of the infidelles which haue no faith which haue not the spirit of God Shal not they rise againe Yes verily They shal rise but not with Christ. They shal not rise the resurrection of the iust Some shal rise vnto life some vnto death some to saluation others to damnation some to glory others to shame Wee must al appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euerie man may receiue the thinges which are doone in his bodie according to that he hath doone whether it be good or euil The wicked shal rise vp again with their bodies and their portion shal be with the Diuel and his Angels they shal come foorth of their graues to the resurrection of condemnation their bodie and soule shal be cast into hel fire Their worme shal neuer die their fire shal not be quenched It had béen better for them they had neuer béene borne V. 15. For this say we vnto you by the word of the Lord that we which liue and are remaining in the comming of the Lorde shal not preuent them that sleepe 16. For the Lorde himselfe shal descende from heauen with a shout and with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shal rise first This that we declare vnto you is not of our selues It is the truth of God it shal stand good be found true for euer God wil raise our bodies out of the graue 〈◊〉 restore theÌ„ from death to life You may not reason howe or in what order this shal be doone or who shal be the first or the seconde or the third that shal rise vp in the resurrection Such questions are unfit and not to be moued We shal al be chaunged in a moment in the twinckling of an eye At that houre some shalve aliue and some shal be dead For he shal come to iudge both the quicke and the dead We that are remaining in the comming of the Lorde shal not preuent them that sleepe Neither is their part better in the resurrection that shal then be founde aliue nor their part worse that haue béene dead manis yeares before For they which were dead shal as soone be partakers of the glory of the sonnes of God as the other Touching the state of men that shal liue in the end of the world Christ sayth As the daies of Noe so likewise shal the comming of the sonne of man be I doubt not but you remeÌ„ber the storie what dreadful plague of rain tempest fel when al the world was drowned and destroyd with water Vice and vngodlines encreased and al flesh had corrupt his way vpon earth They had no shame there was no feare of God before their eyes Gods wrath was kindled against them He sent Noah a preacher of righteousnes to reforme them to tel them of the destructioÌ„ at hand that they might repent and be saued But they regarded it not They laught Noah to scorne grewe desperate and continued in sinne Sodenly al the fountaines of the great déepe were broken vp the windowes of heauen were opened As they were eating drinking buying selling building purchasing stirring and trauailing as they were in the middest of their ioyes trauailes and pleasures the raine came vpon them and the flouds grewe so great that it destroyed the whole worlde except Noah and a fewe of his companie Their landes their goods Cities Castles nor any other their pleasure or wealth could saue them so shal it be in the comming of Christ. As it was in the daies of Lot and as it betel to Sodome and Gomortha they liued and increased in filthinesse Their heartes were blind and regarded no counsel Their bodies were filthie their soules their liues their houses cities were ful of filthinesse The Angel of God departed from them Loth went out from among them and fire came downe from heauen and consumed them to ashes and caried them downe quick into hel There was no father left to lament his child no child left to lament his father So shal it be at the comming of Christ. He shal come as a théefe sodenly when no man looketh for his comming he shal come at such season when mens harts wil be asléepe and thinke not of him S. Peter sayeth There shal come in the last dayes mockers which will walke after their lustes and say where is the promise of his comming for since the fathers dyed al things continue alike from the beginning of the creation They skorne the threatninges of Gods indgement When shal the world come to an ende We haue winter and sommer raine snow day and night as before The sonne kéepeth his course the fioudes runne the frâ—… beare fruit al things are as they haue béene O sayth Peter know this that god hath made the heauen and earth and al the furniture in them They are his creatures he doth holde theÌ„ vp and preserue them by the power of his word When God shal withdrawe his word they shal decay and haue an ende As for our Lorde he shal come and not tarie at his comming heauen shal depart away as a scrol that is rold the element shal melt with heat and the earth with the works that are therin shal be burnt vp and consumed before his face Deceiue not your selues with lying wordes For when you say peace peace and al thinges are safe then shal sodaine destruction come vpon you Then two men shal be in the fieldes the one shal bee receiued and the other refused Two women shal be grinding at the mil the one shall be receiued and the other refused So shal also the comming of the sonne of man â—…ée The number of the faithful that shal remain at his comming shal not be many So sayth Christ When the sonne
it from Manilius Maternus Albumazar or Haly. What is Manilius Maternus Albumazar and Haly What are they but Heathens Painims and Jnsidels Were they not voide of all knowledge of God were they not the enimies of the crosse of Christ these neuer beléeued in God howe could they then know that day when he would iudge the world Let thy common reason reforme thée Can Saturne and Mars knowe this when the Angels of God cannot knowe it To what end write they thus to giue a token of their knowledge nay hereby they proclaime and publish their sollie and want of knowledge These two hundred yeares there haue euer béene some which haue aduentured to tell such newes and to saie in this yeare or that yeare you shal haue doomes daie Such a daie will Christ come to iudgement and the world shall haue an end They haue appointed many such yeares and daies and houres The yeares be gone the daies be past the houres be slipt away but the world abideth and giueth witnesse of their follie But the meaning of these men is good Hereby they moue the people to repentance For when men thinke the ende of the world is at hand they wil beare the lesse affection of the things of this world This is not the waie to teach repentance and amendment of life The people may not be taught by lies fables If this had béen good for theÌ„ God himselfe would haue vsed it God graunt them grace to repent which thus presume of knowledge and reach so high and yet know nothing Let vs yet reason further with them How haue they this knowledge of certaintie or by coniecture if of certaintie then it must néedes be so it cannot faile nothing can let it But you wil say it is a coniecture it may so bée and it is likely for such a day shal be a Coniunction of Saturne and Mars in a fierie house and therefore al things shal be consumed with fire Alas what hath Saturne or Mars to doe with the day of the Lorde They are but creatures they are no Goddes They are starres made to giue vs light why should they leade vs into darkenesse in the day of the Lorde they shal be melted and perish with fire Why then trouble they the worlde with such vanities and set those thinges downe for trueth whereof they haue no certaintie but onely a gesse and coniecture And what time chose they to cast abroade these newes the same in which the Gospel through the mercie of God is wel knowen of most men Euen nowe tel they these tales when all men knowe that Christ sayeth the Angels in heauen knowe not of that day and houre The Angelles beholde the face of God and stand in his presence yet know they not the day of the Lorde This is a secret which God reuealeth not vnto any Children can reprooue this follie in them and say Mitte arcana dei caelúmque inquirere quid sit Seeke not to knowe the secretes of God nor what manner thing the heauen is Know thy self that thou art but a mortal man crawling on the grounde like a worme Hée that wil stare vpon the sunne may be blinde and loose his eyes God hath giuen thée knowledge in measure thou canst not knowe as much as thou wouldest Knowe that is fit for thée to knowe and speake that is laweful to be spoken Thinke of the commaundementes of God to followe them Search not into his workes to be curious in them For he that is curious in searching the maiestie of God shal be oppressed and confounded by his glorie Thus much we may wel knowe that the Lorde wil come that al fleshe shal appeare before him that the worlde the heauen the earth the sunne and the moone shal haue an ende that the day of the Lorde shall come sodainely as a Théefe in the night This warning GOD hath giuen vs that we shoulde not be taken vnwares but that wee repent and stande in readinesse and watch and pray that wee may bee caught vp into the cloudes to méete our redéemer V. 4. But you brethren are not in darkenesse that that day shoulde come on you as it were a theese 5 Yee are al the children of light and the children of the day wee are not of the night neither of darkenesse 6 Therefore let vs not sleepe as doe other but let vs watch and be sober 7 For they that sleepe sleepe in the night and they that be drunken are drunken in the night 8 But let vs which are of the day be sober putting on the breaste-plate of Faith and Loue and the hope of saluation for an helmet 9 For God hath not appointed vs vnto wrath but to obtaine saluation by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ. 10 Which dyed for vs that whether wee wake or sleepe wee should liue togither with him Your conuersation is in heauen from whence you looke for the sauiour euen the Lorde Iesus Christ. Ye were once darkenesse but nowe you are light in the Lorde walke as children of light approouing that which is pleasing to y e Lord. That day shal be dreadful and come sodainely vpon the wicked but to you it shal not séeme sodaine which feare the Lorde and put your trust in him and take al care to be in readines at his comming Arme your selues strongly the enemie séeketh to ouerthrowe you Your enemie is the Deuill with al his force Your strength standeth not in your owne prowes or manhoode but in the mightie power of God put on therefore the breast-plate of faith and loue he that beléeueth shal be saued he that abydeth in loue abideth in God whosoeuer putteth his trust in him shal not be confounded Here I may take occasion to say somewhat of the troubles of warre howe Sathan séeketh by it to disquiet the Church of God Who hath not hearde what force is this day raised in this realme who hath not hearde of it but let it not trouble you God wil turne al to his glory I loue not to speak of such things Yet somewhat I must speake thereof the time enforceth me This is the first disturbance and breach of that blessed peace in which God hath so long and so quietly preserued this realme since the time that hir Maiestie came to the Crowne It giueth great occasion to the enemie to breake in vppon vs it is the spoyling of our Countrey The barbarous souldiours rush into mens houses and take out what they list They drawe their sworde bende their force ioyne themselues to warre against the Lord and against his annointed They haue â—…orne and defaced burnt in fire the holy Bible the Gospel of our saluation and woulde set vp the loathsome seruice of the Masse What hath the worde of God offended why should it be torne in péeces why shoulde it be burnt what worde is in it which is not the worde of life it is the power of God vnto saluation to them that beléeue And
