father Origen calleth all them brethren of the Phariseis which séeke to entrap men And Aretius a learned man sayth Diabolicum est quaerere quod carpas quod damnes It is deuilishe to séeke to taunt to carpe to condemne Some folowed him to sée as vaine curious persōs do now a dayes which come to Sermons to see and not to learne Domine volumus a te signū videre Maister we would sée a signe of thee but he aunswered and sayd vnto them this euill and adulterous generation séeketh a signe but there shall no signe be geuen to it saue the signe of the Prophet Ionas Some preasse to heare inuectiues Some to be more ready to contēd and a few alas to few for the loue of Gods holy worde as this company And yet not vnlike but that some of them afterward cried Tolle eū crucifige eū away with him crucifie him Such is the inconstācie of the vnconstant multitude To this tendeth the parable of the séede some fell by the hygh wayes side some vpō stony places some among thornes some fell into good groūd brought forth frute some an hūdred fold some sixtie and some thyrtie folde Thus much for that point By the word of God I vnderstād here the word of the Gospell that is that Iesus is the true Messias the sonne of the woman of whom it is sayd Conteret caput Serpentis he shall breake the Serpentes head and valiantly vanquish the power and puissance of Sathan That sonne of Abraham in whom all the nations of the earth shal be blessed The sonne of Dauid which in the house of Iacob shall raigne for euer That sonne to whom it is sayd aske of me I will giue thée the Heathen for thine inheritaunce sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemyes thy foote stole To be short that ladder of Iacob which reacheth to heauen Christ taught sometyme the law sometyme the Gospell Albeit the Sermon of Christ in the v. vj. vij Math. is a true interpretation of the law yet notwithstāding the law is not the thyng for preachyng whereof Christ was sent in to this world For as we read in Esay 61. 1. vers The spirit of the Lord is vpon me for the Lord hath annoynted me and sent me to preach good tidynges vnto the poore Christ came not as a law maker or a law teacher as Moyses came before Hereunto is added that the word of the law doth slea or kill as S. Paule teacheth but the word of Christ giueth life as he testifieth him selfe veryly veryly I say vnto you if a man kéepe my saying hee shall neuer sée death The law is a knowledge knowen by nature as the Apostle witnesseth The Gospel is not knowē by nature but published frō the secret determination of the Godhead by our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ Lex per Mosen data est gratia veritas per Iesum Christū facta est The law was geuen by Moyses but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ And our Sauiour saith to his disciples To you it is geuen to know the secretes of the kingdome of god c. And also to Peter he sayth flesh bloud hath not opened that vnto thée but my father which is in heauē Read. 1. Cor. 2. 1. Cor. 4. 2 Cor. 5. Collos 4. 1. Tim. 3. Rom. 16. The law sheweth sinne The Gospell sheweth Christ the Sauiour of the world teachyng that sinnes are forgeuē to all that beleue in him that they are reconciled to god These thynges do the wisemen Prophetes Scribes specially teach which are sent from the sonne of God. The law requireth onely obedience and condēneth the guilty The Gospell giueth remission of sinnes freely in the name of Christ to the penitent relieueth and comforteth the troubled consciences with his sweete promises The promises of the law are conditionall ye shal kéepe my ordinaunces and my iudgementes which if a man do he shall liue in them the promises of the Gospell are certaine and free Come to the waters all ye that be thirsty and ye that haue no money come buy wyne and milke without any money or moneys worthe All haue sinned and haue néede of the glory of God but are iustified fréely by his grace through the redēption that is in Christ Iesus Therfore by fayth is the inheritaūce geuē that it might be by grace The law proposeth preceptes the Gospell hath promises The law is a rule of good workes the Gospell is a doctrine of the person and benefites of the Messias The law denounceth the wrath of God eternall malediction death and damnation to all men for sinne Maledictus omnis qui nō permāserit in omnibus his c Cursed be he that continueth not in all the woordes of this law to do them all the people shall say Amen The Gospell offereth remission of sinnes to all men To giue knowledge of saluation to his people for the remission of their sinnes The law iustifieth none saueth none deliuereth none from sinne but accuseth bewrayeth sinne condemneth all the Gospell of Christ is the power of God to saluation to all that beleue offeryng to all remission of sinnes rightuousnes eternall life To be short the law is to be terribly thundered to the wicked negligent and impenitent the Gospell is sweetely to be sounded to those that acknowledge their sinnes and hartily repent for the same The swéete proclamatiō of Christ teacheth the same Come vnto me all ye that labour sore and are laden and I will ease you c. Of this we haue example in the Prophet Nathan who by a similitude thundered the law agaynst kyng Dauid Dauid repenteth saying I haue sinned against the Lord Nathan pronounceth the Gospell The Lorde hath put away thy sinne thou shalt not dye The worde of God or doctrine of Christ is called the worde of God that is the doctrine which Christ him selfe reuealed to men Whereof the principall point is frée remission and forgiuenesse of sinnes by fayth in Christ Iesus The efficient cause of this Gospell is the whole Godhead the eternall Father eternall Sonne and eternall holy Ghost The mouyng cause is the excéedyng mercy of God and his passyng loue toward mākynd So God loued the world that he gaue his onely begottē sonne that whosoeuer beleueth in him should not perish but haue euerlastyng lyfe The first instrumētall cause is the sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ An other instrumentall cause are the Prophetes Apostles Euangelistes other teachers of the doctrine of the Gospell Therfore the Apostle sayth Let men estéeme vs as the Ministers of Christ and disposers of the secrets of god We together are Gods labourers c. we are messengers for Christ euen as though God did beséech you through vs. The materiall cause is Christ with all his
