now also write I haue to lead me therunto these causes First my office and calling draweth me as beeing a Dispensar of the woord of God Secondly my dutie which is to winne all but especially you which are so farre off Thirdly that care which beyond measure I haue had is a prick and a spurre within me since the firste time I was with you at the Tower And which should prouoke me I haue a commaundement giuen me from the eternall God to preach in season and out of season in time and out of time whersoeuer I see the Church to stand in need Therfore I beeing espetially mooued aboue the rest you haue no farther to enquire after me As concerning the thinges I am to charge you withall they are many great importable and such as you can neuer answere They concerne the Lord the high God whose lawes you contemne They concerne the Church from which you are fled They concerne the trueth which you denye They concerne Religion which you abhorre They concerne Christianitie which you are farre from They concerne true Woorship which you repose in your Imageâ— They concerne Faith which you lay in Worâ—â—s They concerne perfecte and Christian adoration this you claspe vp in the bosome of the Pope They coÌ„cerne prayer which in steed of God you giue to men They concerne Christe whose institutions you chaunge They concerne the perfect seruice of the Lord which you infolde in the Masse They concerne our Meditation which you make but a sacrifice Propitiatorie by the woork of a Preest They concerne our attonement and reconciler Christe and him whome the heauens containeth you infolde in a Wafer cake They concerne the Gospell which you refuse you stick to the customes of your fathers And they concerne the woord of the Lord which you heare not but compelled which you slaun der beeing hardened which you contemne beeing blinded and which you spurn throwe away euen before our faces to our great greef and your confusion if you repent not All these many things more I am to charge you with hauing this purpose in my selfe That first you are to be loked vnto and if that you will not turne vnto the Lord our God and serue him after the manner that we his People Israell doo either we must shut you out of the Tents and dwelling places of the inheritaunce of our God or we must finde some way to pacifye the Lord withall For I am certainly perswaded that you haue been kept ouer long you and your fellowe Ammonites yea these twentie yeares haue you been pricks and thornes in our sides now you come out of your holes wherin younestled resisting openly the hoste of the Lord vnto their faces But this may not be suffered least your example of gathering sudâ— vpon the Sabaoth day be an occasion also that others shall violate and break the commaundements of God I warne you therfore in time and these Sermons of myne which I made vnto you haue I gathered together in a little volume that you may read them They contayne in them a breefe and short confutation of all such Heresies as you doo holde With this speech if you be not contented I wil then call back and reclaime it when as I perceiue and see thorow ly that you are amended More I cannot say more I may not say and more I dare not say as yet to you whom not I but aâ— Christian harts doo thinke to be instruments of Satan raysed vp for our sinnes as two edged Swoordes to rent and out in peeces the poore Church of England For mine owne parce I wil pray to the Lord our God for your amendement and I will begge that Discipline at his hands which you if you come not to him are woorthie to haue To whom I doo commit you that hath both life and death faluation and condemnation in his handes Yours in the Lord if you come vnto the Lord. Iohn Keltridge At London Iune 10. 1581. The first part of the Sermon wherein is largelie confuted sundrie grosse heresies which the Iesuites Seminaries and other the Popes Schollers doo holde preached at the Tower in their presence that the trueth might be known vnto them more apparantlie 7. Maij. 1581. IT is thus written right Honourable right VVoorshipfull and belooued in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christe Deut. 6. v. 4. Heare O Israel the Lord our God is Lord onely and thou shalt looue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy might And these words which I commaund thee this day shall be in thy heart THe looue that our Lord God bare to Israell his people though it be in many places of this booke shewed openly and declared plainlie to them Of all the bookes of Moses this of Deuteronomy for the blessing great benefiteâ— God shewed to his people is the most coÌ„fore table and heauenly booke Yet in more ample manner it was