the sacrament of our redemption Is this that which Paule receiued of the Lord and deliuered vnto the Church Is this the shewing foorth of the Lordes death vntill hée come They woulde haue the Popes auctoritie restored What is the Pope they saie hée is the successour of Peter What doth the Pope as Peter did or what did Peter as the Pope doth He is a mortall man And cursed are they of God that put their trust in man He feedeth not the flocke he teacheth not the simple hée strengtheneth not the weake I wil saie no more GOD make him a seruant of Christ and a faithful disposer of the mysteries of God They are offended at the mariage of the ministers of the Church Yet Gratian their great maister sayeth Copula sacerdotalis nec legali nec Euangelica nec Apostolica authoritate prohibetur The marriage of Priestes is not forbidden by any authoritie either of the lawe or of the Gospel or of the Apostles The holie fathers that liued in the Apostles time and shortly after report that Peter and al the other Apostles excepting only Iohn were maried and had wiues the Prophet Esay was married and yet he sawe the Lord sitting vpon an high throne Moses was marryed and yet saw God face to face Wil they reforme the Prophetes and the Apostles Wil they account that to be vnholie which the Apostle calleth honorable in al men Ignatius the scholer of Saint Iohn saide I wish to be found meete for God as was Peter and Paule and the other Apostles that were married They paint their banner with the Crosse and fiue woundes Why bring they those armes against vs Doe not we beleeue the crosse of Christ doe not wée reioyce and comforte our heartes by the remembraunce of his woundes doe not wée reade and she we foorth to the people the storie of his passion GOD knoweth it and you can beare vs witnesse and they can not denie it that we make this worke of our redemption wrought by the passion of our sauiour Christ the chiefe and principall rocke and foundation of our faith Therefore say wee with the Apostle GOD forbidde that we should reioyce in anie thing but in the Crosse of our Lorde Iesus Christ. Nay rather they are become our enemies because wée beléeue in Iesus Christ crucified Because we say as Gods worde teacheth that Iesus Christ is the onely aduocate to the Father for our sinnes and that hee hath with one offering consecrated for euer them that are sanctified and that the bloud of Iesus Christ his sonne cleanseth vs from al sinne For this cause are they become our enemies Let vs nothing feare their treacheries and attemptes let vs kéepe that is good and holde it fast vntil death Nowe we haue tasted the word of God and haue receiued the comfort of the Gospel let vs not despise it nor be wearie of it Let vs pray vnto God that he establish the loue of his trueth in vs and that he wil open the eyes of their heartes and bring them to bee partakers of those mercies which yet through ignoranâ—…ce they haue despised V. 22. Abstaine from al appearaunce of euil Kéepe your selues not onely from doing those thinges which are euil but also from al appearaunce of euil Offende not the conscience of thy brother that he may haue no occasion to thinke euill of thée Commit not adulterie and withdrawe thy selfe from the companie of such vnthriftie and light and suspected persons Bée not like to them that are such Laie not out thy money to Usurie nor doe anie thing whereby others may thinke so of thée Beware of vncharitable conueyaâ—…ce of thy money Be not Idolaters And leaue off to doe anie thing that maie bring you into suspition of Idolatrie Giue not that honour vnto anye creature which is proper to GOD. Haue no felloweshippe with their workes beare no appearaunce of liking their euill Goe not as they goe liue not as they liue Saint Paule reprâ—…ueth the Galathians Yee obserue dayes and monethes and times and yeare I am in feare of you least I haue bestowed on you labour in vaine So doeth hee the Colossians also If yee bee dead with Christe from the ordinaunces of the worlde why as though yee liued in the worlde are ye burdened with traditions as touch not taste not handle not So doe the Idolaters you shoulde not bee like vnto them They are the children of darkenesse you are the sonnes of light They wil not be like vnto you and forsake their false Gods Why should you become like vnto them and forsake the God that made the heauens and the earth You can not make them ashamed of their errors and imbrace the trueth Why then should you betray the trueth and be partakers with them in error The Christians in olde time beganne to weare Garlandes made of Bay What harme might be in that What is a Garlande but a furniture for the heade What is Bay but a litle trée or bush Yet the Fathers that liued with them to teach them sayde it was not lawful not for y e the thing it self was il of it selfe but for that they would not séeme to followe Idolaters It had some appearance of euill It was a ceremonie and solemne fashion among the heathen they woulde not be imboldened and it would offende the heartes of manie of the faithfull to see Christians followe the fashion of the Heathen When king Antiochus sent vnto Hierusalem and to the Cities of Iuda that they should followe the straunge lawes of the Countrey many chose rather to die than to bee defiled with vncleane thinges and to breake the holie couenaunt which God had giuen them Darius made a decrée whosoeuer should aske a petition of any God or man for thirtie dayes saue of the King he should be cast into the denne of Lions Daniel would not be kept so long from the seruice of God Hee would not dissemble he would not hide his zeale nor shewe anie appearaunce of it He prayed and praysed God as he did before and opened his chamber windowes that it might bée séene Policarpus might haue saued his life if he woulde haue dissembled He would not he coulde not He sawe it woulde haue béene an appearaunce of euil and a discourage vnto the brethren therefore spake boldly Christianus sum I am a Christian. And béeing required to speake il of Christ saide Octoginta sex annos seruio ei nihil me laesit vnquaÌ„ quomodo possum maledicere ei blasphemare regem meum qui salutem mihi dedit I haue serued Christ these fourescore and sixe yeares and he did neuer anie thing hurt mee howe may I speake il and blaspheme my king which hath giuen me saluation This is my faith Christ is my God this is my religion I am not ashamed to suffer death rather than I wil denie him who suffered death in his owne bodie to sauâ—… mée It is good sayth
S. Paul neither to eate flesh nor to drinke wine nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth or is offended or is made weake Againe he saith Now when ye sin so against the brethren wound their weake consciences ye offende against Christ. Wherefore if meate offende my brother I wil eate no flesh while the worlde standeth least I shoulde offende my brother He that hath once made a shipwracke standeth watchful euer after not onely to escape that rocke or sande whereat he had lost before but al other the like rockes and sandes whatsoeuer Therefore Abstaine from al appearaunce of euil be not like the wicked of this worlde You are the salt of the earth You should not be parteners of their corruption but pouder and season them You are the light of the worlde you may not be parteners of their darkenesse but lighten and guide them Dissemble not Serue God in the simplicitie of your heart and in the sight of al the world Let it be written in your forehead what you think in your heart Why should anie man be ashamed of Gods trueth V. 23. Now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your whole spirite and soule and bodie may bee kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Our God is the God of peace He giueth peace and quiet to his Church He doth mussel the Lion amaze the tyrant make blunt the sworde and quench the fire prepared against his seruantes He giueth his sonnes peace and quietnesse among themselues He abhorreth discorde and malice betwéene brethren God is loue sayth Saint Iohn And he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him He that loueth not his brother abideth in death God hath made vs al members of one bodie There is no respect of persons with him no difference of learned and vnlearned wise or foolish rich or poore His wil is that wee al shoulde be as one of one minde and that we should al thinke one thing speake one thing that we should be one folde vnder one shepheard and with one month glorifie the father of our Lorde Jesus Christ. For this peace Christ prayed sanctifie them through thy trueth Blesse them take away al â—…itternesse and swelling from among them Make them Citizens of thy heauenly Hierusalem that they may liue in peace and loue one an other and delite one in other That they al may be one as thou ô father art one in me and I in thee God is the God and giuer of peace Whence then commeth diuision dissention of mindes What is the cause that the whole worlde is so shaken with sectes and troubles Al are not the children of peace Christ himselfe y e lambe of God in whose mouth there was no guile came into his owne and his owne receiued him not Cain is alwayes against Abel Esau wil neuer loue Iacob The darkenesse and the light can neuer agrée This is the cause of al vnquietnesse and trouble These thinges sayth Christ to his Disciples haue I spoken vnto you that in mee yee might haue peace in the worlde you shal haue affliction The wicked shal not onely hate but betraie and cause them to die which prosesse the name of Christ. Whosoeuer killeth you will thinke he doth God seruice And these thinges will they doe vnto you because yee haue not knowen the Father nor mee The setting foorth of the Gospel of Christ is that which the worlde can not abide It reuealeth things that were hidden it discloseth the couetousnesse of those who kept the people in ignoraunce to make gaine and marchaundise of their soules it ouerthroweth mightie buildinges and holdes of Merites of pardons of Masses of Purgatorie which by the policie and wisedome and power of this worlde were exalted against God This is the onelie cause of al this strife and trouble We haue néede of peace of the peace of conscience within our selues of peace from the rage and furie of the world and of peace and loue among those that are of Gods honsholde Let vs séeke peace at the handes of God and he wil stablish vs in the peace of his gospel and so giue vs the rest and peace of our soules Sanctifie you throughout The God of peace blesse you kéep you vnoer the shadow of his wings that your whole spirit and soule and bodie maie be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Here marke that the Apostle diuideth man into thrée partes The spirite the soule and the bodie So that hée séemeth to make the spirit one thing and the soule an other Howe is it then that we diuide man into two parts the soule and the bodie and saie that he doth stand but of two parts There is no difference the matter is al one For Paul diuideth the soule into two parts The first is reason and vnderstanding which he calleth the Spirit The other is will affection which he calleth the Soule For as God hath giuen vs reason to sée what is good so hath he giuen vs wil to séeke after that which is good Reason hath eies Wil is blinde and cannot sée the waie Therefore wil must be ledde and guided by Reason Reason must go before Wil must follow after Therfore Reason is compared to the husband and Wil to the wife If Wil take in hand to rule Reason it is no lesse disorder than if the wife will aduenture or take vppon her to rule her husband Therefore in this place Reason which is the principal part of our soule is called the Spirit and Will which is the other part is called the Soule So the spirit is not a seuerall substance but the soule and the spirit are one soule euen as the bodie and the fleshe are one bodie Thus therefore Paule praieth for the Church the God of peace sanctifie you throughout that your spirit your reason and vnderstanding your soule your will and affection your bodie and your flesh may altogither be pure and holie that they may be found innocent and vpright in the daie of the Lord. V. 24. Faithful is hee which calleth you which wil also doe it Hée hath begunne a good worke in you he will finish it He will leade you from vertue to vertue from strength to strength from glorie to glorie Hée hath called you hée wil also kéepe you faithful vntill the daie of the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ. You are Christs shéep No man shal take you out of his bands He hath not lost one of al them whome his father had giuen him He knoweth his shéepe None shalbe confounded that put their trust in him There is no condemnation to them that be in Christ Iesus He is faithfull he will performe this vnto you not for your merites but for his owne name and for his mercie sake Bicause he is faithfull he wil not despise the worke of his owne handes V. 25. Brethren praie for
his mother the mother may commaunde the childe must obey Againe they turne al that is spoken in y e whole booke of the Psalmes of the prophet Dauid either of God or of Christ and apply it to the Virgin Marie cal that Psalter Psalterium beatae Mariae the Psalter of blessed Marie Who wil take the paines to peruse it shal find that comfortable spéech of our sauiour Come vnto me al yeo that are wearie and laden and I wil ease you thus blasphernously abused in y e second psalme Venite ad eam omnes qui laboratis tribulati estis refrigerium solatium dabit animabus vestris Come vnto her al yee that trauell and be heauily loaden she wil giue rest comforte to your soules An other saith the kingdome of god is of two parts of iustice and of mercy He reseructh iustice to himselfe the other part that is mercy he hath yelded vnto his mother Therfore one of them plaieth the Proctour taketh vpon him to shew the differeÌ„ce of those two courtes saying A foro iustitiae dei appellandum est ad forum misericordiae matris eius You must appeale from the court of Gods iustice to the court of his mothers mercie And is there not good cause he should giue vs this counsell if it be true that he hath written Nulla gratia venit de coelo ad terram nisi transeat per manuâ—… Mariae Est enim meà iatrix saluationis iustificationis recoÌ„ciliationis communicationis No mercie commeth from heauen to the earth but it must passe by the handes of Marie For shee is the mediatour of our saluation of our iustification of our reconciliation and of our participation What is blasphemie if this be not blasphemie They which wil séeme somewhat to blush at these things wil perhappes excuse this and call it spirituall daliance Vnhappie are they and heauy iudgement shall abide theÌ„ that in such sort dallie and scorne the price of our redemption O let vs open our eies we are the sonnes of God God hath giuen vs eies to sée and eares to heare and hearts to vnderstand Let vs iudge vprightly It is gods cause Whosoeuer considereth these and such other great errors must néeds confesse that y e church of Rome hath wrought that departing whereof the Apostle speaketh In the late councell of Trident Cornelius the Bishop of Bitonto did something plainly acknowledge the great Apostasie and departing of the church of Rome both in matters of faith and in conuersation and life These be his words Vtinam à religione ad superstitionem c. Woulde God they were not gone wholie with generall consent from religion to superstition froÌ„ faith ro infidelitie from Christ to Antichrist froÌ„ God to Epicure saying with wicked heart and filthie