In all this did not Iob offend nor charge God foolishly And thus much for the down-fall of Pride CHAP. XV. A briefe note of Hell NOw to her destruction to the sides of the â—it that is euerlasting death and damnation Not that I counsell you to goe thither but that I feare many wil and I would forewarne you of that place of torments The God of heauen giue vs grace to be warned whilest we haue time for it will be too late to seeke for helpe as Diues did when the gate of geace shall be shut against vs. The proud heart of Nabuchadnezzar perswaded it selfe to get aboue the cloudes as the Spaniard spiteth vs and to be like the most high God that is he determined to take Ierusalem which the Lord had chosen to be an habitation for himselfe and of Pride hee ment to tread downe the people of God vnder his feet as the Pope did the Emperour But he is brought downe and so shall I trust the Spaniard if our Pride and sin hold him not vp to the graue euen to the sides of the pit By which is ment that Pride shall haue the greatest torments and chiefest roome in hel of all other sinnes because on earth she hath bene the foremost chiefe ringleader of all other Musc in Isai 14.15 Qui similis esse volebas deo pro coelo demersus es in tenebras inferni Thou which wouldest be like vnto God in stead of heauen thou art drowned or plunged in the darknesse of hell It is euen the same iudgement which the sonne of God Christ Iesus denounced against proud Capernaum saying And thou Capernaum which art exalted to heauen shalt be thrust downe to hell Luk. 10.15 Hell is a place without the heauen prepared of God with vnspeakeable most horrible confused euerlasting torments for the damned Of which though the extreame and full horror thereof cannot of man bee expressed no not if a damned soule were permitted to expresse what it could of the paine it is not able to describe that which it most wofully feeleth yet the holy scriptures of God do speak plainly and sufficiently thereof for our learning and instruction most wonderfull to behold Whereof many men haue written learnedly the chiefe substance whereof thou shalt finde collected by Parsons in his Resolution the ninth Chapter vnto which for this time I will send you 1. Because of the truth of the argument and the plaine easie maner of handling it 2. As also I must confesse I cannot much amend it neither now stay to speake that which I would of it 3. Because honour is to be giuen to whom honour is due The Idollators rob God of his honour and he that taketh an other mans workes without his name is like a theefe that stealeth an other mans goods to enrich himselfe As many do in these dayes that cause the poore to smart as vsurers extortioners oppressors theeues and the couetous c. for whom is reserued the myst of darknesse for euer without repentance And thus for this time I haue finished that which I determined for the Lord beeing but able to rough-hewe my timber and so leaue it the more readie for a better builder God graunt we may all build together the worke of the Lord to the humble and perfect finishing of our faith through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Lord liueth and blessed be my strong helper and praised be the God of my saluation Psal 18.47 Amen FINIS Si malè quid dictuÌ„ est hominem dixisse memento Si bene quid dixi gloria Christe tua est Is ought here past my penne humane that same is due to mee But what is right and true O God that same I haue of thee And thee do praise for all thy grace and knowledge of thy word O Father Sonne and holy Ghost one God and mightie Lord. Let vs pray O Holy and eternall God most mightie Lord and mercifull Father whose truth reacheth vnto the heauens righteousnesse vnto the ends of the world which haste now taught vs that those which exalt themselues shall be brought downe to the graue to the sides of the pit euen to hell giue vs grace that we by thy power may subdue the flesh vnto the spirit that wee may be the habitation of thine owne holinesse and the place which thou hast chosen to put thy name there So shall wee be safe vnder thy protection and our hearts shall be filled with ioy as the Temple was with the glory of the Lord. And then as Symeon reioyced to embrace Christ so shall wee to receiue death without trembling through faith being assured of deliuerance from thy wrath Heare vs ô Lord for Iesus Christs sake our onely Mediator and Aduocate To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all thankes and praise and honour and power and glory and maiestie ascribed now and for euer Amen FINIS