neuer set downe at any time to that Nation as in this the vnspeakable looue of the Lord their God who in daunger defending them in troubles deliuering them in extremities assisting them in slauerie and captiuiâ—e vpholding them by his mightie hand did not onely by Myracles she we his power or by his Prouision for them signifie his looue or by his outstretched arme manifest his care or by fighting with Kinges for their sakes driue all onlie an especiall reuerence into their hearts of his Maiestie But verie fatherlie in affection most loouingly in Mercie and tenderlte with long Patience did the Lord instructe and teach them by Moses and Aaron that they might know the Commaundements of the Lord and feare him Wherefore as at the first to cause them to remember him the Lord our God appeared in fire and lightning and in most terrible manner to beate a care and reuerent feare into their hearts So to â—omfore them againe was Moses sent with this 〈◊〉 and these Coâ—â—tâ—ndements as reâ—embraunces pledges of his looue that in the same they might acknowledge him and in trembling and feare obey him in knowledge increase their looue towards him and in reuereÌ„ce serue him all the dayes of their lyfe Now this booke is a recapitulation a bréefe summarie and short rehersall of all such Lawes Ordinaunces Statutes as the Lord had giuen to Israel and a Commemoration of all his sundrie notable and famous benefites as Israel and this People had receyned at the handes of God and therefore sayth Moses Heare O Israel the Lord thy God is Lord onely These woordes haue in them noted two principall thinges common bothe in the Lawe and in the Prophetes 1. First an exhortation In requesting and in praying them 2. Secondlie a Commaundement In willinge and in forcing them The Inuocation or calling on them to heare that which appertayneth to God declareth howe ready the Lord is to saue man The Lawe and constraint vsed by commaundement certifieth vs albeit we will not come vnto
a seruice which toucheth and concerneth God and a seruice which toucheth and concerneth man Whereinto if you or any other shall looke it wil be founde that this scruice which is appertinent vnto God and vnto man is also two folde Seruice of God and man â— The body and the minde goe togeather in the 〈◊〉 wooâ—ship of God Internall which is in spirite for as God is a spirite so also will he be woorshipped in spirite and truthe Externall which is outwarde in reuerence and dutie apparant euen to man Bothe these are required in this place and they be 〈◊〉 vnted togeather as without bâ—the of them the Lordâ— our God cannot bee truelie woorshipped Theresice I will not seueare or deuide the one from the other but I will â—ucke them as in a golden Chaine and make them Caepartuers and fellow companiorts in enerye good action Now this internall and this externall seruice of the Lorde are bothe séenâ— in diners circumstances of my Text as followeth True seruice is seene 1. First if you shal loone 2. Secondly the Lord your God 3. Thirdly with all your hart 4. Fourthly with all your soule 5. Fiftly with all your might 1. The first sheweth the readinesse that is in vs. 2. The second shutteth out all other woorship whatsoeuer 3. The third declareth that nothing should be precious vnto vs but the Lord. 4. The fourth taketh away all counterfeiting and all dissimulation 5. The fife openeth that no creature els may haue this seruice but onely the Lord our God The fall of maÌ„ being in perfection his vnstablenâ—◠〈◊〉 he is on earth his coâ—â—uptâ— mind in a◠〈◊〉 he doo the 〈◊〉 blyndnes and error in the lyght his grosnesse harde hart in beleef dyd requyre a pure and vndefiled lawe to brydle him I am not ignoraunt that euerie man in whome is the breath of life and vpon whome the Lord our God hath powred of his Spirite is in some part any in eueriâ— part faultie in this coâ—â—aundoment which naturall blinâ—nesse and Ignoraunce of ours sheweth the groat perfection 〈◊〉 heauenly integritie of the Lord and againe condempneth vs as guiltis in eneriâ— point 〈…〉 our handes at the barte continuallie as béeing on able to 〈◊〉 any lots of this same or to stand before God if he call vs to a reckoning For if that man were able to stand and would neuer fall from his 〈…〉 and his heart vnâ—â—â—â—ble 〈…〉 〈◊〉 be 〈…〉 in Israelit thon â—e 〈…〉 thinke â—ho 〈…〉 〈…〉 that 〈…〉 thing 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 that 〈…〉 We may 〈…〉 and no doubt the Lord our God hath so stra 〈…〉 vs to obserue these thinges prescribed euen to looue him and him our God and with all our heart and with an our soule and with all out stight 〈◊〉 sundrie waightie and great causes Causes why