Scriptura enim speculū est foeda ostēdens corrige dicens Vse to read the holy Scripture vse the glasse sée the glasse That deformitie may be amēded fayrenesse preserued and fayre thynges performed For the Scripture is a glasse shewyng deformitie saying amend Gregory sayth Sacra Scriptura tanquam speculum quoddam mentis The holy Scripture is as a certaine glasse of the mynde S. August sayth Scriptura sancta sit tibi tāquam speculū Speculum hoc habet splēdorem non mēdacem non adulantē nullius personam amantem Formosus es Formosum te ibi vides Sed cum foedus accesseris foedum te ibi videris noli accusare speculum ad te redi nō te fallit speculum tu te noli fallere Let the holy Scripture be to thée as a glasse This glasse hath no deceitfull or flatteryng brightnesse it is not in loue with any mans person Art thou bewtifull Thou séest thy selfe there bewtifull But when thou commest deformed séest thy selfe there deformed accuse not the glasse aduise thée selfe The glasse deceiueth thée not deceiue not thou thy selfe It is lyke to a cleare fountaine or well The womā of Samaria found Christ at the well Would you finde Christ At the well of his word shall you finde him S. Basill sayth the Scripture of God is like to Apothecaries shop full of medecines sundry sortes that euery man may there chose a conuenient remedy for his dissease This is that pillar exhibited to the children of Israell Factae sunt tene brae horribiles in vniuersa terra Aegypti vbicunque habitabant filij Israel lux erat There was a thicke darknes vpon all the lād of Egypt but all the children of Israell had light where they dwelled Where the word of God is there is light Where the same is not there is darkenes Without this fierie piller we can not walke in the light He that walketh in darknesse knoweth not whether he goeth This is that piller which mightely conducteth our vnderstandyng out of the the Egypt of infidelitie This is that Lucifer the bright mornyng starre whiche commeth before the sunne of righteousnesse by whom the light of grace doth rise whom foloweth the day of glory This is that starre of the sea descrying port and coūtrey to the saylers on the sea of this world This is that starre which led the wise and faythfull men frō a far countrey to Christ This is that most heauenly iewell treasure the precious stone whiche the Christian Marchantman sought with great diligēce and care ▪ when he had found it sold all that he had to buy the same He whiche preferreth the word of God before all transitorie thynges Which for saketh him selfe taketh vp his Crosse and foloweth Christ is truly sayd to sell all that he hath and to buy the same This is a most pleasaunt garden In this garden you may gather many swéete flowers the plantain of sayth the roses of patience the lillies of innocēcie the oliues of mercy and many other of most excellent vertue In this garden are planted many goodly and fayre trées bringyng forth most swéet and delitesome frute The Ceders of contemplation the Cyprusses of noble fame the Okes of constācie the Laurels or Bay trées of vertue and many other such like It is called a candle or light The kingly Prophet sayth thy word is a candle vnto my féete and a light vnto my pathes The lighters of this cādle sayth Chrisost are the father the sonne and the holy ghost The candle sticke is the Church or euery godly man hauyng the word By this cādle the théefe or false teacher is espyed so sayth Theophilact It is called the bread of the soule for that it feedeth the soule Man shall not liue by bread onely but by euery word that procéedeth out of the mouth of god A fishe can not liue without water a shéepe can not liue without pasture this mortall body cā not long endure without foode the soule cā not long liue without the word of god This is the meat of fayth This word is light The people that walked in darknesse haue sene a great light This is condēnation that light is come into the world and men haue loued darknes rather then light because their déedes were euill To giue light to them that sit in darknes c It is named water Christ said to the woman of Samaria if thou knewest the gift of God who it is that sayth to thée giue me drinke thou wouldest haue asked of him he would haue geuen thée the water of life It is a royall and kyngly feast It is the sword of the spirit This sword is very necessary to all that be in this warfare For who goeth to battaile without a sworde Hee that hath no sword let him sell his coate and buy a sword The spiritual Māna Gather your Manna while you haue tyme The horne of saluation The incorruptible séede whiche liueth and lasteth for euer A hāmer that breaketh the hard stone A key that giueth entry into the house which is the kyngdome of of heauen The scepter of the kyngdome An arrow that pearceth the enemy A heauēly trumpet A net enclosing and bringyng vs together The word of grace The word of saluatiō The word of recōciliation The word of truth The word of vertue The word of lyfe euerlastyng The word and way of righteousnesse yea righteousnesse it selfe Grace and veritie The wisedome of God in a misterie That good word whereof Esay speaketh which is called good for that it bringeth all goodnesse And to conclude it is called the kyngdome of God The kyngdome of God shal be taken from you and giuē to a nation bringyng forth the frutes therof The premisses considered I may say with the Prophet Hieremie Terra terra terra audi verbum Domini O thou earth earth earth heare the word of the lord The foolishe carle Nabal still carieth earth in his eyes earth in his eares and earth in his toung Aboue all thynges he desireth to sée earth to heare of earth and to speake of earth Many Nabals many carles many fooles But one thyng is necessary one thyng is necessary one thyng is necessary that is the word of god Mary hath chosen the good part whiche shall not be taken away from her The first precept that Isocrates gaue to prince Demonicus was τίμα τὸν θεό◠feare God. The first law that should be geuen to any man sayth Plato should be to the encrease of godlynes The chiefest oth which the Atheniens toke was this Pugnabo pro facris cum alijs solus In defence of Religion I will fight both in company and alone Among the Atheniens no king was created before he had taken orders and was a priest They iudged the wisest best and most renowned to be