mouth there is no God Neither hath there bene this great while anie pastor or Pope that regarded these things For they al both Pope and Cardinals and other sought their owne and not so much as one of them sought for the things that pertaine to Iesus Christ. Yet say they there can be no departing from faith in the Church of Rome the faith thereof cannot faile for Christ hath said I haue praied for thee that thy faith faile not And againe The gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Therefore in that place there can be no decay This is the saying of some who humble not themselues to knowe their errour who loue the praise of men more than the praise of God whose glorie is their shame which mind earthly things The Apostle saith there shall be a departing that it shal be not among the Jewes and Jnfidels but among those which were reckoned to be of the housholde of faith and the children of God What is it froÌ„ which they shal depart or wherein the decay shall be doth he meane their riches their gold and siluer bread c. No but the doctrine of the gospell and faith in Christ. The pure words which as siluer from the earth are tried and purified seauen times in the fire the wel of water which springeth vp into euerlasting life shal decay in the house of God The people shall shut their eares that they may not heare the truth and shall giue héede vnto spirites of errour and doctrines of diuels which speake lies through hipocrisie And let them not say the church of Rome can not erre For where did Christ euer giue or where haue the Apostles euer mâ—…de mention of any such priuiledge granted to that Church S. Peter saith There were false Prophets also among the people euen as there shall be false teachers among you which priuily shall bring in damnable heresies euen denying the Lord that hath bought them and bring vpon themselues swift damnation and many shall folow their damnable waies by whome the waie of truth shall be euil spoken of Paul warned the Church of God at Ephesus not onelie that after his departing gréeuous woolues should enter in among them but also that of themselues should men arise speaking peruerse things to draw Disciples after them When Christ said When the sonne of man shall come shall hee finde faith vpon the earth And when he told his Disciples that the abhomination of desolation shall stand in the holy place when he warned them in this sorte Then if anie shall saie vnto you Loe here is Christ or there beleeue it not For there shall arise false Christs false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible the verie elect should be deceiued It is most euident he spake of that departing which should come should appeare in the church of God which departing our forefathers did behold and marke in their times and which hath of late yeares appeared so manifestly that no man who is not wilfully blind can doubt thereof S. Paule knew not anie such state of the Church of Rome or anie especiall grant made vnto it in such forte that it should neuer erre for vnto the church of Rome he writeth Boast not thy selfe Be not high minded but feare For if God spared not the naturall braunches take heede least he also spare not thee Thorow vnbeliefe they are broken off thou standest by faith Behold therefore the bountifulnes and seueritie of God Towards them which haue fallen seueritie but towards thee bountifulnesse if thou continue in his bountifulnes or els thou shalt also be cut off That is if he spared not the Iewes his owne people how wil he spare thée that art but a stranger If thou continue not thou shalt be cut off It may be thou shalt also depart from the faith as the Iewes haue done then shalt thou be as a withered branch shalt not draw any moisture from the roote then wil God also forsake thée and thy end shal be worse than the beginning I trow in saying thus he said not Thou shalt not
erre If the Church of Rome cannot erre what néede haue they of that church either of the Scriptures or of the fathers or councels Perhaps through this pride they grew first to despise the holie Scriptures would not direct their waies by them They are high minded and boast themselues that they are as mount Sion which shal not be mooued Yet our Sauiour likeneth the Church sometimes to shéep as in the 15. of S. Mathew I am not sent but vnto the lost sheepe of Israel Sometimes to children which are simple and soone beguiled Sometimes to a Vine which is weake easily throwne down sometimes to the moone which waxeth and is also in wane and many times giueth no light The ancieÌ„t fathers compare the church of god to no one thing so vsually as to a shippe And who knoweth not how a ship is tossed hither thither how it is in daÌ„ger of sands of rocks and of pirats in danger of drowning by leaking If the shéepe were not a straying kind of cattel what should they néede a shéepheard If little children could guide themselues what néede had they of a guider If the vine did not hang down and lie on the ground what néede were there of proppes or of one to set it vp If there were no feare for the passage of a ship if it could not miscarie what should it néede a Pilote Let no man therefore saie the church is safe for euer it cannot erre it can not decay Such words are deceiuable and lying words For false Prophets shal come There shalbe a desolation there shal be a departing euen in the house of God and that daie of Christ shall not come except there come a departing first And that that man of sinne be disclosed euen the sonne of perdition V. 4 Which is an aduersarie and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God or that is worshipped so that hee doth sit in the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God This the Apostle speaketh of Antichrist Hée is the man of sinne and the sonne of perdition It will be somewhat hard to treat of this matter and to opeÌ„ the words of this scripture Whatsoeuer I shall speake it will be ill taken of manie and manie will doubt of the truth of my spéeches such affection they bear to him whom the Apostle disciphereth to be Antichrist Albeit whatsoeuer I will vtter in opening the Apostles wordes shall be such as the holie scriptures and learned writings of the holie fathers haue left vnto vs and the church of God hath prooued and at this daie doth prooue to be true God promised that Christ shoulde come into the worlde euen the Shiloh vnto whome al the people should be gathered and that he should be the hope of Israel and deliuer his people from their sins God made promise of him to Adam to Abraham Dauid c. The scriptures are ful and the prophets make ofteÌ„ mention of this promise Olde men and yong men and al the people waited for the fulfilling thereof said Send him whom thou wilt send And againe Yee heauens send the dewe from aboue and let the clouds drop down righteousnes let the earth open and let saluation and iustice grow forth And againe God wil come saue you Thus was euerie eie bent vpon him and euery heart waited for his comming But when the fulnesse of time was come God sent foorth his son made of a woman that we might receiue the adoption of the sonnes Hee was in the world and the world knew him not Hee came vnto his owne and his own receiued him not Light came into the worlde and men loued darknesse better than light They to whom the promise was made and which wished for him and made al their common talke of the hope of his comming when he came knewe him not they reuiled him and saide Beholde a glutton and drinker of wine a friend vnto publicans and sinners They called him Beelzebub and a false prophet and a seducer of the people Him they did take by the hands of the wicked they betraied him they denied the holie one and iust they hanged on a trée and killed the lord of life Such was the receiuing of Christ. This did they to him through ignorance It was not giuen them to knowe the secretes of the kingdome of heauen They haue not â—…nowen the father nor whom he hath sent Iesus Christ. Therefore saith he I confesse vnto thee father Lord of heauen and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and learned and hast reuealed them to babes euen so father bicause it so pleased thee Now as the comming of Christ was such is the comming of Antichrist God hath foretold of his comming Daniel hath foretold Christ and his Apostles Paule and Iohn haue foretolde it the Scriptures and oâ—…de Fathers make often mention hereof There is none neither olde nor young neither learned nor vnlearned but he hath hearde of Antichrist They hate his name and detest him before they know him But here you may marke the wonderful sleight and sutteltie of Satan The worlde shal looke after the comming of Antichrist He shal not faile but come Al men shal carie hatred against him and recken him abhominable and yet their eyes shal be blinded and their hearts deceiued so that they shal not knowe him They shal hate his name and embrace his doctrine he shal couer himselfe with a cloke of holinesse They shal thinke they doe good seruice vnto Christ but shal therein doe seruice vnto Antichrist The diuerse fantasies of men haue deuised manie sundrie fonde tales of the person of Antichrist Some say he should be a Iewe of the tribe of Dan. Some that he should bée borne in Babylon some that he should be bred vp in Bethsaida and Corazin some that he should rise vp in Syria some that Mahomet is Antichrist some that he should ouerthrowe Rome some that he should builde vp the Citie of Hierusalem some that Nero was Antichrist some that he should be borne of a Fryer and a Nonne some that he should continue but three yeares and a halfe some that he shoulde turne trées vpside downe with the toppes in the grounde and should force the rootes to growe vpwarde and then should flée vp into heauen and fal downe and breake his necke These tales haue béene craftily deuised to beguile our eyes that whilest we thinke vpon these gesses and so occupie our selues in beholding a shadowe or probable coniecture of Antichrist he which is Antichrist indéede may vnawares deceiue vs. Except that man of sinne bee disclosed The Apostle séemeth to teach vs of Antichrist as if he should be one man because he calleth him The man of sinne But wee may not so take him The maner of the scripture is oftentimes and in diuerse places it speaketh that of manie which séemeth to be-spoken but of one So doeth Daniel set foorth
called by the name of GOD. I will not tell you in mine owne wordes Vnlesse the Bishop himselfe so speake I will not tell you Marke then and witnesse of my indifferencie whilest I speake hereof that I followe not affection but deale vprightly Therefore I say againe vnlesse the Bishop himselfe suffer himselfe to be called by the name of GOD I will not so saie of him Then let vs sée what hée hath written of himselfe and what hée hath suffered others to write Pope Nicholas saith Constat summum pontificem à pio principe Constantino Deum appellari It is wel knowen that the Pope of the godlie Prince Constantine was called God And therefore Pope Pius in his Bull saieth Nemo audeat obedire No man dare obey hir or her will or commaundements or lawes vpon paine of our curse The Pope was well content to suffer Christopher Marcellus one of his Parasites in the Councel of Laterane to say vnto him Tu es alter deus in terris Thou arte an other God in earth The Pope is content in such sorte to haue a diuision of tenures made betwéene him and God as the Poet sometime flatteringly wrote Divinsuni imperium cum Iove Caesar habet The Emperour parteth his rule and holdeth halfe with Iupiter In the Extrauagants it is set down Dominus de us noster Papa Our Lord God the Pope Marke these words Our Lord God the Pope In them the Pope is called Lord and is called God Oh merciful Lord God which from thy heauens beholdest this vanitie how great is thy mercie in suffering this I deuise not this His owne bookes his owne doctors his owne decrées and decretals speake it and set it downe Credere dominum deum nostrum Papam non potuisse statuere prout statuit Hereticum censeretur To beleeue that our Lord God the Pope might not decree as hee decrecd it were a matter of Heresie It is so written there he hath heard it he hath séene it he knoweth it is so yet he suffereth it to goe abroad and thereby suffreth himselfe to be called God He hath burnt many Saints of God and holie men for no other cause but for the profession of the Gospell He hath in manie places burnt the holie Bible and such bookes as teach nothing but godlinesse Where did he euer burne what speake I of burning where may it appeare that euer he controlled any for so writing or called in such spéeches One of them séemeth to take shame of this shamelesse and blasphemous stile or title He séeketh friendly to temper and qualifie and take vp the matter Nec deus es nec homo quasi neuter es inter vtrumque Thou arte neither God nor man in a manner thou arte neither of both but rather a meane betweene both That is thou art not so high as God nor yet so base as man Whom then shal we imagine him to be Is he an Archangell or Angel or a spirite of the aire God giue him grace to sée his owne vanitie that hée maie knowe he is but a miserable and mortal man that hée maie knowe that a time shall come when his hipocrisie and dissimulation shall be disclosed GOD giue him grace to become godlie as becommeth the man of God That he maie indéed be the minister of Christ and a disposer of the secrets of God that hee may serue God in trueth in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of his life But you saie the Pope at this daie is not called GOD. Hée rather abaseth himselfe and writeth himselfe by a title of humilitie