Iren. Euse Iustino And when he liued hee said himselfe that he was some great man (g) Act. 8 9. But his end mard al as we shewed before Like wise whē Herod had made an oratiō before the people they cried Vox dei non hominis It 〈◊〉 the voice of God not of man (h) Act. 12.22 And hee was most proud of it We find also that one Hanno of Carthage sometime brought vp birdes and taught them to whistle Deus est Hanno Hanno is God and so let them flye (i) Text. Offic. And euen much after this maner came Mahomet the Turkes God into his first fauour and credite Manes the heretike preached that hee himselfe was borne of a Virgin Deitatisque numen sibi vindicabat and challenged vnto himselfe the maiestie of a God (k) Charl. Step. Text. Euseb Menecrates a Phisitian would take nothing for his cures but desired of his Patients Vt eius seruos esse fateātur eumque Iouem dicerent (l) Text. Ibid. That they would acknowledge themselues to bee his seruants and call him their Iupiter or God And the heretike Manicheus called himselfe the holy Ghost I might shewe you how the Emperours yet tyrants haue called themselues Gods as diuers other but I will stay at the Pope who is not behinde any of them Some haue called him an earthly God Some disdaining that haue called him God without an Epitheton Some our Lord God the Pope Others being besotted with the spirit of Pride are so wrapt that they cannot tell what to make of him and do affirme that hee is neither God nor man It may bee these cunningly intend to inuest vpon him The man of sinne (m) 2. Thes 2.3 as hee is indeed But to be briefe come to our owne dayes and their late Champion D. Stapleton in the Preface to his booke called Principiorum sidei doctrinalium demonstratio besides many false and blasphemous titles there giuen to the Pope to grease his haughtie humour the more easily to flie into his fauour as many do by bribes when their hearts are farre peraduenture behinde hee calles him Basim fiundamentum columnam firmamentum totius orthodoxae religionis The root and foundation the pillar and chiefe stay of all right and true Religion Omnium Ecclesiarum caput The head of all Churches Supremum in terris numen The highest godhead vpon earth And M. Harding doth allow him to be in some certaine sence as he saith Terrenum quendam deum A certaine earthly God And we know their cloakes of Heads and Foundations and Gods not absolute but Ministring to couer their blasphemies as a playster doth a sore from the odious sight of men But put the Popes person his blasphemous titles or names his life or practises against the members of Christ Iesus his bodie mysticall in a bundle together laie them to the touchstone of Gods truth and sacred word and they are of so much force to confirme or approue their follie 1. Reg. 18.26 Psal 82.1.6 as the crying of Baals priests preuailed to obtaine fire of their Idoll And yet we know what gouernors are righteous Gods vpon earth that is euen such as are noursing fathers and noursing mothers in the Church of Christ like the Queene of England But as one saith God neuer called the Popes gods his godhead is base borne and yet for all that because the Popes Deitie should not be thought to bee without power as they haue fained him a false name so they doo counterfait him as true authoritie least hee should bee without credite as those which say and doo not are without honestie Therefore they say but all vntrue that Christus beato Petro c. commisit Clem. li. 2. de appel pastor distinct 32. Christ hath committed to blessed Peter the key-bearer of eternall life Iura c. the right or authoritie both of the earthly heauenly Empire-dome and so they say Papa totius orbis obtinet principium the Pope hold the Princedome of the whole world 1. Sam. 18 11. 2. Sam. 15.2 Yet by their leaue it is but in wil it is neither indeed nor right though lie haue as bad a mind to it as Saul had to kill Dauid or Abso lō to depose his father And yet with the Papists who but the Pope Card. Cusau ad Boh. Epist 2. Epist 3. One of their Cardinals saith Veritas aahaeret Cathedrae Petri. And again the same man saith Dico nulla esse Christi praecepta nisiquae per Ecclesiā pro talibus accepta sūt The truth cleaues to Peters chaire then burn the chaire and where is their truth Nay I say quoth he there is no commaundement of Christ he meanes of force except it be allowed so go for currāt by the Church of Rome An other saith A doctrina Romanae Ecclesiae Syl prier cōtra Luthe Dan. 3.16.18 Romani Pontificis sacra scriptura robur authoritatem trahit The sacred scripture hath her truth or strength and authoritie of the church and Pope of Rome Ah blasphemous liers But who beleeue them surely none that tries them And the scriptures of God may cry to the Pope Who made thee a Iudge and Ruler ouer vs we will not obey thee as the three children said to Nabuchadnezzar