oboloquie and euill report it is now The worlde hateth the light of veritye In so great malice of the world partely contemning and partelye persecuting the word of the gospell who can satisfie or content all men In old tyme there were but seuen wise men among the Greekes and now there are not so many fooles among vs for all of vs glorye of our wisedome euery head is full of wit euery man will haue his owne way Hearers are rather rashe iudges than fit and obedient schollars and most of them before they haue learned any thing doo rashly condēne all thinges S. August sayth Tutior est discentis quà m docētis conditio Salfer is the condition of him that learneth thē of him that teacheth I pray you good audiēce let me heare your iudgements How should a man make an excellēt Sermon either in matter or forme Som would haue the matter Catholique Some Gospel like Some would haue altogether common places of Scripture decided Some would haue vs procéede stil in the treatises of fayth iustification with inuectiues agaynst the Masse Purgatory and satisfactions Other would haue vs to launch into the déepes of predestination originall sinne free will election and reprobation Other would haue vices rebuked but they can not agree how it should be done Some would haue it generally and coldly Some directly and hotely Some the vices of the Clergy and Magistrates some onely the vices of the commō people and inferiours all men other mēs vices but no man his owne vices These disagrée in matter very ill in forme much worse Some would haue long texts some short textes Some would haue Doctours Fathers and Councels some call that mās doctrine Some would haue it ordered by Logicke some terme that mans wisedome some would haue it polished by Rheotrique some call that persuasiblenesse of wordes And agayne in Rhetoricke some would haue it holy eloquence liable to the Ebrue Gréeke phrase Some would haue it proper and fittyng to the English capacitie Some loue study and learnyng in Sermōs Some allow onely a sudaine motion of the spirite Some would haue all said by heart some would haue oft recourse made to the booke Some loue gestures some no gestures Some loue long Sermons some short Sermons Some are coy and can broke no Sermons at all But we be not to féede mens humours but to folow Christ we must folow Christ into the shyp and the crosse must be borne after the example of Christ No man sought more the glory of God then Christ yet for all that he was called a blasphemer He liued without spot of vice and yet he was called a wine bibber Hee expresly taught to render to Cesar the thynges whiche belong to Cesar and yet he was accused to haue taught the contrary No man taught patience more and yet was he condemned as a seditious person There was neuer such a one in Israell as Christ was in workes and wordes Neuer any liued so purely neuer any taught so heauēly and yet many wicked graces persons sayd of him he hath a deuill and is mad why heare ye him The schollar is not aboue the maister You sée the chaire of the maister know the chaire of the schollar More safe and sure is the standyng of the hearers whiche standyng on the land heare the word of saluation The greatest part of hearers kéepe them selues out of perill for when any sudaine storme of persecution ariseth for the Gospell on the sea of this world either they hide them selues or els vtterly forsakē the ship chaire teacher and all Such is the condition of the most part of hearers These thyngs are clearely knowne I neede not to make long demonstration Examples remaine fresh in memory Touchyng the shyp the state of the Church militant is here excellētly depainted The Church of Christ is that shyp where agaynst Sathan bloweth out so many blastes the woman clothed with the sunne whom the old Dragon ceaseth not continually to persecute This shyp is like to the Arke of Noah Euen as a shyp on the sea whē any stormy tempestes arise is terribly shaken right so nothing in the wast and wide world is more shakē with stormes and tempestes of all maner euils then the Church If you aske me who they are that shake the shyp of Christ and how the same is shakē I will giue you to vnderstād Turkes Iewes Anabaptistes Libertines Sectaries Atheistes Schismatikes the Familie of loue the Romishe rable and to be short the deuill and all his members shake this shyp but they shal neuer be hable to drown it For the gates of hell shall not preuaile agaynst it Because Christ sitteth at the sterne and hath the helme in his owne hand For that the Romish Catholickes do most shake the true Church of England which is the Church of Christ I purpose at this present to proue against them They say they shake not the ship but are in the ship as in the Arke of Noah and that we Protestantes shake the ship and are out of the ship and out of the Arke Farther they boldly say that without the vnitie of their body and their head the Churche of Rome and their holy father the Pope no man can be saued I will clearely proue the contrary namely that they shake the ship that they are out of the shipp and they are not the true Church Their body is a Sinagogue of Sathan their holy father is not head of the true Church happy were he if he were a member of the same he hath not the keyes of heauē but rather of the bottomles pit I proue thus the Romish Church heareth not the voyce of the shepheard Therfore the Romish Church is not the true Church I wil prosecute this Argumēt in treatyng of breakyng the net Now to proue that they shake the ship how The Romish Church is a persecutyng Church therfore it shaketh the shyp cōsequently is not the true church For persecutiō is an euident token of Antichristes Church Cayn persecuted Abell the Giantes Noah the Sodomites Loth Ismaell Isaac Esau Iacob the Egyptiās the Israelites Pharao Moses Saul Dauid yet Dauid would not hurt him Of whom we learne that Gods Church doth suffer rather than hurt and pardon rather then persecute The false Prophetes persecuted the true Prophetes The Priestes Scribes Byshops Annas Herod Pilate and Caiphas persecuted Christ The Iewes and Turkes persecute the Christians And most of all the tyran of Rome persecuteth Christes litle flocke and congregatiō The Church of Christ did neuer persecute but was alwayes persecuted So Hilarius Nicephorus in many places discourse Lactantius sayth excellently to this matter Defendenda religio est non occidendo sed monendo non saeuitia sed patientia non scelere sed fide Nā si sanguine tormētis si malo religionē defendere velis iā non defendetur illa sed polluetur atque
