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
Petrus misericordia motus sayth Epiphanius Peter beyng moued with pitie more than with zeale and trueth sayd he would refuse none immediatly vpon their repentaunce Meletius moued with trueth zeale affirmed that he would receiue none except they shewed the fruites of true repentaunce by long triall and proofe of amēdement Epiphanius sayth farther Cōtigit Petrum martyrium subire decessit beatus ille It fell out that Peter suffered Martyrdome and died a blessed man and they that held with Peter were called the Catholicke Church they that dyd sticke to Meletius were called the Churche of Martyrs very few stode with Peter the most of the prisoners stode with Meletius who called his Church the Church of Martyrs which were such as would take vp Christes Crosse and folow him The Church of Rome beyng moued neither with pitie zeale truth reasō nor honesty but onely with ambition and couetousnesse refuseth none so they will shew thē selues to be of that Catholicke Church Traytours murtherers théeues coseners cutters adulters baudes strumpets and all other gracelesse persons may vpon the sayd cōditiō haue safe accesse to Rome and be of that Church Whereas these men alledge Succession of place and persons not beyng hable to proue Succession of true doctrine we may say their Succession is nothyng worth For that is not a iust Succession which lacketh the puritie of the Apostolicke doctrine right vse of the Sacramentes Succession of doctrine is the true and infallible marke of the true Church Irenaeus sayth they are not alwayes true Ministers which séeme so to be but they which kéepe the doctrine of the Apostles S. Paule sayth fayth commeth not by Succession but by hearyng and hearyng commeth not of legacie or inheritaunce from Byshop to Byshop but of the word of god He sayth also be ye folowers of me as I am a folower of Christ S. Ambrose sayth Non habent haereditatem Petri qui fidem Petri non habent They haue not Peters inheritaunce that haue not the fayth of Peter Chrisost sayth The pulpit maketh not a Minister but a Minister the pulpit Christ sayd to the Iewes boastyng that they were the séede of Abraham you are of your father the deuill They are not alwayes godly that succéede the godly For S. Paul sayth in the Actes I know this that after my departyng greeuous wolues shall enter in among you not sparing the flocke Also of your owne selues shall men arise speakyng peruerse thyngs to draw away disciples after them He spake this at Miletum to the bishops of Asia Christ sayth that by Succession desolation shall sit in the holy place and Antichrist shall preasse in to the roome of Christ Manasses succéeded Ezechias Hieroboam succéeded Dauid at this day by Succession the Turke possesseth and holdeth the foure Patriarchall seates or seas of the Church Alexandria Hierusalem Constantinople and Antioche Iohānes Saris buriensis sayth In Romana Ecclesia sedent Scribae Pharisaei By Succession the Scribes and Phariseis sit in the Church of Rome Thus you sée how Antiquitie Vniuersalitie and Succession helpe the cause of the shakers of the shyp It foloweth in the text Now when he had left speaking he sayd vnto Simon launch out into the deepe and let downe your nettes to make a draught Christ hauing ended his heauenly Sermon certifieth vs of the truth of the same and declareth himselfe to be God the Lord of heauen earth the sea and all that is in them Hee sayd vnto Simon launch out into the déepe Christ was able to geue fishe to Simon without launching out of his net and without his labour ▪ but his will was to haue him launch out his nette c. That which is sayd to Peter is sayd to al Launch out into the deepe c. Euery man of what estate and condition soeuer he be is commaunded paynefully to follow his vocation with fayth Man forthwith after his creation was set to labour The Lord tooke man and set him in the pleasant garden of Eden to dresse it and to kéepe it It was sayd to Adam after that he had tasted the forbiddē fruite In sudore vultus tui vesceris pane thou shalt eate thy bread with the sweate of thy face The same is sayd to euery man Man is borne vnto trauaile sayth Iob as the sparkes flye vpward Whē thou eatest the labours of thy handes thou shalt be blessed it shall be well with thée Our Sauiour Christ sayth the kindome of heauē is like to a man that is an housholder which went out earely in the