and is called so Servus servorum The seruant of seruants Be it so that he is so called and so written yet he is King of Kings and Lord of Lordes This seruant saieth I doe make holie the vnholie I doe iâ—…stifie the wicked I doe forgiue sinnes I open and no man shutteth This seruant can saie whosoeuer obeyeth not mée hée shall be rooted out This seruant maie dispence for anie commaundement of the olde and newe Testament This seruant hath Christs lieftenantship not onelie ouer things in heauen ouer things in earth and ouer things in hell but also ouer the Angelles both good and bad No man maie iudge this seruant For they saie Papa solutus est omni lege humana The Pope is exempted from all lawe of man And againe Nec totus clerus nec totus umndus potest Papam iudicare aut deponere Neither all the Cleargie nor all the whole world maie either iudge or depose the Pope Such a power this seruant of seruantes claimeth to himselfe What greater power maie be giuen vnto GOD What Angel what archangel euer had the like power And this power euen at this day Pope Pius chalengeth as proper to his seate That hée hath the authority which is due to Christ ouer his Church that no man may iudge him nor say he doth erre nor aske why he doth so He is inuested in the priuiledge of his Church and loseth no one iote of his dignitie It is yet good at this day which hath béene set downe Sacrilegij instar esset disputare de facto papae It is sinne as great as sacriledge or Church robbing to reason of anie the Popes doinges These be their owne wordes God knoweth before whom we stande this day they be their owne wordes and not mine Thus doth he sit in the temple of God shewing himselfe that hee is God And therefore may we say as sometime sayd Eusebius Hoc est argumentum eos odisse deum quod veâ—…nt seipsos appellari Deos. This is an euident token that they hate God because they wil haue themselues called by the name of God Or as Gregory who speaking of Antichrist saide Cùm sit damnatus homo nequaquà m spiritus Deum se esse mentitur Whereas he is a cursed man and not a spirite he faigneth himselfe by lying to be a God V. 5. Remember ye not that when I was yet with you I told ye these thinges Before I departed from you to goe farther to plant the Gospel in other churches I tolde you that Antichrist should come and that hee should oppresse and confounde the Church of Christ. Paule was chosen to be an Apostle The office of an Apostle was not to rest in any one certaine place but to passe from countrey to countrey from lande to lande and to fil al the world with knowledge of the Gospel and therein appeareth the difference betwéene an Apostle and a Bishop A Bishop had the charge of one certaine Church an Apostle had the charge ouer al the churches But Paule was not tyed to any one citie or Ilande or countrey He had authoritie to preach to al cities and countries to al landes and Ilandes from the east to the west So did Christ appoint his Apostles Goe ye into all the worlde and preach the Gospel vnto euerie creature They were not sent to Ierusalem
nor to Samaria nor to Ephesus nor to Rome only but into al the world The whole world was their dioces and their prouince So speaketh the Prophet Dauid of them Their sounde is gone foorth through the earth and their wordes into the endes of the worlde This was the commission which our Saniour gaue vnto Iohn and to Iames to Paule and to Peter and to the rest of the Apostles that they should goe into al the world Therefore if any of the Apostles should haue staide in one only place and haue gone no farther he had offended and done otherwise than Christ commaunded Here we sée howe foulie they are deceiued which say Peter was Bishop of Rome and did sitte there fiue and twentie yeares They that say so knowe not what they say It is an errour Christ made Peter an Apostle and not to sit as a Bishop at Rome He sayde vnto Peter Goe into al the worlde thou shalt be a witnesse vnto me vnto y e outmost coasts of the earth I sende thee vnto al the churches and not to one alone The like charge receiued Paul he trauailed froÌ„ Damascus to Arabia from Arabia to Ierusalem from IerusaleÌ„ to Illyricum from Illyricum to Rome so from countrey to countrey and from coast to coast to make a pleasaunt perfume of the Gospel of God in al the worlde that it might be vnto them a sauour of life vnto life Therefore sayeth he to the Thessalomans Ye remember that when I was with you I tolde you these thinges The spirite of GOD warned me to goe farther Other churches required my presence I was debter vnto theÌ„ as vnto you Yet before I left you I told you what daungers shoulde â—…nsue It was mine office I was bounde so to doe least you might be deceiued I told you Antichrist should come euen that man of sin the sonne of perdition which should destroy himselfe and others also I tolde you he should be an aduersarie of the Gospel of Christ that he should aduaunce himselfe ouer al the kings and powers of the world that he should sit as God in the holy place that the people should giue him place to sit in their harts and in their consciences This warning the Apostle gaue to the Thessalonians The like warning he gaue to other Churches where he taught the Gospel and the same is also spoken vnto vs. They knewe by his teaching that Antichrist should come We know by the markes which he hath giuen to know Antichrist that he is alreadie come and that the very same is come which the Apostle describeth that he is growen vnto his fulnesse and hath stalled himselfe in the place of God V. 6. And nowe yee knowe what withholdeth that hee might bee reueyled in his time Paule séemeth not in these wordes to say what letteth the comming of Antichrist but what shal stay the comming of Christ. For so be maketh entrie into his matter I beseeche you by the coÌ„ming of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye be not troubled as though the day of Christ were at hand Let no man deceiue you by any meanes For the day of Christ shal not come except there come a departing first and that Antichrist be disclosed Euen so here he sayth ye know what withholdeth Christ and why he coÌ„meth not Euen this that Antichrist might first be reueiled in his time His time is appointed The spring commeth not vntil the winter haue gone before the night goeth before and then the day commeth And so shal not the glorious maiestie of Christs comming appeare before the dreadful and daungerous dayes of Antichrist shal come There shal be no deliuerie vnlesse bondage goe before Antichrist shal bring the worlde into bondage he shal do violence to the saints of God he shal be as a continual storme and darkenesse in the church The godly shal looke vp to heauen and cal for ayde they shal crie vnto the Lorde and he wil heare them They shal say O come Lord Iesus thy kingdome come confounde thine enemies Then wil hee not staie he wil appeare and she we himselfe in glorie In the meane while this is the cause of his stay this letteth his comming Antichrist must first come This I take to be the Apostles meaning It agréeth with the beginning It is simple cleare and plaine and without danger of errour Antichrist shal appeare not when he wil but he shalbe reuealed in his time His time is the time of darkenesse when shepheardes and the guides of the people shal be carelesse when the word shal be loathed when the light shall be put out when superstition shal reigne when ignorance shal haue the vpper hand when the creature shal not be knowen from the creator when there shal be no feare of God no regard of godlinesse when the people shal not knowe neither wherefore they pray nor whom they worship nor in whom they beleeue then shal it appeare that Antichrist is come then he shal shewe himselfe this is his time V. 7. For the mysterie of iniquitie doeth alreadie worke onely he which nowe letteth shal let til he be taken out of the way The mysterie of iniquitie doeth alreadie worke Let vs not be deceiued Antichrist shal certainly come and shal drawe many into errour As it was with Christ at his coÌ„ming he was in the world he did the workes of his father yet fewe knewe him So shal it be with Antichrist hee shal be in the worlde he shal worke his iniquitie and fewe shal know him Paule liued more than fiftéene hundred yeares past Yet then he saide the mysterie of the iniquitie doth alreadie worke The diuel is not idle sayth he Antichrist euen nowe worketh when as the bloud of Christ was fresh when as yet the Apostles and many other witnesses of our redemption by Christ were liuing And S. Iohn sayth Euen now are there many Antichrists come alreadie So soone was his foundation cast his plot laide his way prepared and his work begun So long sithens did Paul sée some which delited in the workes of darkenesse which were the enemies of the crosse of Christ which serued their belly and not the Lord euen then did he sée y e gréeuous wolues not sparing the flocke should enter in among them Al these were the forerunners and the harbingers of Antichrist We may not thinke y e Antichrist shal come as a robber by the high wayes or like a murtherer or like a tyrant that burneth our houses or sacketh our cities or destroyeth our fieldes or pulleth downe al that is before him Wee may not looke that hee should say I am Antichrist I am that man of sinne I am the sonne of perdition I am the aduersarie and am contrarie to Christ. He shal not shew forth himselfe in such a sort he shal not so speake of himselfe He is suttle and cunning hee shal deceiue the learned and the wise he shal cast himself into a colour of holinesse he shal fast he shal
pray he shal giue almes and shewe mercie he shal walke as if he were a disciple of Christ he shal counterfeite an Angel of light He shal goe before and the worlde shal follow him So shal the mysterie of iniquitie worke His life his religion his doctrine shal be close hid and secret Antichrist worketh in mysterie Hierome sayth Ingemuit totus orbis Arianum se esse miratus est The whole worlde mourned and did maruaile that they were possessed with the errour of Arius that they denyed the diuinitie of Christ before they were ware This was a mysterie So shal the learned and wise be deceiued They shal honour Antichrist vnwares They shal say we defye him and detest him and yet shal fal downe and worship him This is a mysterie So secrete shal his dealing be it shal not bee knowen to many He shal walke in craftinesse and handle the worde of God deceitfully he shal mingle his lies with the truth of God he shal mingle his poyson with the wholesome foode of our soules so closely and suttlely that it shal hardly be espied he shal goe forwarde by little and little and so winne credite and conueigh him selfe into the heartes of the people This is a mysterie Christ sayeth A man sowed good feede in his fielde but while men slept there came his foe sowed tares amoÌ„g the wheate â—…nd went his waie They grew together and had both one like colour The housholder willed them to let both grow together til harnest come least with the tares they plucke vp the wheate also So shall be the comming of Antichrist He shal come whiles men sléepe in the night of blindnesse and of negligence and of ignorance and shall so we his tares with the Lords wheate They shal both grow vp together The day of the Lord shal reueale them and set ech part by it selfe This is a mysterie and as it is secret so is it long in working This mysterie began in the dâ—…ies of the Apostles and continueth on stil vnto our time It is stil in worke But who be they which follow his loare which yéeld themselues to him and which shal be dereiued are they poore men or artificers or labourers or are they vnlearned and ignorant men No no he shall deceiue Priests â—…ops Archbishops Princes Kings Emperours the grauest the best learned the wiâ—…est the mightiest men in the world He shall â—…nd their eies and amaze their hearts They shall runne to him out of al parts of the earth they shall fall downe before him they shall aske councell of him they shall saie thou art the Doctour of Doctours thou art the father of fathers thou arte the comforte of the Church thou art the light of the worlde thou arte most holie al lawe and al knowledge is hid in thy brest we beséech thy holinesse shew vs thy waie expounde thou the lawe vnto vs teach vs howe wée may be saued thou hast the key of knowledge thy word is the word of truth So shall they créepe to Antichrist so shall they poure out their soules before him so shall they séeke counsell at his mouth so shall they fetch light at the Prince of darknesse This mysterie saith S. Paul doth alreadie worke it shall increase and goe forward and growe to a perfection A thorne when it is yong is soft and gentle ye may thrust at it with your finger it wil not hurt you but after it waxeth and groweth hard stubborne it will pierce to the flesh and drawe bloud A Beare when he is yong is harmlesse and innocent yée may dandle it and dallie with it as with a whelp it hath not chambers to gripe no téeth to bite nor pawes to teare but after it wil growe and become fierce and cruel like the sire A serpent when it is yong is litle and pretie it hath no sting nor poison You maie take it in your hand and laie it in your lap it will not burt you After it will encrease in benime and grow in mischiefe and be like it selfe then it wil shake the sting and cast poison and prooue dangerous Such a thorne such a beare such a serpent is Antichrist At the first he shall séeme soft and gentle and pretie and innocent After hée shal growe fierce and arme himselfe with sting and poison But a thorne though it be soft is a thorne a beare though he be little is a beare a