vnitye to the Church of Roome and to their Byshop the head thereof the aduersary of Christ and vtter enemy to his crosse boldly braying and bragging that out of the vnitye of this bodye and head of theirs no man can be saued For these miserable men ought to vnderstaÌ„d that this necessary vnitye without which no man can haue saluation is not that vnitye whereby members are ioyned to members bunches to bunches monsters to monsters and the deceiued to Antichrist the deceiuer but that it is that vnitye wherby the true members of the true bodye are conioyned to the true and onely one head Iesus Christe our mediator and Sauiour The tyranne of Roome is not the head of the true church I proue thus He hath not the worde of God for his warrant Ergo he is not the head of the true church Christ sayth that he himselfe is the onely vniuersall Shepheard The prophets haue prophesied so of Christ Esai 40. Ezech. 37. 34. Hierem. 30. Psal. 33. c. The Apostle so nameth him Christ himselfe not long before he left this worldâ— sayd to his disciples I will pray the father and he shall geue you another coÌ„forter that he may abide with you for euer euen the spirite of truth Here we learne what vicar Christ hath substituted Not the Pope but the holy ghost So writeth Tertul. Barnard and others This place of Iohn I am the good shepheard S. August expoundeth of Christ So doth Chrisost So doth Nicholas Lyra as simple an interpretour as he was Fiet vnus pastor id est Christus There shal be one shepeheard that is to say not the Pope but Christ The Apostles had no knowledge of this monstrous head The Nicene Councell knew it not The Councell of Carthage excommunicated cursed him to the deuill that called him selfe vniuersall Byshop or chief Priest The whole Councell of Aphrica condeÌ„ned the attempt of this vsurped iurisdiction and called it the smokie pride of the world The Romish Prelate doth subuert corrupt prophane the doctrine of Christ and his Sacraments manifestly maintaineth Idolatrie Therfore he caÌ„ not be the vniuersall Shepheard He is not worthy to be called a Shepheard A Shepheard nay a fleashéepe A Byshop a Butcher a Pastour a Pyrate a Prelate a Pylate a Vicar of Christ a Vicar of Venus a Cephas Caiphas Phocas that execrable murtherer was he that first proclaimed the Byshop of Rome to be head of the vniuersall Church about vj. hundred xiij yeares after Christ was borne This Phocas beyng but a common souldiour did by treason and conspiracie lay hands vpon his liedge Lord and Maister the Emperour Mauritius and in cruell sort did him to death and so by trayterous vilanie he aspired to the Empire The maner of his crueltie was this First he commauÌ„ded foorth the Emperours yongest sonne and caused him to be slayne euen in the fight of his father and so the second and then the third and afterwarde the Empresse Mauritius heauely lookyng on lamentyng saying vnto God Righteous art thou O Lord and rightfull is thy iudgement Last of all he vsed the like tyranny also vpon the Emperour and layd him his wife and his iij. children on a heape together After that he had thus liued and coÌ„mitted sundry murthers and other great misâ—â—â—â—â— the people tooke him slue him â–ª 〈◊〉 â—â—ew him in to the fire Here you maâ— sée the first promotour a holy promotour of the Popes holynes A murtherer â—â—e finder out of supremacie And Supâ—â—â—â—cie fouÌ„ded and builded vpon murther S. Cyprian calleth Stephen and Cornelius Bishops of Rome brethreÌ„ and companions And whereas certaine Schismatickes yelded them selues subiect to the Byshop of Rome perswading them selues that the Bishops of Aphrica had lesse power theÌ„ the Byshops of Rome Cyprian called them desperate wicked persons for so doyng I frame this Argument out of Chrisost Quicunque desyderauerit primatuÌ„ in terra in Coelo inueniet confusionem Whosoeuer ambitiouslye desireth supremacy vpon earth shall finde in heauen confusion The Byshop of Roome ambitiouslye desireth supremacye on earth Therefore he shall finde confusion in heaueÌ„ The Pope is Antichrist Ergo he is not the head of the Church He which auauÌ„ceth himself aboue all that is called God is Antichrist The pope doth so Ergo the Pope is Antichrist Irenaeus a most auncient doctour of the Church who liued almost fiften hundred yeares since disputyng of Antichrist sayth thus Antichristus cum sit seruus tamen adorari vult vt Deus Antichrist notwithstaÌ„ding he be but a slaue yet he will be worshipped as if he were god Ioachimus Abbas saith Antichristus iam pridem natus est Romae altiùs extolletur in sede Apostolica Antichrist is long since borne in Rome yet shall he be higher aduaunced in the Apostolick sea Antichrist sayth Gregory is he that shall clayme to himselfe to be called the vniuersall Byshop and shall haue a garde of priestes to attend vpon him S. August sayth BabyloÌ„ is the first Roome and Rome the second Babylon And to come nearer the matter S. Iohn sayth Antichrist shall sit in the Citye that is built vpon seuen hilles and so is the Citie of Roome And Sybilla sayth that the greatest terror and furye of his Empire and the greatest woe that he shall worke shall be by the bankes of Tyber and there is Roome He that hath eyes to sée let him see he that hath eares to heare let him heare Agayne Christ was humble the Pope proude Christ was poore the Pope rich Christ patient the Pope impatient Christ merciful the Pope vnmercifull Christ vsed admonitioÌ„ the Pope imprisonment Christ communication the Pope extirpation Christ all manner of clemencie the Pope all manner of tyranny briefely you shall finde the Pope in all vertue seuered from Christ you shall finde him to Christ Beliall to light darcknes to truth falshode Are not these and such lyke the very fruites of Antichrist the trée is knowne by his fruite Whereas these shakers of the ship of Christ vrge Antiquitie Vniuersalitye and Succession to make much for them I aunswere these thinges make nothing for them but rather agaynst them Notwithstanding their Vincentius Lirinensis whome they haue in so high price This is Vincentius pretious assertion In ipsa catholica Ecclesia magnopore curandum est vt id teneamus quod vbique quod seÌ„per quod ab omnibus creditum est In the Catholick Church we must haue especiall care to hold that which euery where alwayes and of all men is beléeued Yet to helpe his credite the Church of Roome was not so deformed with heresies at the time when he did write which was a thousand yeares more since as it is mentioned Antiquitye doth not preiudice or hinder trueth Their antiquity is no marke of the Church Their Antiquitie is iniquitye Tertull. sayth nothing can prescribe agaynst truth neither time nor authoritye of