morning to hier labourers into his vineyard This housesholder is God the father The kingdome of heauen in in this place is the preaching of the gospell of Christ The labourers are all men The vineyard is the Church Why stād you heare all the day idle goe ye also into the vineyard apply your vocation with fayth in Christ Iesu Laboure while you haue time when the night commeth no man can labour Idlenes is the mother and nourisher of all vices which thinge hath bin obserued in the Primitiue Church where it was ordayned that euerye one should liue of his owne labour The which also the auntient Romanes kept straightly as writeth Cicero in his booke of lawes wherein he affirmeth that in tyme past no Roman durst goe by the streates if he bare not a shew whereon he did lyue to th end that it might be knowen the he liued of his owne labour and not by the sweate of others In consideration thereof the Consull did beare a battell axe before him The priest a hat in manner of a Coyfe The Tribune a mace The Cutler a sword The Smith a hammer The Tayler a payre of sheares The Oratour a booke All godly men heretofore haue laboured and also haue continued in spirituall exercise Noha planted a vineyard The kinglye prophet Dauid laboured euen from his youth The Apostle Paule sustayned great labours Reade of that vertuous and painefull woman in the last chapter of prouerbes she eateth not her bread with Idlenes A good lesson for good huswiues to remember A good lesson for ill huswifes to follow But what shall I say of the holye of all holyes is it not written Iesus fatigatus exitinere Iesus being weary of his iorney c Such was his labour he trauailed sometyme among the Iewes sometyme among the Samaritanes he trauailed to the sea side to the moūtaynes to the wildernes so much trauailed he that his handes féete and whole bodye did sweate droppes lyke bloud trickeling downe to the ground and all for the redemption of miserable man to destroy the works of the deuill It is writtē to the praise of Cyrus king of Persia that in tyme vacant frō the affaires of his realme he with his owne handes had planted innumerable trées which long before he dyed brought forth aboundāce of fruite And for the cunnyng and delectable order in setting of
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
fittest to offer sacrifice to their Gods to the great shame of Christiās now adayes which thinck the most abiect outcast good inough to take vpon him so high and holy a function The auntient Romaines through the instinct of nature thought so reuerently of religion that they sent their children yea euen the noblest men of Rome sent their sonnes into Hetruria to learne the seruice of god Nowadayes a meane gentleman thinketh his childe to good to learne and professe true religiō Hereby it is cleare and euident what care heathē men ignorant of the true worshipping of God haue had of Religiō Poets by their feyninges haue commended it Oratours haue exhorted vnto it Philosophers haue thought it necessary in a common wealth cōmon people haue sworne to defend it Noble men haue preferred it Kinges haue professed it There is no religion without the word of god We haue the vnderstanding of the will of God by his onely word For without the same our sight is blindnes our vnderstāding ignorance our wisedome foolishnes our deuotiō deuilishnes The profite fruite of this heauēly word is wonderfull All scripture geuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teach to reproue to correct to instruct in righteousnes that we may be patient and finde comfort S. August sayth In scripturis didicimus Christum in scripturis didicimus Ecclesiam In the scriptures we haue learned Christ in the scriptures we haue learned the church S. Basill sayth Verbum Dei ex quo solo noscitur deus regiam viā monstrat est lucerna pedum nostrorum The word of God by the which onely God is knowne sheweth the kinges highway and is the light of our feete We learne fayth in the scriptures S. Hilary sayth to the Emperour Constantinus Fidem Imperator quaeris audi eam nō de nouis chartulis sed de dei libris Doth your Maiestie séeke the fayth Heare it then not out of any new schrolles but out of the booke of God. S. Ambrose sayth Christus oritur in lectione scripturarum sol iusticiae In reading the scriptures Christ the sun of righteousnes riseth To be short S. August sayth verbo Dei docemur in omnibus By the word of God wée are instructed in all thinges All thinges necessary to saluation are cōtayned in the scripture for profe wherof because other matters call me awaye I leaue briefly these places Ioh 14. 