yet to blinde the world and to keepe them from trying of spirits whether they be of God or no they thunderout (t) Consil Ro. cap. 3.5.12 Praesul summus non iudicabitur a quopiam The highest Prelate 1. The Pope must not be iudged of any body perhaps least the Pope be found a woman againe Hee is like vnto Pharao that said Who is the Lord that I should heare his voyce (v) Exod. 5.2 And beloued this is the cloud that darkens all their light Forsoothe the Pope cannot erre And their fortresse to withstand all gun-shot is In matters of faith and yet in the chiefe point thereof which is Iustification they erre heretically and are infinitely ouercome by the holy scriptures though they would ouercome them and writings of the auntient and learned Fathers Yet to keepe their standing some of them are not ashamed to tell the world and to accuse those that reprooue the heresie and tyrannie of the Hope of blasphemy and sinning against the holy Ghost (w) R. Bristo in his Repl. to Ful. art 35. part 2. fol. 9. Hard. to Iewel 4. part fol. 438. Printed 1571. But let God be true and euery man a lyer and hee that is filthy let him be filthy still if Gods iudgement be such Thus we see into what height of wickednesse Pride driues men euen because they would get them a name like the builders of the Tower of Babell (x) Gen. 11 4. Now to come to our selues I know not who would tread in this styrrope and mount except it be such as in their owne conceit do say Touch mee not I am holyer then thou
Cor. 1.17.19 I preach Christ crucified and teach you to crucifie the olde man and his lusts Be not you like the Gaderenes who because their swine were gone desired Iesus to depart out of their coastes (f) Math. 8.34 Be not like the Philistines and men of Asdod Who because their Idoll Dagon could not stand by the holy Arke but still fell downe and was broken sent away the Arke of God to keepe their Idoll still (g) 1. Sam. 5 1. c. But forsake your sinnes and keepe Christ (h) Reue. 3.20 burne your Idolls of sinne and confesse the Arke of Gods couenant Let not your sinnes flatter you and entice you though they be as importunate vpon you to thrust you out of Gods fauour as SampsoÌ„s wife was vpon him to get away his strength as she did indeed therefore hee was ouercome of the Philistines (i) Iudg. 16.15.16 to 21. and so shall you of the diuell at his will But if God be God go after him and if Baall or Pride or Vsurie c. be hee then follow them For no man caâ— serue two maisters you cannot seruâ— God and Mammon (k) Math. 6.24 Now then confesse I enuie none I grieue at youâ— sinnes And the holy Prophet of God teacheth me who saith Fret not 〈◊〉 selfe because of the vngodly men neithâ—â— be thou enuious against the euill dooers (l) Ps 37.1 Yet he saith also It grieueth me becauâ—â— men keepe not thy lawe (m) Ps 119.158 But mâ—â— should not grieue the holy spirit of God by whom we haue commission as well to reprooue your sinne as to instruct you in the truth of Gods holy will neither should you hate vs because we tell you the truth as the Iewes did Christ (n) Ioh. 8.40 or as Herod did Iohn the Baptist (o) Mat. 14 3.4 If you do The seruant is not greater then his Lord and Maister (p) Ioh. 15.20 13 16. And here withall remember what the Maister Christ Iesus saith comforting his faithfull seruants against obstinate contemners of his word Whosoeuer as well Princes Potentates Prelates as people shall be ashamed of me and of my words among this adulterous and sinfull generation of him shall the sonne of man be ashamed also when he commeth in the glory of his father with his holy Angels (q) Mar. 8.38 And here I will rest for this time Wee see in Pride a contempt of all other in regard of her self and how she dooth mount aboue the cloudes in desire to tread them vnder her feete and she cannot be content with this but she will be like God which is here the second vanitie of Pride CHAP. VII How Pride would be like God Pride may be said to be like God either in some proprieties or else in name First her propertie is to exalt her selfe and desire to be praised and held in honour as much or rather more then God Secondly she challengeth vengeance to her felse to plague whom she list In Name shee is like God because shee vsurpeth or challengeth to be called God OF the first wee haue heard something alreadie how Pride dooth seek to exalt her self aboue the clouds and being got vp into this perswasioÌ„ of her selfe then she lookes that all should feare her and extoll her and doo forsoothe all reuerence and worship vnto her as the diuel would haue had Christ do vnto him (r) Math. 4.9 And here the Pope steppes in for his interest but wee will put him backe vntill anon telling him and