It is a familie of blasphemy a familie of falshode a familie of pride a familie of idolatrie a familie of ignoraunce and follie a familie of mallice to be short a familie of all vice and vilanie That this is true their fruites declare The trée is knowne by the fruite For proofe I refer you to the bookes or rather bables of H. N. whom they name the true Prophet of GOD where as he is a false and lying Prophet I promised to prosecute the Argumēt that the Romish Catholickes are not the true Church as I haue already proued that they shake the shyp of Christ so I infer they break the net of the gospell I argue thus they commit Idolatrye Therefore they breake the net After that the popish priest hath spoken these v. wordes Hoc est enim corpus meū Which is one word more thē euer Christ left and is of so great vertue as they say that without that word there can be no perfect consecration where as notwithstandyng Christ his Apostles the Primitiue Church and the Gréekes neuer vsed this word Enim It is a superstitious additiō of the Papistes most wickedly leauyng out these most necessary wordes that Christ hymselfe spake namely Which is betrayed for you Do this in remembraūce of me After the the priest I say hath spoken the former wordes hath blasted breathed and blowed vpō the bread he knéeleth downe to it and worshyppeth it saying in Latin Agnus Dei qui tollis c. O Lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vpon vs Thrise doth he call the bread which he holdeth in his handes the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world This is abhominable Idolatry The authour of this Idolatrous leuation or liftyng vp of the bread aboue the priests head was Pope Honorius the third about the yeare of our Lord 1210. He commaunded that the host should be lifted vp aboue the priestes head at Masse and that all the people should fall downe and worship it Antichrist sheweth him selfe Here all men may sée how auncient a thyng their holy sackeryng is which is coūted the best and chiefest part of their Masse whereas in déede it is the most wicked and abhominable part of the patched paltrye of their maskyng Masse The lying Papistes therfore may be ashamed to bragge that their deuilishe Masse came from the Apostles seing that it is proued to be a new and late inuention of Antichrist The worde Masse is not in the Byble And as hath bin sufficiently proued there was no tidinges of any Masse priuate in any doctour or Coūcell by the space of six hundred yeares after Christ Their oblation they call Sacrificium nouum A new sacrifice Their Masse booke hath these wordes Acceptum sit omnipotenti Deo hoc sacrificium nouū O that this new sacrifice might be thankfully taken of almightye god They may truely call it a new sacrifice for it was neuer heard of before that a wafer cake and a sponeful of wine mingled with water should be an oblation and sacrifice for the saluation of the liuing and for the rest and quietnes of all the faythfull that are dead I know they will say they commit not idolatre for that which they hold vp is the verye naturall bodye of Christ God and man Therfore may they iustlye worship it I aske them how they proue it to be the verie body of Christ They answere by the vertue of these wordes Hoc est enim corpus meum a goodly profe I reply Christ spake these wordes of the bread as the holy scriptures and all auncient writers doe witnes It is agaynst the veritye of a naturall bodye to be in moe places then one at once as he must be in a hundred thousand places at once if their doctrine be true The article of our faith is that Christ is ascēded vp into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the father almighty and from thence shall come c. Our sauiour Christ tolde his disciples oft a litle before his passiō that he should leaue the world and goe to his father S. Marke sayth Christ was taken vp into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of god Wée reade in the Actes This Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen shall so come as you haue séene him going vp into heauen Of these wordes of the angells we learne that as Christ went vp visiblye and was séene with the corporall eyes of his disciples so lykewise when he commeth agayne from thence he shall come visiblye and be séene with the corporall eyes of all men But neuer man sawe him yet comming downe with his corporall eyes Therefore neuer came he downe corporall since his ascention S. Stephan sawe him Where not in the popishe pixe nor in their singing bread but in heauen S. Paule heard him frō whence from heauen S. Peter sayth that heauen must holde Iesus Christ till the tyme that all thinges be restored which god hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began This tyme is till the daye of iudgement If therefore they will haue Christ bodily at their Masses they must tary till the day of iudgement This doctrine that the sacrament of the alter as they terme it is the true naturall reall carnall corporall and substantiall bodye of Christ is a dreame of Antichrist the Byshop of Rome and cannot be proued neither by holy scripture nor by auncient fathers You haue heard the holye scripture clearely denyeth it The fathers also deny it Clemens Alexandrinus sayth Duplex est autem sanguis domini alter enim est carnalis quo redempti sumus ab interitu alter vero spiritalis quo scilicet vncti sumus hoc est bibere Iesu sanguinem esse participē incorruptionis domini verbi autem virtus est spiritus quemadmodum sanguis carnis The bloud of Christ truely is of two sortes the one carnall wherby wée are redéemed from death the other spirituall wherewith we are annoynted For to drinke the bloud of Iesus is to be parttaker of the Lords immortality The spirite is the vertue of the worde as bloud is of fleshe Theodoret an auncient father sayth thus Christus naturam panis non mutat Christ chaungeth not the nature of the bread Gelasius sayth Non desinit esse substantia vel natura panis vini It ceaseth not to be the substance or nature of bread and wine Origen that old learned father sayth Si secundum literam sequaris id quod dictum est Nisimanducaueritis carnem filij hominis non habebitis vitam in vobis litera illa occidit If accordyng to the letter you vnderstād that saying Except ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye haue no lyfe in you That letter killeth It is the Spirit that giueth life the flesh profiteth nothyng For shortnesse of tyme I