serpent though it be pretie is a serpent Euen so Antichrist though he séeme gentle milde and simple yet is he Antichrist He groweth by degrées he wil be like his sire his pawes wil be dreadfull his mouth wil be deadly Whosoeuer knowe the nature and working of an earthquake how it groweth and how it worketh know that at the first it is some litle winde gathered and kept in some hollowe places of the earth there it lieth closely sometimes for manie yeares without giuing foorth anie noise without stirring or shaking One may walke ouer it and perceiue nothing After it groweth strong and violent it séeketh a maie out it forceth it selfe it gathereth Srength and commeth abroade it wil staie no longer Out it breaketh and teareth the earth and renteth rockes ouerthroweth mountaines shaketh down townes and cities swalloweth by whole riuers it inflameth the aire raiseth thunder roareth vp into Heauen and astonieth the worlde Such is the working of an earthquake so great and mightie at the ende so little and simple at the first Such shall be the mysterie and comming of Antichrist At the beginning he shall be like a litle winde and shall enter into the hollownesse and darkenesse of the Church but after hée shal shake the whole world He shal shew forth himselfe at the first with countenance of deuotion and holinesse that he may closely and priuily and secretly wreath in himselfe Few shal be able to vnderstand the mysterie of his dealing After he shall be opened and appeare as he is Who would thinke there were anie euill in forcing of virginitie chastitie or single life He that is vnmarried careth for the things of the Lorde howe he maie please the Lord that he may be holie both in body and also in spirit Would God it were so with al that haue taken the profession of single life But the colour is faire Hence hath it growne that Bishops and Priests and yong men and maidens haue continued single This seeÌ„med strange and a myracle and a matter of great holinesse But this is a mysterie this is a waie to bring in Antichrist Marke what Saint Paul speaketh héereof They shal forbid to marrie Of whom speaketh he Of Antichrist and his Disciples They shall forbid lawfull marriage as vnholie and as a state of life vnfit for their holines Yet Christ Iesus the sonne of God did neuer forbid it His Apostles were married and had wiues This saith Saint Paul is a marke of Antichrist by this shall he be knowne Forbidding of marriage
is a doctrine of Diuelles not of Christ or of God but of diuels It is a gulfe it is a sea it is a world it is a hel of iniquitie and the vilest vilanie that euer crept into the Church of GOD. Hierome expounding the wordes of Daniel Hee shall haue no regarde to the desires of women saith Faciliâ—… interpretatio est de Antichristo quodideo simulâ—… castitatem vt plurimos decipiat The better exposition here of is to applie these words to Antichrist for that he shal pretend chastitie that he may deceiue manie This is the mysterie of iniquitie This is the practise of Antichrist Heshall come with a cloake of counterfaited chastitie not with true chastitie hath in bodie and also in spirite but with counterseit chastitie and so shall deceiue the hearts of manie Who would thinke there were any euil in single communisn Dâ—… why maie not euerie bodie folow his own deuotion and receiue the sacrament when he wil what harme is herein It may séeme to be done for the reuerence vnto the sacrament least it shoulde growe in contempt if it were vsed often These reasons are faire and fresh but this is a mysterie and a practise of Antichrist For by this meanes haue they shut out the faithfull people of God and made them negligent carlesse for the receiuing of the Lords supper they abused the Church of the liuing God they turned the remembrance of the death of Christ into a Maigame they made the people commit horrible and open idolatrie to worship the creature in stead of the Creator which is God blessed for euer Who would thinke there were anie euil in the keies of the Church They are the expounding of the law and the disclosing of the wil of God They are the chiefest comfort of our conscience But Antichrist shall take those keies vnto himselfe and shall build vppe his owne kingdome with them He shall shut that God hath opened and shal open that God hath shut This is also the mysterie of iniquitie Who would thinke there were any euil in godlie praiers of the Church Christ saieth Watch and praie for you knowe not in what houre your Maister wil come And againe Praie thou to thy father which is in secrete and thy father which seeth thee in secrete shall rewarde thee openly And againe Aske and ye shall receiue seeke and ye shall find knocke and it shall be opened vnto you Saint Paule saith Praie without ceasing The Prophet Dauid saith The Lord is nigh vnto al them that call vpon him to al that call vpon him faithfully For the Lord will heare the praiers of his Saints and deliuer them when they call vpon him These praiers shall Antichrist take to worke his iniquitie And vnder pretence of them shall deuour widowes houses and shal make a net of them to fish and drag for al the riches of the world This is also the mysterie of iniquitie Who would think there were so great euil in the doctrine of Purgatorie What if one thought that his father or friend died in some beniall sinne and were chastised somewhile in purgatorie â—…ire and that he might be reléeued by praiers For this iolie pretence and imagination haue they thereof What if one should so thinke what hurt were it Brethren this is the mysterie of al mysteries the secrete of al secrets In this standeth the countenance and al the welfare of Antichrist He hath impropried the whole kingdome of Purgatorie to himselfe and hath made it more gainefull than heauen and earth There he selleth praiers there he maketh port sale of buls and pardons there he selleth forgiuenesse of sinnes à culpa poena He selleth the mercies of GOD the bloud of the Martyres the workes of supererogation the merits of his fratries the bloud of Christ. There he selleth paradise deliuerance or assurance from hel and entrance into heauen he maketh marchandise of the soules of the people This is the alonelie mysterie aboue al other mysteries Who would thinke there were anie euill in the name of the Church It is the witnesse bearer vnto the gospel It is the pillar of truth It is the spouse of Christ. Yet saith Christ Antichrist shall come in my name He shall séems holie he shall talke of the gospel he shall carie the face of the church and deceiue many This is a mysterie Who would thinke it a matter of so great inconuenience for a man to call the Bishop of Rome the greatest Bishop or the chiefest Patriarke and the highest Iudge and to say that al appeales lie vnto him what hurt may this be It séemeth a small matter a matter of nothing But it is a practise it is a secret and a mysterie Hence flowed al the streames of vanitie and presumption wherein he aduaunceth himselfe Hence it is that he saith I am aboue Kings and Emperours I am aboue generall counsels I am aboue the whole Church of Christ. I am aboue the Angels of God I haue power to commaunde and to countermaunde them at my pleasure I am the succssour of Peter I am the vicar of Christ. No man may iudge me whatsoeuer I doe I can not erre General councels might erre the Apostles might erre the Angels of God might erre but I can not erre I haue the fulnesse of power The whole worlde is my dioresse Whosoeuer is saued is vnder me Who so euer is not vnder me is cursed of God I am the light of the worlde I can in a manner doe whatsoeuer God can doe Al these spéeches are writen are printed are published and proclaimed abroade This is a mysterie of iniquitie this is a déepe secrete These are the verie waies and steppes of Antichrist God giue vs eyes to see them and heartes that we may discerne them Paule did sée this mysterie working euen in that time hee liued Iohn sayeth Diotrephes loueth to haue the preeminence To lift vp himselfe aboue his brethren to be the head of the Church and to beare a maisterie So Paule espied contentions in Corinth Euerie one of you saith I am Paules and I am Apollos and I am Cephas and I am Christs These were the beginnings of Antichrist But Paule sayeth Wee preach not our selues but Christ Iesus the Lorde and our selues your seruantes for Iesus sake So the true Disciples of Christ recken not themselues any thing but the meÌ„bers one of an other but the ministers by whoÌ„ the people beléeue but witnesses chosen before of God but such as are commanded to preach but Gods labourers Nowe let vs consider these markes of Antichrist Was there euer any which hath forbidden laweful marriage and accounted it a state of life which is vncleane and not méete for his holinesse and deceiued the world with counterfaite chastitie the same is Antichrist For Hierome telleth vs Antichrist shal pretend chastitie that he may deceiue manie and Paule calleth forbidding of Marriage the doctrine of Diuels Was there euer any
which hath shut soorth the faithful from the holy Communion and hath made them carelesse for the receiuing thereof which hath defaced the sacrament abused the Church of God and caused the people to giue the honor of God vnto a creature this is the working of the mysterie of iniquitie he is Antichrist Was there euer any which tooke the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and wrought to himselfe therwith a principalitie or kingdome in earth was there euer any which hath shut them out from the kingdome of God to whom God hath opened it and hath set frée the consciences of those sinners whom God hath not loosed he is Antichrist Was there euer anie which beguiled the people which deuoured widowes houses vnder colour of long praiers and hath vsed them as a net to fishe for the treasures and riches of al the world he is Antichrist Was there euer anie which solde bulles and pardons and forgiuenesse of sinnes and the mercies of God and the merites of men and the bloud of the Martyres and the passion of Christ the sonne of God Was there euer anie that solde Paradise and Heauen madâ—… sale of the soules of the people and al for money the same is Antichrist Was there euer anie which came in the name of Christ with the shewe of holinesse with the countenaunce of the Church and hath shewed himselfe in all his life and doctrine contrarie to Christ hee is Antichrist Was there euer anie which hath saide I am aboue Kinges and Emperours and the states of the worlde I am aboue Councels I am aboue the whole Church of Christ and aboue the Angels of God No man may iudge me I can not erre Whosoeuer shal be saued must be vnder me If any shal not obey mée they are cursed before God God and I haue one iudgement seate we sit together I can do whatsoeuer God can doe He that thus saith is Antichrist The mysterie of iniquitie doeth worke alreadie saith the Apostle He shal not open himselfe What so euer hée doeth hee doth it in secrete So shal he auaunce himselfe so shal hee speake great thinges and blasphemies against the highest so shal he preuaile and prosper so shall hée darken the heauens and drawe the thirde part of the starres after him so shal he sit in the holy place euen in the seate of God and al this shal he worke vnder pretence of humilitie and shal cal himselfe the seruant of seruaunts Onely he which now withholdeth shal let til he be taken out of the way Nowe the Emperour holdeth the whole power and authoritie ouer the worlde but it shal be taken away from him and then shal Antichrist come when al stoppes and lets shal be remoued Who is he that doth stoppe him and let his comming The Emperour of Rome So saith Tertullian so Augustine Ambrose and Chrysostome Antichrist shal possesse a great part of the Romaine Empyre yet so long as the Emperour shal stande and prosper he wil not suffer any part of his empire to be abated So long as the Emperour shal be able to beare himselfe Antichrist shal neuer be able to growe But a time shal come when the Empire of Rome shal be rent asunder then the authoritie of the Emperour shall decay then Antichrist shal gather strength and shal place himselfe where the Emperour was A traitour can not vsurpe the crowne so long as the right king is able to stande and maintaine his state Antichrist is a traitour A traitour both to God and man When the Emperour shal fal and decay then he shal rise vp When the Emperour becommeth weake then he shal growe strong Therefore Paule saith Antichrist shal not come yet for the Emperour letteth him The Emperour shalbe remoued and then shal Antichrist come But before I procéede to say more of this diuision of the Empire That wee may come to the bottome of this matter so sée the meaâ—…ng of this prophecie euidentlie layde open before vs I wil shewe more plainly and particularly of Antichrist who he shal be It is a hard and doubtful thing as are al prophecies but marke wel that shal be spoken I will speake nothing without good warraunt and authoritie of the olde writers and fathers I wil tel you the conditions of Antichrist and where hée shal dwell that knowne it shall be no harde matter to knowe the rest Who shal he be then or of what condition that we may knowe him Some haue said he should be a Jewe of the tribe of Dan some that Nero the bloudy tyrant should rise again and hee should be Antichrist some that hee should be a mightie persecutour which should rage and range ouer the whole worlde rase towers and castles set on fire the Church and oratories and kill whom so euer he méeteth Hyppolitus saieth he shal be begotten by the Diuel and himselfe shal be a diuel These deuises were imagined and written many hundred yeares sithence as euerie bodie were best able to deuise But these are fables and haue no grounde To say the trueth Antichrist shal neither be a Jew nor Nero nor one begotten by the Diuel He shal be a Christian he shal be a Bishoppe and a holie father and a Bishop of great shewe and countenaunce in the worlde Marke he shal not be a King nor an Emperour nor a tyrant nor a temporal Prince but a Bishop But howe may this be knowne that wee may be certaine of it For you wil charge my sayings with partialitie as if what should bée spoken by mee might procéede of displeasure and malice Who then hath so spoken or written that we may beléeue him Heare Gregorie himselfe a Bishoppe of Rome what he recorded of this matter well nigh a thousande yeares agoe Rex superbiae prope est quod dici nefas est sacerdotum est praeparatus exercitus The king of pride that is Antichrist is euen at hande and an armie of priestes is prepared which is a wicked or horrible thing to be spoken Loe both the king which is Antichrist and his garde to waite vpon him a companie of priestes and clarkes of Monkes and Fryers to attend vpon him And vpon whom shal an armie of priestes attende but vpon a Bishoppe If you saye this is no plaine proofe but forced and wrested because he nameth not a Bishop but a king of pride heare him againe Fidenter dico quòd quisquis se vniuersalem sacerdotem vocat vel vocari de siderat in elatione sua Antichristum praecurrit I speake it boldlie whosoeuer either calleth himselfe the vniuersal priest or desireth so to be called as doeth the Pope in the pride of his hart he is the forerunner of Antichrist In this place he doeth not only tel vs Antichrist shal be a Bishoppe but also what maner of Bishoppe He shal be a Bishop that Bishop which shal claime vniuersal authoritie Such a Bishop as shal say It is of the necessitie of saluation that euerie