25. vers 2. Timo 3. 15. Luc 14. 17. Math 22. 4. verse Esai 5. 4. verse This matter is proued out of the most auntient fathers Irenaeus and Tertullian read Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 1. and 4. Tertul. de praescript haeres As many as drincke of this heauenly fountayne shall receiue benefite of it the blind shall see the deaf shall heare the dumme shall speake the lame shall walke fooles shall be wise the sicke shal be whole the dead shall reuiue The drincking of this fountayne hath made many proud men humble many couetous misers mercifull many faythles faythfull many filthy fornicators chast many furious and wrathfull méeke and milde many slouthfull and drousie vigilant and watchfull many fearefull bold yea and euen contemners of Phalaris Bul many Saules many Paules manye manye children of darcknes the children of light God by his worde offereth to vs his mercifull hand by fayth we geue to God our hand and the sacraments are as a third hand which confirme and stablish the ioyning of the other two together If you feare the iudgement of sinne This most pretious worde offereth you righteousnes in Christ if you feare death it offereth lyfe If you feare the fire of hel it offereth the ioyes of heauen and breefely you haue in this word whence you may take both in lyfe recreation and in death preseruation Moyses hauing the word of God could diuide the sea The Apostles although poore fishermen with the worde of God ouercame the world The blinde which heard the voyce of Christ receiued sight The dombe speach wherewith they glorified God the lame strēgth which they applied to the seruice of God the deaf hearing whereby they became attentiue hearers of this gratious worde Christ sayd to the rulers daughter Mayde arise and she arose straight waye He sayd to the widowes sonne young man I say to thée arise and he that was dead sat vp and began to speake And to Lazarus he cryed with a lowd voyce Lazarus come forth he that was dead came forth bound hand and foote The tēpestnous windes heard his voyce and forthwith they were alayed the sea waues heard it they became calme men possessed with deuils heard it and they obeied yea the very deuils hearing his voyce humbled themselues O deaf and obstinat mindes of wicked men O you that lye groueling on the ground and haue no feeling of thinges aboue ▪ Christ crieth dayly Damsell arise young man I say to thee arise Lazarus come forth dead sinner embrace lyfe But all are in a deepe sléepe a sléepe of sinne and neglect to awake Yet these miserable men ought to remēber that the day will come the day wil come when wil they nil they they shall heare the voyce of the sonne of God comming in the cloudes with great power and maiestie Then shall they stand before his iudgement seate Then shall they heare to their endlesse smart the thūder of the law depart from me ye cursed into euerlastyng fier which is prepared for the deuils his angels Heare therefore the word of God while you haue tyme Consider the season it is now tyme to arise from sléepe It is now high tyme to heare You haue no colour of excuse What more could haue bene done for the vyneyard All thinges inuite moue and desire you to heare The clearenes of the holy Scriptures calleth you For the Scriptures generally are easie cleare So saith S. Paul If our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost So sayth the Prophet Oseas The wayes of the Lord be straight but the wicked shall fall in them So sayeth the Prophet Dauid The Scriptures are a candle a guide to our féete So saith the old father Origene Clausum est negligent ibus iuuenitur quarētibus If is shut from the negligent but it is opened to them that séeke knock for it So sayth Clemens Alexandrinus Audite qui estis longe Audite qui prope nullis celatum est verbum lux est communis omnibus illucescit hominibus Nullus est in verbo Cimmerius festinemus ad salutem ad regenerationem Hearken ye that be far of hearken ye that be neare The worde of God is hid from no man It is a light common vnto all men There is no darknes in Gods word Let vs make hast to saluation to regeneration So Fulgentius In Scripturis diuinis abundat quod robustus comedat quod paruulus sugat In the Scriptures of God there is