must referre you to the places of other auncient Fathers which make the case cleare Tertul. contra Marcionem Lib. 4. August Tom. 6. contra adimantum Manichaei Discipulum cap. 12. Tom. 8. in Psal 3. Tom. 2. epist. 221. Cyp. de Coena Domini Hesichius in Leuit. Lib. 3. cap. 2. Ambros de Sacramentis Lib. 1. cap. 5. Chrisost ad Caesarium August in Ioh. Tract 25. Tract 26. To cōclude Erasmus a mā of great learnyng iudgement sayth thus In synaxi Transubstantiationem sero definiuit ecclesia In the holy ministration it was long and very late before the church determined the Article of Transubstantiation Their owne breath bloweth agaynst them Doctour Tonstall sayth It was no heresie to deny their Transubstantiation before their late Councell of Lateran Doctour Fisher sometyme Byshop of Rochester sayth The very presence of Christes body bloud in the Masse can not be proued by any Scripture This deuelish doctrine was neuer receiued in the Church til Pope Leo Pope Nicholas Pope Innocent Pope Honorius and Pope Vrban Antichristian prelates thorow their tyranny brought it in and compelled the Christiās with fire and faggot as the maner of the tyrānicall Papistes is to receiue their abhominable doctrine It is not much more then fiue hundred yeares since their grosse opinion of the Sacramēt begā first to be attēpted was throughly receiued and agréed vpon about the yeare of our Lord 1215. in the Councell of Laterā which was holden in Rome where were gathered together a mōstrous swarme of Pharisaicall Papistes about the number of thirtene hūdred pildpates of the which number eight hūdred were mōkes channōs fryers a broode of chickēs of the Popes owne hatching Last of all came pope Vrban the monke in the yeare of our Lord a thousand two hundred thréescore and foure and he made vp all the market For he ordained a feast called Corpus Christi in honour of the Sacrament so that euer after that tyme the Sacramēt was no more taken for a signe figure and token of Christes bodye but for Christ himselfe God and man And therefore was it reuerenced worshiped honored sensed and knéeled vnto as they taught the people at their vnsacred sakeringes S. August sayth touching the fathers of the olde law Abraham Moses Aaron and other receiued the bodye of Christ truely and effectually long tyme before that Christ either had receiued fleshe of the blessed virgin or had ordained the Sacrament and that euen the selfe same bodye that is receiued now of the faythfull Of this matter S. Paule speaketh They did all eate of the same spirituall meate And did all drinke of the same spirituall drinke For they dranke of that spirituall rock that folowed them and that rocke was Christ S. August also of Christian children and other faythfull that neuer receiued the Sacrament writeth thus nulli est aliquatenus ambigendum tunc vnumquemque fideliū corporis sauguinisque domini participem fieri quando in Baptismate efficitur membrum Christi c. No man may in any wise doubt but that euery faythfull man is than made partaker of the body and bloud of Christ whan in Baptisme he is made a member of Christ and that he is not without the felowship of that bread and of that cup although before he eate of that bread drinke of that cup he hepart this world being in the vnitye of Christes bodye for he is not made frustrate of the Communion and benefite of that Sacrament while he findeth that thing which is signified in the Sacrament The enemies of the crosse of Christ mightfully obiect Onlesse ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye shall haue no lyfe in you I aunswere if there be no other eating of Christes bodye whereby wée shall liue but onely fleshly eating with mouth and teath than what lyfe hath Abraham Isaac Iacob Moses Aaron and other holy Patriarches Prophets that were before the comming of Christ what lyfe haue a great nūber of holy martyrs what lyfe haue Christian Children that being baptised in the bloud of Christ depart this lyfe before they can receiue the Sacrament Shall we say they haue no lyfe Or shall we condemne them of euerlasting death Or shall we thinke they shall neuer rise agayne And shall we denye Gods election S. August speakyng of our fathers sayth Visibilē cibum Manna spiritualiter intellexerunt spiritualiter esurierunt spiritualiter gustauerunt They vnderstode Manna the visible meate spiritually they hungred it spiritually they tasted it spiritually I aske the defenders of transubstātiation what body Christ gaue whether mortall or immortall I reason thus if he gaue his body he gaue his mortall body or his immortall body But he gaue not his mortal body neither his immortal body Therfore he gaue not his body I proue thus he gaue not his mortall body accumbebat mensae for it sate at the table He gaue not his immortall body nō dum resurrexerat for it was not yet risen Therfore he gaue not his body Therfore it is a figuratiue spéech I vrge their owne wordes agaynst them By and by after they haue confessed that the bread is the body of Christ essentially substantially and in déede and the wyne his naturall bloud they adde Sed inuisibiliter ineffabiliter non vt in loco non qualitatiue aut quantitatiue But inuisiblely and vnspeakeablely and not as in a place not in quātitie or in qualitie Note I pray you how fitly these thynges agrée how the one is subuerted by the other For if the true and naturall body of our Lord which he tooke of the virgin Mary dead buried risen ascended into heauen so they say be present in the Sacrament assuredly that same body must haue quantitie and qualitie must be contained in a place except that body was not naturall or els now beyng in glory hath put away all truth of a body The Angels testifie of the glorified body of Christ Surrexit nō est hic ecce locus vbi posuerunt eum He is risen he is not here behold the place where they had put him Christ him selfe sayth behold my handes and my féete that it is euē I my selfe handle me and sée for a spirite hath not flesh and bones as ye sée me haue If this body haue not place qualitie quantitie it is not the substantiall naturall and true body of our lord Read S. August epist. 57. ad Dardanum Tom. 2. Thus much concernyng the Lordes Supper Also these men teach that we are not iustified by fayth onely This doctrine is false Therefore they breake the net They call vs Solifidiās We may call them Nullifidians I argue thus the righteous man liueth by his fayth Therefore fayth iustifieth Abraham was iustified by fayth Therfore other are iustified by fayth Abrahā is the father of all beleuers The antecedent is proued Abraham beleued God and