light They forsake the light and delight in darkenesse and this is their condemnation They wil not vnderstande nor séeke after God that they may be reformed The Prophet saith Because he loued cursing it shal come vnto him and because he loued not blessing so shal it be farre from him God will strike them with blindenesse They shal be asâ—…onied They shal fall into rebuke and the snares of the Diuell They shal be drowned in perdition and destruction So great shal be the power of errour Men shal not onely be deceiued but shal be deâ—…iued mightilie and stronglie They shal desire to be deceiued and shal beare a deadly hatred against him who so euer shal séeke to reforme them They shal harden their heartes against God and his holy worde they shal stop their eares and not hearken to his counsell they shal not open their eyes to beholde the destruction which is to come vpon them So great and so mightie shal be the delusion So deadly shal be the cloud and blindnesse of their hearts They shal bee giuen ouer into a reprâ—…bate minde They shal be filthie and increase in filthinesse Such shall be the power of Satan such shall be the power of errour and deceitfulnesse They shall despise the glorions Gospell of Christ therefore GOD shall forsake them and giue them ouer to followe Antichrist God hath this daie sent the light and comfort of his holie word into the worlde Manie godlie men haue desired to sée that we sée and to heare that we do heare Blessed be the name of the Lorde which hath in mercie visited vs. We beséeth him to blesse the worke that hée hath begunne Saint Paul saith The grace of God that bringeth saluation to al men hath appeared And to the Colossians he saieth The Gospel is come vnto you euen as it is vnto all the worlde And againe Haue they not heard no doubt their sounde went through all the earth and their wordes into the endes of the worlde The poore receiue the glad tidings of the gosped GOD hath visited and redéemed his people But yet the Apostle saieth They haue not al beleeued our Gospel For Esaâ—…as saieth Lord who shall beleeue our reporte And againe saieth the Prophet Esay I'haue spred out my handes al the daie vnto a rebellious people which walked in a waie that was not good Wisedome crieth in the stréetes 〈◊〉 I haue called and ye refused I haue stretched Prouâ—… out mine hande and none woulde regarde Such is the power of Satan so shall hée stoppe their eares that they shall not vnderstande what is spoken in the name of the Lord. Paul is a true Prophet and foretold long before that which we maie nowe beholde with our eies In the latter times some shall giue heede vnto spirites of errour They shall be as men without sense or féeling they shall forsake the truth and betake themselues to followe lies and fables Euen they shall doe this which shall sitte in the Church of God who shall professe and carrie the name of Christ. Christ ministred his last supper in both kindes Saint Paul telleth the Corinthians As often as yee shall eate this bread and drinke this cup yee shall shew the Lords death till hee come That this institution of Christ should be kept in the Church vntil the ende of the worlde The Apostles receiued this order the holie fathers and martires vsed it But nowe manie euen too too manie wil not so haue it nor so vse it They will not followe the example of the Fathers nor of Martires nor of the Apostles nor kéepe the ordinance of Christ so strong a delusion hath bewitched them The people of God were taught to praie in the vulgare tongue that their heartes might giue consent and their mouth saie Amen This order did Peter and Paul and Iohn and Iames and the godlie fathers kéepe There is not one of them that tooke order for the contrarie but nowe there are some risen vp which in spite of Christ and his Apostles saie praiers shall be made in a strange tongue either Latine or Gréeke The people shall not vnderstand what they heare They shall not knowe what it is which they themselues saie their hearts cannot giue consent thereto their mouths cannot saie Amen The example of the Apostles the commaundement of Christ the comforte of the people the confusion of the Church nothing mooueth them so great and mighty is the power of error The people worshippe a creature in stéede of the creator who is GOD ouer all blessed for euer They sée they doe amisse yet continue in it and finde no faulte They sée wherein their Fathers were deceiued yet they saâ—… they coulde not be deceiued They sée manie and fowle abuses yet séeke not to redresse them For they saie wée will walke in the waies of our forefathers wée will belieue as they beléeued howsoeuer they belieued Wée will doe as they did whatsoeuer they did they will not heare the worde of the Lord. Thus shall they delight in darkenesse and loath the light they wil be deceiued and will not sée the trueth So mightie and so terrible is the power of errour They be learned in Philosophie and in the tongues they be learned in the lawes they be learned in Phisicke learned in the Doctours and learned in stories They are skilfull to buie and sell to purchase land to enrich themselues and to prouide for their children They haue knowledge in al things else But themselues and the trueth of God and the way to saluation they haue not knowne A théese when he is taken blusheth A harlot is ashamed of her filthinesse and a drunkard of his beastlinesse But they that are such haue hardned their faces they cannot blush Whatsoeuer they haue saide or doone either openly or in secret by hipocrisie or crueltie by rauin or treacherie in offering pardons to sale in deceiuing the people of God in accusing the righteous and condemning the innocent they cannot repent they knowe no shame So great is the power of errour Christ saith vnto them The Publicanes and the harlots shall go before you into the kingdome of God They consider that they haue done amisse but you are wilfull in your blindenesse Oh the depth of the wisedome and knowledge of God Who is wise and considereth this They striue against the manifest truth they striue against their owne conscience they striue against the spirite of God This is that sinne which shall neuer be forgiuen neither in this worlde nor in the world to come Therefore saith Paul that al they might be damned which beleeued not the truth Al shal be damned which beléeued not Then let no man saie I will follow the example of my fathers I wil doe as the greater part doth So manie and so manie for so manie yeares in so manie places haue bin on this side The iudgement of God standeth not in the multitude but in the truth Whosoeuer
mightie Kinges and Princes and powers and states of the worlde as S. Iohn hath sayde And Gregorie hath sayde An armie of Priestes is prepared to waite vpon the king of pride And here by may you knowe him What armour shal they haue and with what weapon shal they fight Antichrist shall furnish his men with speare and sworde and fire He shal reioyce in killing in burning and in shedding of bloâ—…d Christ shal send his men into the field naked and armed with pacience They shal take vppe their crosse and followe him readie to suffer whatsoeuer shal be layde vppon them Their weapons shal be prayers and wéeping What shal be the pretense of this fight Antichrist shal come in his owne name to maintaine and exalt himselfe Christ shal come in his fathers name to mainetaine the glorie of his father What shal they séeke wherefore fight they what is it they shal desire to mainetaine Antichrist shall desire to mainetaine his owne traditions Christ shal maintaine the holy worde of God Christ shal procure the glory of his father Antichrist shal maintaine his owne glory In what place shal this battaile be vpon what downes or plaine or in what countrey Neither in hill nor in anie plaine but in the hearts of the people There shall the warre be There shall it be fought If it were possible the elect should be confounded His assault shall be so terrible that manie shall be offended in Christ manie shall denie Christ manie shall be ashamed of him and the loue of manie shall waxe colde But blessed is he which continueth to the end We haue heard briefly of Christ and Antichrist their estates their seuerall cognisance what bands of meÌ„ they shall haue what armor they shal beare by what title they shall claime what they shal séeke where the fight shal be that it shalbe made in the consciences of y e people There shall Antichrist sit there shall he be worshipped as God there they shall call him the holie and most holie father there shalbe giuen to him the power of heauen and earth there he himselfe shall rouze himselfe and be setled and shal say I sit as a Prince I shal neuer be remooued I cannot fall But Christ shal blow him down with the breath of his mouth and shal abolish him with the brightnesse of his comming Christ shall haue the vpper haÌ„d and destroy him Euen that Christ whome they made the reproch scorne of the people whom they reuiled calling him drunkard and companion vnto Publicans harlots which was so poore simple which was oppressed and afflicted and yet opened not his mouth which was brought as a shéep to y e slaughter was killed S. Iohn had a reuelation and did sée Iesus Christ the sonne of God And Hee had in his right hand seauen starres and out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword It was sharpe and mightie it entreth thorow euen to the diuiding asunder of the soule and the spirite and of the ioints and the marow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart So we sée the breath of the mouth of Christ is a sword This sword shal ouerthrow Antichrist RemeÌ„ber how Dagon sell on his face vpon the ground before the Arke of the Lord how hée could not stand how at that presence the head and the two palmes of his hands were cut off vpon the threshold with a fall So shall Antichrist fall at the presence of Christ. His armes and his head shal be broken off and he shal not stand Remember that Aaron cast forth his rod before Pharao and his seruaÌ„ts and it was turned into a serpent so did the charmers of Aegypt They cast down euerie man his rod and they were also turned into serpents But Aarons rod deuoured their rods consumed them to nothing Euen so shall the truth of Christ consume and bring to nothing the falshood of Antichrist Al his glorie shall be scattered as the chaffe which the wind driueth awaie as a thinne some is scattered away with a storme and as the smoke which is dispersed with the wind and as the darknes which can not abide in the sight of the sunne it shal be consumed it shal be defaced it shall not stand At the name of Iesus euerie knée shall how euery tongue shall confesse that Iesus Christ is mightie to the glorie of God the father that he is worthy to receiue glorie and honor and power But who may better disclose this mysterie and the fall of Antichrist than Iohn the Euangelist which leaned on Iesus bosome whome Iesus loued and which was indued with wisdome from aboue Let vs heare him I saw saith he an Angel slie in the midst of heauen hauing an euerlasting gospell to preach vnto them that dwell on the earth and to euery nation and kinred and tongue and people saying with a loud voice Feare God giue glorie to him for the houre of his iudgement is come worship him that made heauen earth and the sea the fountains of waters And there folowed another Angell saying It is fallen it is fallen Babilon y e great city for she made al nations to drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication And the third Angel folowing theÌ„ said with a loud voice If any man worship the beast and his image and receiue his marke in his forehead or on his hand the same shall drinke the wine of the wrath of God and shall be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holie Angels and before the holie Lamb they shall haue no rest daie nor night Againe the seauenth Angel poured out his viall into the aire and there came a loud voice out of the Temple of heauen from the throne saying It is done That is it is concluded iudgement is giuen it shall stande for euer And there were voices and thunderings and lightnings and there was a great earthquake and the great citie was rent into thrée partes and great Babylon came in remembrance before God to giue vnto her the cup of the wine of the fiercenesse of his wrath Then one of the Angels talked with me saying Come I wil shewe thée the damnation of the great whore that sitteth vppon manie waters with whom haue committed fornication the Kings of the earth the inhabitants of the earth are drunken with the wine of her fornication And in the same Chapter he saith These haue al one mind shal giue their power and authoritie to the beast that is to Antichrist Thus the kings al princes as squiers to his bodie shall fight against the lamb But the lamb shal ouercome them for he is lord of lords and king of kings I saw an other Angel comming down from heauen hauing great power so that the earth was lightned with his glorie and he cried out mightily with a loud voice saying It is fallen it is fallen Babylon