his nurse Dame Pride that when God shall come in iudgement against them Then the Lord onely shall bee exalted in that day (Å¿) Isay 2.11.17 The Lord of Hoasts shall be exalted in iudgement the holy God shall be exalted in iustice (t) Isay 5.16 For it is written I will arise saith the Lord now will I bee exalted now will I lift vp my selfe (v) Isay 33.10 Therefore the Psalmist in this respect remembring the promise of God in which the faithful patiently expect the fall of the proud and their owne deliuerance singeth Not vnto vs ô Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue thy glory for thy louing mercie and for thy truth sake (w) Ps 115.1 Thus Dauid so earnestly in his Psalmes exhorteth the childieÌ„ of God to praise the Lord (x) Ps 106. 136. which subdueth our enemies vnder our feete And the Euangelist Saint Iohn sawe all the Angells fall before the Throne on their faces and worship God saying Amen praise and glory and wisedome and thankes and honour and power and might be vnto our God for euermore Amen (y) Reu. 7.12 And not onely the Angels but all the creatures which are in heauen and in the earth and vnder the earth and in the sea and all that are in them heard I say saith Iohn praise and honour and glory power be vnto him that sitteth vpon the Throne and vnto the Lambe for euermore (z) Reu. 5.13 And the Angell would not suffer Iohn to worship him (a) Reu. 22.8.9 But Pride indeed shee is none of Gods creatures would haue all to honour and worship and praise and feare her she would be like God Thus the Samaritanes praised Symon Magus (b) Act. 8.10 and thus the people extolled Herod (c) Act. 12.22 Thus Pride cryeth to the hearts of men saying Not vnto God not vnto God but vnto mee giue the glory And this is the cause that wee haunt so much and greedily gape for to be praised of men like the Pharisies (d) Math. 6.16 to exclude Iesus Christ from his due honour and glory and praise who is ascended into the heauens and led captiuitie captiue Pride brings out Symon Magus speaking to the holy Apostle S. Peter saying Doost thou thinke thy Christ to be therefore great because he ascended from the earth to heauen A great peece of worke that can I doo And then he mounted into the ayre by the helpe of his familiar diuell But he that carried him vp let him tumble downe alone and so hee was crushed in peeces with shame inough to all his former coniurings for hee was condemned of all and no doubt damned of God there his Pride had a filthy fall (e) See Niceph lib. 5. cap. 16. Eccl. Hist. Is not this Pride the poyson of the beast which all they that dwell vpon the face of the earth shall worshippe whose names are not written in the Lambes booke of life which was slaine from the beginning of the world And they worshipped the beast saying Who is like vnto the beast who is able to warre with him (f) Re. 13.4 The holy Ghost saith Feare ye the Lord all ye his Saints And again Tremble thou earth at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the mightie God of Iacob But now Pride will be regarded this is an Idoll set vp in euery corner and who dooth not flee
and whatsoeuer is vilde which shee once disdained should touch her shall now tread vpon her Yea stinke and rottennesse shall so preuaile against that bodie which was once so proud that none may abide it like Herods and Antiochus but all men readie to get her into the ground to auoyd her noy some smel which once abounded with Pomanders and must-balls Thus wee see a foule fall of filthie Pride neuer thought vpon before it come of the most Like Diues who neuer remembred hell vntill hee was in it Then he cried But if thou once be there Luk. 16.24 then neuer hope for helpe for Ab inferno nulla est redemptic thou shalt neuer come out Amend then before death come Ambr. lib. de bono Mortis c. 2. et in oratione de fide resur Aug. in Io. Tract 42. lib. Q. 2.65 32. Oreg in Epist ad Rom. lib. 6. Of death the auncient and learned Fathers haue gathered from the holie scriptures as the painfull Bees dooth hony from the flowers not only for themselues but for others Sic vos non vobis fertis aratra boues Therefore because that which is written is written for our learning I haue gathered from them both foure kindes of death 1 The death of sin generall 2 The death Mysticall 3 The death Naturall 4 The death Eternall 1 The death of sinne as Saint Ambrose calls it is the depriuation or losse or darkening of the Image of God in man like vnto which hee was creared Thus Adam dyed so soone as he had eaten of the forbidden fruit as God promised vnto him hee should And in Adam All die 1. Cor. 15.22 like as the braunches of a tree doo wither when the roote is dead Therefore the Apostle saith Rom. 