it was accompted to him for righteousnesse Abraham was iustified by fayth 430. yeares before Moyses gaue the law Therefore fayth iustifieth not the law That thyng onely iustifieth by which the holy Ghost is geuen The holy Ghost is geuen by fayth and not by the law Therfore fayth iustifieth and not the law The first reason is proued by experience The Galatiās receiued the holy Ghost by preaching of the Gospell and so consequently by fayth The examples in the Actes of the Apostles of Cornelius and many others and also the example of the Centurion proue the same Fayth onely iustifieth Read. Rom. 1. 3. 4. and 9. chap. Sola fides Onely fayth was very well knowen and vsed of auncient Fathers long a goe and the vse of the same hath bene in the Church since the tyme of the Apostles By onely fayth fréely without workes without the law The tyme fléeth away therefore I will onely cote the authours and the places Origen in his exposition vpon the Romanes chap. 3. hath Sola fides fayth onely S. Basill a mā of incomparable vertue and learnyng hath Sola fides in his booke de Humilitate Athanasius vpō the iij. chap. to the Romanes hath Sola fides The eloquēt famous Doctour Chrisost vpon the Ephesians the second chapter Serm. 5. Sola fides And in his Sermon of fayth and the law Sola fides S. Ambrose vpon the iij. iiij x. xi chap. to the Romanes Sola fides S. Hierome vpon the foure and v. to the Romanes Sola fides Eusebius Lib. 3. cap. 27. Sola fides To conclude S. August albeit not in expresse termes as the other yet in effect hath it asmuch After discourse of the merites of Christ of fayth in Christ and of the miserable nakednesse of man excellently he thus concludeth His igitur consyderatis pertractatisque pro viribus quas Dominus donare dignatur colligimus non iustificari hominem praeceptis bonae vitae sed fide in Iesu Christo hoc est non lege operum sed lege fidei non litera sed spiritu non factorum meritis sed gratuita gratia These thinges considered debated accordyng to the abilitie whiche God hath graciously geuen me I conclude that man is not iustified by the preceptes rules of good life but by faith in Christ Iesus That is not by the law of workes but by the law of fayth not by the letter but by the spirite not by merites and déedes but by free and meere grace The aduersarie obiecteth thus It is impietie or wickednesse to add any thyng to the holy Scripture for that it is written Non addes aliquid neque minues Thou shalt not add any thing nor diminish S. Paul sayth if an angell frō heauen preach any otherwise let him be accursed And Irenaeus geneth good counsaile De Deo est vtendum verbis Dei When we speake of God we ought to vse the wordes of god Sola fide By fayth onely is not to be read in holy scripture any where not in Paul him self out of whose 3. chap. of his Epistle to the Romanes it is alledged Therfore to vse exclusiuely Iustificamur sola fide We are iustified by fayth onely is impietie and Luther hath depraued and corrupted S. Paule I aunswere it is a false kind of argumēt settyng downe that thyng for the cause whiche is not the cause in déede Albeit the word Sola written with iiij letters be not extant in S. Paule yet notwithstandyng wordes equiualent are there extāt declaryng the same thyng much more effectually plainly As for example Iustificamur gratis we are iustified fréely Ipsius gratia by his grace Absque operibus without workes Dei donū est It is the gift of God per fidem By fayth When S. Paule excludeth all maner workes what els leaueth he but fayth alone They teach maintaine Purgatory Therfore they breake the net This word Purgatory is not in the Bible but the purgation and remissiō of our sinnes is made by the aboūdant mercy of god Luc. 1. Mar. 2. Onely by Christ So sayth S. Iohn The bloud of Iesus Christ the sonne of God purgeth vs and maketh vs cleane frō all our sinnes So sayth S. Mat. 1. 26. Marc. 14. Luc. 22. Act. 13. Ephes 1. Hebr. 1. 9. 10. Apoc. 1. c. Swéete is that saying of S. Cyp. Sanguis tuus Domine non quaerit vltionem sanguis tuus lauat crimina peccata condonat Thy bloud O Lorde séeketh no reuēge thy bloud washeth our sinnes pardonneth our trespasses The East Church of God whiche sometyme was as great famous as the Church of the Weast notwithstāding they beleued in God his Christ knew there was both Hell Heauē yet of Purgatory they had no skil In the late Councell begun at Ferrar by Pope Eugenius and cōtinued and ended at Florence An. 1439. Purgatorye was concluded and not before in any auncient Coūcell Notwithstāding the enemies of the crosse of Christ pretēd that the same is of very great antiquity Not much vnlyke are they to the olde Arcades whoe sayd in cōmendation of their Antiquitye that they were a day or two elder then the Moone It came from Virgill and Plato and other Heathen writers If a man aske them where it is Some of them say in Ireland The Purgatory of Patrick into the which they say they had once a key and a valiant champion named noble Nicholas boldly and valiantly aduētured in and there did sée wonders Some of them say it is in Scicilie in the burning hill Aetna And some of thē say it is in the Ilād Thile which is also called Iseland Syr Thomas Moore sayd held for certaintie that in all Purgatory there is no water no not one drop and that he would proue out of Zachar. 9. Doctour Fisher sometyme Byshop of Rochester sayd There is in Purgatory great store of water that he would proue by the Prophet Dauid Psal. 65. Albertus sayd The Executioners and Ministers of Purgatory be holy Angels Syr Thomas Moore said out of doubt they be no Angels but very deuils So hādsomely these dreames agree together It serueth wel for their purse purpose and is the most profitable monster that euer was whelped of the Babylonicall strumpet They maintaine frée will Therfore they breake the net This word frée will is not in all the holy Scripture but is inuented by proude men which would set vp their owne righteousnesse and put downe the righteousnesse of Christ The frée will of man is in fallyng and not in rising Christ onely is free we are Liberati gratia but not Liberi natura fréed by grace but not frée by nature and so likewise Iustificati gratia iustified by grace not iust by nature S Paule sayth the flesh lusteth contrary to the spirite and the spirite contrary to the flesh these are contrary one to the other so that ye can not doe what ye would Where