Church of God ordained excommunication that he which hath doâ—…e wickedly may bee ashamed that others who are guiltlesse may be afraid and that the heauie displeasure of God may be auoyded We warne you saith he in the name of our Lorde You know me and my name and that I am an Apostle of Christ. But the commandement which I giue you is in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ. I warne you by the glorious day of his comming that you withdrawe your selues from euerie one that liueth inordinately Receiue him not to your companie bid him not God spéede that you be not partakers of his euil that he may knowe his filthiuesse and be ashamed Yet let vs praie for such that they may bee sorie that they may knowe whome they haue offended and turne againe vnto the Lorde For God would not the death of a sinner but that he repent of his wickednesse and liue The mercie of God is abouâ—… al his workes V. 7. For ye your selues know how ye ought to followe vs for wee behaued not our felues inordinately among you 8. Neither tooke we bread of any man for nought but we wrought with labour and traâ—…aile night and day because wee would not be chargeable to any of you 9 Not bicause we haue not auctoritie but that we might make our selues an example vnto you to follow vs. 10 For euen when wee were with you this wee warned you of that if there were anie which would not worke that hee shoulde not eate 11 For wee heare that there are some which walke among you inordinately and worke not at al but are busie bodies 12 Therefore them that are such we warne and exhort by our Lord Iesus Christ that they worke with quietnesse and eate their owne bread 13 And ye brethren be not wearie in wel doing Here Paul maketh his spéech against those who vnder the pretence of the Gospell liued idlely and would not labour Take an crample of me I liued not idlely I earned my bread I was not chargeable to anie Do you as you haue vs for an example So ought the seruants of God to liue that their wel doing maie be a patterne for the people to followe Saint Paul telleth Timothie A Bishop must be vnreproueable He saith not without sinne for no man is without sinne but without rebuke And againe Let no man despise thy youth but be vnto them that beleeue an example in word in conuersation in loue in spirit in faith and in purenesse And vnto Titus the Bishop of Candia he saith In al things shewe thy self an example of good works with vncorrupt doctrine with grauitie integritie with the wholesome word which cannot be condemned that he which withstandeth maie be ashamed hauing nothing concerning you to speake euill of So in this place to the Thessalonians he saith you behold my conuersation howe I haue liued among you Be ye folowers of me let me be the patterne for you to follow Such shoulde be the spéech of al those who are Bishops ministers in the church of God They must walk so vprightly that they may be vnto al others the patterns of good life of liberalitie of mercie and of loue They must carie the arke of the Lord that the people maie followe them We behaued not our selues inordinately c. Whereas I was an Apostle of Christ the first fruits of the gospel a chosen vessel called from aboue and set apart from mine owne owne to be the embassadour of God into the worlde and had so much to do Yet I vsed my hands and pained my bodie to get my bread I liued like one of Adams children in trauell of my bodie and sought my bread in the sweate of my browes Not that I might not lawfully haue liued vpon you and haue required my maintenance at your hands It was lawfull for me to haue done so for the workman is worthy of his hire God hath appointed that he which teacheth the Gospel shall liue by the Gospel This matter S. Paule reasoneth with the Corinthians Haue wee not power to eate and drinke or haue we not power to leade about a wife a sister as wel as the rest of the Apostles and as the brethren of the Lorde and Cephas Who goeth a warfare at anie time at his owne cost Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruite thereof or who feedeth a flocke and eateth not of the milke of the flocke I might eate and drincke at your charge and require charges of you for me and mine I am the souldior of God Christ is my captaine I haue planted the vine of the Lord of hosts among you I haue fed you you are the shéepe of the house of Israel The hire due to the souldiour the fruit wherof he should eate which kéepeth the vine and the milke which Christs shéepe yéeld to their féeder is nothing else but your charitable beneuolence towards the seruants of Christ. Againe It is written in the law of Moses Thou shalt not muzle the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne He tranaileth for thée that thou maiest liue Suffer him to licke a little for his paines We are the Lordes oxen we thresh foorth his corne If we haue sowne vnto you spirituall things is it a great thing if wee reape your carnall things We are Gods husbandmen we trauaile and take paines we plough we sowe we harrowe wée are abroade in wind and weather in storme in haile in lightning and thunder No man knoweth the care the poore husbandman taketh Winter nor Sommer our worke is neuer at an ende Now if we by our labour minister to you the breade which commeth from heauen is it much that you giue vs the bread of the earth Do you not know that they which waite at the altare are partatakers with the altare It hath so séemed good vnto GOD it is his appointment he hath established it by his lawe and it is most agréeable to the lawe of reason and nature Yet this is also to be weighed in the consideration hereof that whosoeuer asketh the paie of a souldiour must buckle his armour and goe a warrefare He that drinketh the wine must plant the grape he that requireth milke must féede the flocke he that wil not be mureled must thresh the corne he that reapeth carnall things must sowe spirituall things he that requireth the bread of the earth must minister to his hearers the bread of heauen he that wil liue of the sacrifice or of the altar or of the Gospell must offer the sacrifice wait vpon the altar and teach the gospel He that teacheth not the gospell nor careth for the teaching he that serueth not the altar nor careth for the seruing hée that goeth not on warrefare that planteth not that féedeth not that thresheth not that plougheth not that frauaileth not that taketh no paines that abideth not lightning thunder wind weather storme and haâ—…le he that careth not to doe these things
shal bee shewed vnto you V. 14. If any man obey not this our saying note him by a letter and haue no companie with him that he may be ashamed 15. Yet count him not as an enemie but admonish him as a brother You haue béene taught not only what you shal beléeue but also how ye ought to liue bée ye doers of the word and not hearers only If any despise and wil not follow our doctrin forsake him and let him haue no fellowship with you that so he may be ashamed and repent turne againe to the obedience of Christ. But lay apart al bitternes and anger wrath Reproue him but hate him not Kil the sin that is in him by al the meanes you can for it is the worke of the Diuel but recouer againe the man that did offend restore him if it be possible by exhortation and by your prayers made for him for he is the creature of God Here I haue good occasion to speake of excommunication a principal part of the discipline of the Church a matter which manie know not which some do souly abuse ouer lightly giue forth which many regard not as they ought It cutteth vs off from the bodic of Christ and remoueth vs from the felowship of the Gospel Let no man despise it It is y e sword of God the power of the holy Ghost the discipline of Christ it is an ordinaunce which the Church hath receiued from aboue By it the Goates are diuided from the Lambes the wéede from the good corne and the sonnes of GOD from the sonnes of Belial It hath continued from the beginning and hath béene vsed in the Church of Christ in the sinagogue of the Iewes in the lawe of Moses and before Moses receyued the lawe among the Patriarches and the Prophets and the Apostles of Christ. Christ sayeth If thy brother trespasse against thee in doing any wickednesse Goe and tel him his fault betweene thee him alone if he heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother But if hee heare thee not take yet with thee one or two and if he wil not vouchsafe to heaâ—…e them tel it vnto the Church publish it and make it knowen And if he refuse to heare the Church also if he continue wilful and stande in his wickednesse Let him be vnto thee as a heathen man and a publicane This forme of excommunication our sauiour hath set downe whereby the wicked and vngodly are remoued from the Church of Christ. So Saint Paule speaketh of him that liued in filthynesse with his fathers wife That they giue him no comfort in wickednesse but take away the euil from among them Let such a one sayeth he Bee deliuered vnto Sathan for the destruction of the fleshe that the spirite may bee saued in the day of the Lorde Iesus Companie not together with fornicatours If anie that is called a brother be a fornicatour or couetous or an idolater or a rayler or a drunkarde or an extortioner with such one eate not Let him be put away from the companie of the faithfull So did Saint Paule excommunicate Himenaeus and Alexander and deliuered them to Satan that they might learne not to blaspheme In the lawe of Moses God commaunded the children of Israel to put out of the host euerie leaper that they should neither eate nor drinke nor walke abroad nor come to church nor offer sacrifice nor make their prayers with the people Such one whithersoeuer he went hid his face rent his clothes gaue warning to auoide his companie and to flie from him because he was foule and filthy His hands were filthy made the water vncleane his breath was corrupt and infected the ayre So miserable was his case This was a kinde of excommunication in such sort were the filthie diuided from the cleane God also sette downe this ordinaunce to Abraham that euerie vncircumcised man childe should be cut off from his people because he hath broken the couenaunt This ordinaunce of excommunication God hath appointed against Idolaters against fornicatours and craftie deceiuers and other such like offenders in the seauen and twentith of Deuteronomie Cursed bee the man that shal make anie carued or molten Image an abhomination vnto the Lorde the worke of the handes of the craftesman and putteth it in a secret place And al the people shal aunswere and say Amen Cursed be he that maketh the blinde goe out of the way and al the people shal aunswere and say Amen This is excommunication This is the vse of the keyes This is that of which Christ spake He that heareth you heareth mee and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent mee And Whosoeuers sinnes ye remit they are remitted and whosoeuers sinnes yee retaine they are retained Whatsoeuer yee binde on earth shall be bounde in heauen and whatsoener ye loose on earth shalbe loosed in heauen That which you say shal be confirmed it shal continue and stande for euer If anie therefore be excommunicate from the Church and remoued from the fellowship of the Gospel and from the hope of the life to come let him humble himselfe and pray vnto God that he wil open his eyes and that hée may see in what case he standeth Let him lay foorth his heart in the sight of God and consider his fault and behold his miserie thinke thus with himself I was sometimes the child of God and a member of his bodie I was a â—…raunch of the vine which God hath planted and a shéepe of his pasture But now alas I am diuided from the pastures of life I am fruitelesse and withered and cut off from that blessed vine I receiue no moysture from that heauenly roote I am no more a member of the bodie of Christ. I am out of Paradise and haue no ioy or pleasure I am out of the temple and cannot offer any sacrifice I am fallen from that heauenly Hierusalem from the Citie of God from the fellowship of the Saints and can not knéele downe nor lift vp my handes nor make my prayers God wil not heare me I am none of his I am as a heathen a publicane I can not thinke of those things which are on high aboue But why art thou cut off from thy brethren and banished out of the florke of Christ because of thine vngodlynesse and loosenesse of life Because thou hast offended heauen earth and hast offended against the Church of God And liued in fornication and adulterie and both thy body and thy minde are defiled thou art vnworthie to dwel in the house of God his house is holy By what authoritie is this doone thou must not thinke that the Judge or the Officer doth it It is not the iudgement of any mortal man It is the iudgement of the almighty and euerlasting God It is his hand that bringeth this to passe against thée It is his worde it is his key His