3.23 All haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God Ephe. 2.3 And were by nature the children of wrath and were dead in our sinnes Of this death many places testifie As Let the dead bury the dead Math. 8.22 Arise thou that sleepest stand vp from the dead c. See Galathians 3.22 Psal 14.1 Further search and thou shalt finde 2 Death Mysticall is to forsake sinne Quando quis peccato moritur deo viuit When one dyeth vnto sinne and liueth vnto God It is Qua a peccatis moriuntur whereby men die from sinne Of this Paule speaketh saying How shall wee that are dead vnto sinne yet liue therein Againe Ye are dead to sinne but are aliue to GOD in Iesus Christ our Lord. Of this death Christ speaketh saying The houre is come and now it is when the dead shall heare the voice of the sonne of GOD and liue Thus Paul dyed And so should we therefore hee saieth Mortifie your earthly members 3 Death Naturall S. Ambrose saith is Animae corporisque secessio The departing or seperating asunder of the body and the soule Thus Adam dyed and all we must die Only Elias those that shal be found aliue at Christs comming to iudgement die not thus but they shall be chaunged Which shall be in stead of death 4. Death eternall is the seperation of the soule and body from God and the kingdome of heauen and that for euermore Quae stipendium peccati nominatur Which is called the reward of sinne This Christ remembreth saying If a man keepe my word hee shall neuer see death Which the Euangelist calleth the Second death 1. The lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Into which the great Iudge of all the world will send all the wicked saying Go ye cursed into euerlasting fire Ioh. 8.51 which is prepared for the diuell and his angels Of these two last my text speaketh for Nabuchadnezzar and all the proud and abhominable of the world But know that wee all must to the first and third Math. 25 41. and they that come not to the second shall be sure of the fourth For the first the King cared not to the second he came not to the third hee was forced and in the fourth hee with all such shall neuer haue rest Cruciabuntur die ac nocte They shal be tormented day and night and that for euermore Now of these two last in order CHAP. IIII. What death is DEath naturall is described of many in seuerall maner but the sence or meaning is all one One saith death is Metoicesis tes psuches euthenthe eis allon topon A remoouing Translatio Abret ex Plat. Act. 7.59 Chrysos popu ad Antioch Hom. 7. Aug. in Iohn Ambr. li. de bono mort ca. 1 3. or translating of the soule from hence to another place An other Depositio sarcinae grauis An easing or vnlading one of a heauie burthen S. Ambrose saith death is Spirandi munere priuari To bee depriued of the benefite of breathing Againe Mors est absolutio animae corporis quaedam hominis seperatio Death is an absolution or discharge of the soule from the body and a certaine seperation of man It is like vnto a bill of diuorcement betwixt man and wife seperating that which before was one flesh Adultery is the cause of the one and the diuell sinne and thine owne consent thereto is the cause of the other But the most affirme that Mors aliud non est Aug. de cōso mort lib. 2. ca. 1. quam animae seperatio à corpore Death is nothing else but the seperation of the body and the soule It is like enuy that parteth friends asunder Therefore Ambrose vseth this saying of the Psalme he speaking of death Thou hast broken my bonds asunder Abr. li. de bono Mortis cap. 3. Because death breaketh open the prison of the soule Augustine saith That euen as famine is the defect of foode thirst the want of drinke and darknesse the absence of light c. euen so death is nothing else Aug. contra Pelag. Hyp. lib. 1. Nisi Nomen recedente vita But a name the life beeing gone To be short the Apostle Paul spake of death when he said I desire to be loosed So did Ionas when hee said Take my life from mee And Iob when he desired To be cut off This loosing taking away of life or cutting off is death By which the soule departing Paulatim saith Ambrose by litle and litle Ambr. de bono Mor. cap. 2. Soluat se vinculis carnis ore emissa euolat tanquam carcereo corporis huius exuta gurgustio She looseth her selfe from the bandes of the flesh and beeing got out at the doore of the mouth as the spies escaped through Rahabs windowe shee mounteth as being freed from the close darke dungion of the body as one bestirreth his heeles that is broke out of prison And this is death whither all must come But I thinke some scarce beleeueth it and therefore I wil proue it vnto them CHAP. V. That all men must die and when THat all men must die it is plaine for it is written Iosuah