vpoÌ„ my Lady This I know Some they suborne to vtter their dregges by writinges and other lewd practises They are not content to be euill themselues but they indeuour also as much as in them lyeth to make other partakers of their euill If you make diligeÌ„t search you shall finde fat bulles of Basan of this company in Cathedrall Churches duÌ„me dogges and hinderers as farre as they dare of the Gospell of Christ Iesu They are called Pastores a pascendo Pastors of féeding and féede not at all and Doctores a docendo Doctors of teaching and teach not at all as also Mons a mouendo a hill hath his name of moouing and moueth not at all These truely are Caterpillers deuouring the swéete fruite of the land They should be serued aright if they were rewarded with Caterpillers All these men thinke that they can walke vnespied as though they had Gyges ring vpon their finger to goe inuisible by Non sic impij non sic not so honest men not so Now they are very bold They are in their ruffe and looke for a day God I trust will mercyfully kéepe vs from that day And yet I can not sée if they had their purpose but they shoulde féele the smart of that day They are weary of their welfare The clemencie of our most clement Quéene Elizabeth hath long tyme bin abused Now it staÌ„deth her Maiestie vpoÌ„ with weapoÌ„ of Iustice to bridle insolencie The dissease of coÌ„tempt of lawes which now attacheth so many can by no meanes be cured but by the medicine of correction For all this we are not to iudge and condemne these men to the pit of Hell. Leaue iudgemeÌ„t and condemnation to god The right hand of God is mightful he is able of stones of hard Idolatrous hearts to rayse vp children to Abraham He is able to turne the great Turke the Cane of Cathai Lord if it be thy will enlighten their dimme eyes with the influence of thy heauenly grace that they may sée the truth open their vncircumcised eares that they may heare the truth mollifie their hard hearts that they may loue and embrace the truth that thou mayest be glorified thy people edified and Sathan confounded A question is proposed Why is the net broken I aunswere Oportet haereses esse There must be also heresies amoÌ„g you that they whiche are approued amoÌ„g you might be knowen Many are called fewe are chosen This place aunswereth an Argument of aduersaries agaynst the true Church In the true Church are no sectes But in your Church are sectes Ergo your Church is not the true Church I aunswere Oportet haereses esse There must be heresies c. Also they went from vs but they be not of vs Furthermore tares are amoÌ„g wheat Secondly I say this Argument is nought Heretiques are among the elect Sathan among the children of god Goates among shéepe Tares among wheat ill fishes among good thornes among lilies false brethren false ChristiaÌ„s amoÌ„g true ChristiaÌ„s vessels of dishonour amoÌ„g vessels of honour Ergo heretiques are no heretiques SathaÌ„ is not SathaÌ„ Goates are no goates tares are no tares and so of the rest What wise kynde of reasonyng is this Are not hypocrites in the Church you know the maÌ„ which was amoÌ„g the ghestes at the mariage of the kynges sonne without a weddyng garmeÌ„t The mariage was furnished with ghestes good and bad Take a Foxe tye him vp with a chayne and cherish him with bread milke and howsoeuer you can whole vij yeares if the chayne breake the Foxe will get away runne into the wood A Foxe wil be a Foxe Many false Christians two legged Foxes now tyed with the chayne of gouernment and fed with the swéetenesse of the land outwardly shewe them selues conformable to lawes loyall and obedieÌ„t subiectes Such Prince such subiectes commoÌ„ly for the tyme But if the chayne of gouernemeÌ„t and life of Quéene Elizabeth whose life God long continue should breake vndoubtedly these Foxes these hipocrites would runne to Rome He that doth euill let him do euill still He which is filthy let him be filthy still and he that is righteous let him be righteous still and he that is holy let him be holy still Albeit Goates féede with Shéepe they shall not stand on the right hand with Shéepe Albeit chaffe is thresshed with wheat it shall not be caried into the barne with wheat Albeit ill fishes swimme with good fishes with in the net of our Lord they shall not be put into vesselles with good fishes but cast away Let no man forsake the wheat of Christ for darnell sake neither the flooer of Christ for chaffe sake neither the great house of Christ for vesselles of dishonour neither the net of Christ for ill fishes neither the lillyes for thornes neither true Christians for hipocrites neither the children of God for Sathans sake Preasse vpoÌ„ Christ with this godly people to heare the swéet and comfortable word of god Beleue it loue it doe it Know the true Church be of the true Church continue in the true Churche depart not with the Rauen out of the Arke With Simon in the name of Christ launche out into the déepe to make a draught Euery man folow his vocation with inuocation with prayer So shall yée haue prosperous successe with Simon so shall yée receiue the fruites of faythfull obedience in this world peace and quietnes of conscience in the world to come such passing abouÌ„dant ioy such passing excellent blisse as no eye can sée no eare can heare no tongue can tell nor hart can thinke purchased by Iesus Christ for all those which folow Simon in fayth full obedience to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all prayse glory and dominion for euer and euer Psal. 118. 1. Tim. 4. â— 2. Tim. 3. â— â—sa 30. 10. â—ugust â—â—m 1. â—onfes lib. â— cap. 24. Ambros in epist. ad Theodosium Tom. 1. in Possidonio 1. Cor. 13. Mat. 6. 33. Mat. 11. 25. Mat. 5. Mat. 13. Marc. 3. Mat. 14. Mat. 15 Luc. 8. Luc. 5. Mat. 15. Mat. 9. Ioh. 8. Collos 1. 1. Cor. 1. Ioh. 14. 1. Pet. 1. Ebru 12. Ioh. 15. Ioh. 6. 1. Cor. 10. Ioh. 4. Marc. 12. Luc. 20. 1. Pet. 1. Psal. 24. Esai 9. Esai 62. Luc. 4. Ioh. 1. Psal. 130. Gen. 28. Malach. 4. Ioh. 1. Num. 24. Luc. 10. Ebru 7. 8. 9. Ose 13. Mich. 7. 1. Cor. 15. Zach. 13. Ebru 1. Ephes 2. 3. August de Ciuit. Dei Lib. 15. cap. 1. Mat. 9. Luc. 16. 4. Act. 17. 21. Luc. 5. 26. Luc. 6. Mat. 8. Luc. 9. Ioh. 6. Mat. 22. Luc. 20. Marc. 12. Origen in Mat. cap. 22 Aretius in Psal 1. Mat. 12. 38. Ioh. 19. 15. Mat. 13. Marc. 4. Luc. 8. Gen. 3. Gen. 22 â–ª Luc. 1. Psal. 2. Psal. 110. Gen. 28. 2. Cor. 3. 6. Ioh. 8. 51. Rom. 1. Ioh. 1. 17. Mat. 13. Mat. 23. Leuit. 18. Galat. 3. Deut. 30. Rom. 10. Esai 55. Rom. 3. 23. Rom.