called you I coulde speake such thinges wherewith you woulde be better pleased but your case is such it requireth rather frâ—… and planie and â—…arpe reprehension whereby you may be brought to consider and amend your errours than faire and smoothed spéech which might hould you stil in your follie Séeke therefore the kingdome of GOD and the glorie thereof and seeke not your selues Weigh trueth and falsâ—…de in an indifferent ballaunce so shâ—…l the heauier weight of the one soone bewray the lightnesse of the other What thing in the worlde so Massie and so weightie as is the trueth Harden not your heartes as did your Fathers in the Wildernesse It is no sinne to yéelde vnto GOD it is no shame to lay a part al affection and to chaunge your minde to the denial of al vngodlinesse and imbracing of true holinesse The wise man sayth There is a shame that bringeth sinne and a shame that bringeth worshippe and fauour In this sort it is likely the Apostle would haue spoken if néede had so required But nowe seeing them forcibly assaulted and that yet they striued with such good courage against the perswasions of the wicked he commendeth their stedfastnesse and exhorteth them by these wordes not to yéelde vnto their persecutours nor to goe from their faith in Christ Iesus Neither by spirite that is by reuelation of the spirite The spirite of God wrought mightily and bestowed sundrie and great giftes vppon men Christ sayde to his Disciples When they deliuer you vp take yee no thought howe or what ye shal speake for it shal bee giuen you in that same houre what yee shall speake For it is not ye that speake but the spirite of your father which speaketh in you And againe saith he I wil pray the father and he shal giue you an other comforter that hee may bide with you for euer The spirite of trueth whome the worlde can not receiue because the worlde feeth him not neither knoweth him but yee knowe him for he dwelleth with you and shal bee in you The holie Ghost shal be with you to assist you to teach you al thinges to direct your counsels to leade you into al trueth and to preserue you from al errour Nowe as the spirite of God was among the faithful and distributed to euerie man seueral giftes as it séemed best to profit withal so did the spirite of Satan waite vpon the wicked and possessed their hearts and bodies and caused them to imagine and to doe those thinges which were vnséemely He vsed them as instrumentes to disquiet the Church of God and to cast into it the séede of error of vntrueth and dissention Of such spirites Saint Iohn giueth warning saying beleeue not euerie spirite but trie the spirites whether they are of God for many false Prophets are gone into the worlde At what time Achab would not beléeue the aunswere which the Prophet Micheas made him there came foorth a spirite and stoode before the Lorde and sayde I wil go out and be a false spirite in the mouth of al his prophetes This spirite euer walketh vp and downe séeking whome hee may deuour and blindeth the mindes of many that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ may not shine vnto them Take héere that you be not deceiued by any such which shal séeke to abuse you by pretence of reuelation Though they shal take vpon them to tel you of the day or houre of the comming of our Lord beloeue them not for the false spirite is in the mouth of such prophetes Nor by worde or if anie shal report and goe about to perswade you that I haue so spoken or taught in the congregations or will boldely countenaunce out suche matter and tell you saring I was present I hearde his wordes and remember them this was the doctrine which Paule preached refuse him that is such a one for hee bringeth not the trueth vnto you but deceiueth you with lying and vaine fables Nor by letter as it were from vs. Againe it may bee they which lie in waite to destroye you for their better way wil counterfaite letters and sende them vnto you in my name This is a token in them that they bée past shame bee not you carried away by anie such pretence from that which wee haue preached vnto you Wée haue not taught you that the day of Christ is at hande Oh then be not so soone remooued away vnto an other Gospel by them which trouble you and intende to peruert the Gospel of Christ. Manie such sâ—…eightes and false deuises haue béene vsed by deceiuing spirites to blind the eyes of the simple There haue béene some which haue â—…etie abroade their owne fantasies vnder the names of Adam the first man that GOD created vppon the face of the earth and of Cain and Seth. Others haue called their owne dreames the Gospel of Thomas and of Bartholemewe and of Barnabee and of the Apostles of Christ. Saint August sayth of the Manichees Manichaeilegunt seripturas Apocryphas nescto à quibus sutoribus fabularum sub nomiâ—…e Apostolorum Scripâ—…as The Manichees â—…ead secret hidden Scriptures written I know not by what coblers of fables vnder the name of the Apostles Such writings were neuer written by them whose name they brare but were wickedly and falsely counterfaited vnder their names by sundrie heretiques This is that whereof our sauiour gaue vs warning Take heede that no man deceiue you for many shal come in my name saying I am Christ and shal deceiue many Againe he sayeth If any shal say vnto you lâ—…e here is Christ or there belecue it not for there shal arise false Christes and false Prophetes Into what shape can not he transforme himselfe in whose name wil not hée crastilie sette foorth his errours which dareth falfelie sette him selfe in the place of the â—…onne of GOD This hath euermore béene the practise of that olde Serpent to chaunge himselfe into the likenesse of an Angel of light and vnder the credite of holie men to deceiue the worlde with vnholy and vnwholesome thinges Since the time that the Church of God hath departed from hir first faith and would no longer be guided by the voyce of the Gospel what and howe great forgeries haue there béene wrought What Epistles and Canons and decretals haue béene deuised to maintaine seueral partes of false religion and published vnder the name of Clemens Cletus Anacletus and of others whereof these holie fathers neuer thought Thus haue they cioked themselues vnder the couert of the Apostles of the fathers of the primitiue church and haue thought to winne credite in the worlde by false shewe of antiquitie It is certaine that the sonne of man shal come with his holie Angels and shal rewarde euerie man according to that he hath doone in this life Then will he giue sentence against the wicked and wil place the faithful at his right hande In that day the heauens shal passe
away with a great noyse and the elementes shal melt with feruent heate the earth also and the workes that are therein shal be vtterly burned In that day we which liue and remaine shal be caught vp together with them that are dead in Christ in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the aire But of that daie and houre knoweth no man no not the Angelles of heauen but my father onelie saith our sauiour Christ. Now it remaineth that we sée by occasion of this practise of the false Prophets or false Apostles of whome Saint Paul héere warneth the Thessalonians howe the wicked abuse the holie Scriptures and vnderstand them contrarie to their meaning Saint Peter saide The daie of the Lord will come as a theefe in the night euen as Paule had written vnto this people as also it is spoken in the wordes of Christ They â—…all see the sonne of man come in the cloudes with power and great glorie The false Apostles vse the same wordes and wrest them to euill purpose and take vppon them to iudge of the end of the worlde and at what time the comming of Christ should be Christ saide Destroie this temple and in three daies I will raise it vp againe There arose certaine that did beare false witnesse against him saying we heard him saie hée would destroy this temple made with hands Then remembred that Temple was fortie and fire yeares a building and thought it impossible that he could reare it in three daies They tooke his wordes otherwise than bée meant They thought of the materiall temple of stone in Hierusalem and he spake of the temple of his bodie Againe Christ saith Thou arte Peter and vppon this rocke will I builde my Church These are the wordes of Christ spoken vnto Peter after he had witnessed of him that hée is Christ the sonne of the liuing God Héereof they say Peter is the rocke and the Bishop of Rome is Peters successor he is the rocke vpon which the church is builded and shall stand stedfast for euer But they vnderstand the wordes contrarie to the meaning For alas who would conceiue that God would build his Church vpon a man or vpon any creature Christ only is that rock whereupon his church is setled Other foundation can no man lay thaÌ„ that is laide which is Iesus Christ. Therefore Chrysostome expoundeth those wordes Super hanc Petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam id est super fidem atque confessionem I will builde my Church vpon this rocke that is vpon this faith and confession Likewise Saint Augustine Super hanc petram quam consessus es c. Vpon this rocke which thou hast confessed vppon this rocke which thou hast knowen saying thou arte Christ the sonne of the liuing God will I build my Church That is I will build my Church vpon my selfe which am the sonne of the liuing God I will not build my selfe vppon thee but I wil thee vpon me Christ saith Except a man be borne againe hee can not see the kingdome of God These words are most true For by our owne nature we be the vessels of Gods wrath and the children of danmation Vnlesse we be regenerate and borne a new of water and of the holie ghost we cannot be saued Yet Nicodemus a wise man a Pharisée and a ruler of the Iewes mistooke this speech it séemed strange vnto him how a man might be borne when he is olde Can he enter saith he the second time into his mothers wombe and be borne how can these things be Iesus aunswered and said vnto him arte thou a maister of Israel and knowest not these things This newe birth must be from aboue euen by the working of the holie ghost Againe Christ saieth Excepte yee â—…ate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud you haue no life in you The Iewes heard him but mistooke his words They did not vnderstand his meaning Therefore they said This is an hard saying who can abide the hearing of it They reasoned among theÌ„selues how it might be that either he could giue theÌ„ his flesh to eate or that thâ—…y could take his â—…esh and eate it or take his bloud to drinke it but when Iesus knewe that his Disciples murmured at it hee saide vnto them Doth this offend you It is the spirite that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing Hereof Augustine saith Acceperunt illud suulté c. They tooke the saying of Christ foolishly they thought of it carnally and imagined that the Lord would cut off fmall peeces from his bodie and giue it to them Therefore they saide This saying is hard They were hard and not the saying For if they had beene meeke and not hard they would haue said to themselues this is not spoken without some cause there is some mysterie hidden vnder his wordes And againe hée saith Spiritualiter intelligite quae loquutus sum Non hoc corpus c. Vnderstand those things spiritually which I haue spoken vnto You shall not eate with the mouth of your bodie this bodie that you see nor shall you drinke that bloud which they shall shed that shall crucifie me I haue commended vnto you some sacrament vnderstand it spiritually and it shal quicken you Thus we sée the true meaning of Christs words and after what grosse manner the Capernaites vnderstood them Let vs beware wée fall not into like errour Christ spake truely of his bodie when hée called it a Temple The Iewes destroyed it and in thrée daies he did raise it vp againe Mistake not his wordes be not deceiued It is true that he said Vpon this rocke will I build my Church Mistake him not Christ himselfe is the rocke and not Peter It is true that a man must be borne a new or else he cannot be saued Mistake not this hereby is meant not a bodily birth but a renuing of the soule of man It is truely said that Christs flesh is that bread that came froÌ„ heauen and giueth life to the worlde but mistake it not for this bread filleth not the bodie but the minde it requireth the hunger of the inner man Euen so is it true that the Apostle saith of the daie of the Lorde Take héede you mistake him not and fall into the errour of the false Apostles which take vpon the to appoint the time and houre when the son of man shall come vnto iudgement V. 3. Let no man deceiue you by anie meanes for that daie shall not come except there come a departing first and that that man of sinne be disclosed euen the sonne of perdition The Church of God hath euer béene vnder persecution and afflictions as may appeare by the stories of al ages but GOD hath not failed to comfort them and worke their deliuerance Israel was in great bondage vnder Pharao They were put to great stauerie to â—…hoppe strawe and to bake bricke c. Their male children were slaine before