the Lorde hath giuen so straight a commauÌ„dement 1. First 〈◊〉 our owne â—â—â—etchednesse myseserie and death 2. Secondlie to be aâ—cused not excused before the Lord. 3. Thirdly to tremble and shake when we â—span 4. Fourthly that â—bndemâ—nation may appeare in vs knowing that we are not able to fulfill this 5. Firstly to make vs affrighted and to weaken out consciences seeing that we cannot lyue in â—â—â—â—bedience 6. Sixtly to keepe vs by discipline as vnder a lawe for euer 7. Seuenthly to teach vs the â—ntâ— and perfect workes of righteous nesse 8. Eightly to exclude all other Idoll woorshippe and to serue all onely the Lord our God Man thynking that he â—â—aÌ„deth dooth fall that he is in lyse is yet in death that he is stroÌ„g is vveake that he can doo all thynges dooth nothing aryght therefore hath he inward and secrete sinnes vvhich hee must tame and subdue as well as the outward vices subiect to the eyes of men And now to come more narrowlie to euerie one in this place thâ—gener all is it to he thaught that no man hath an euill eye vpon Abel vpon his brother is the heart of euerie man persen Dooth none despise Iacob Is there not one but 〈◊〉 a porsect Censar or shall we make accoumpt is there nener an 〈◊〉 person in this company not one 〈◊〉 you that hath worne the golden Earinges or hath not cast one stone against the house of God or ioyned them selues with Aaron to committe euyll Is the leauen of Egipt cleane forgotten or hath no man syt downe to eate and 〈◊〉 and rose vp againe to play Is the hearts of you all pire 〈◊〉 the Lord what not once at Samaria in all your life not once at Dan not once at Bethell no not â—ne â—ine or affectioned to Priapus Of a trueth it may hardâ—â— be so thought a man will not indge it and God knoweth it is otherwise Why man he is full of presumptious â—â—â—es why his offeringes be vncleane and the fat of the 〈◊〉 is taynâ—ed Many truct in Chariots and many trust in Horses and diuers say there is no helpe in our God and then which way can we be frée from his wrath The man that worketh no deceypt the man that hath not slaundered his neighbour the man that hath not put out his money to loane nor his coyne to Vsurie the man in whose loule there is no guile is not cannot may not be found I tell you to looue the Lord with all your soule with all your might with all your strength with all your heart to looue the Lord and to looue him onely is to fulfill the whole lawe and the Prophetes As the false Prophetes of Iesabell knewe the trueth in the dayes of nlyas the Prophet and as Amasiah dyd vvilfully resist Ieremie the Seribes Saduces Christe so doo the Iesuites and Papistes resist vs against theyr ewne consciences I doo professe and protest before you all yea before the Lord and before his Angels that I neuer enter into the conâ—â—â—eration of this but that I wonder howe it commeth to paste that the aduersaries of the grace of God the Papistes doo not burst and cleaue in sunder when they sée that honor that zeale that affection that loous that might that strength which is due to the Lord God so wickedly and so commonlie to be giuen to Creatures And now tell me you whose faces are faces of brasse you of the. Colledge of the Pope you his Seminaries you inuested into the order of the Iesuites howe you are able to aunswere and to reconcile your selues vnto the Lord God sayth Looue me you loue the Pope God sayth Looue me with all your heart but how heartilie how faithfully pray you to Saints God sayth Looue me with all thy soule yet you sell prayers vnto men and the Soules of men doo you giue from God for money God sayth Looue me with all thy might and you endeâ—â—â—r day and night to Idolatrie God sayth Heare me onely but you will not heare him at all and if you doo you are compelled vnto it Then in consideration that you haue so boldelie resisted the Trueth and
that you are hardned for the same poyson which you drunke in your first yéeres is a cause why you are broken out into the â—â—â—â—titude of your gréeuous sores at this present Then want of prayer to the Lord dooth againe putrifie you so sore within as busied and occupied in their inuocation to Saint Peter to Saint Thomas to the Virgin Marie others you haue not any leysure at all to call on God wherfore you doo not wel for those Personages are great Personages béeing troubled with a multitude of Suters they may not presently heare you neither can they preferre your prayers vnto God so soone Peraduenture also they be abroad or busied in some waightie affayres or else they haue some other request for some néerer fréend of theyrs and you most wayte yet longer Wherfore turne to the Lord and he will heare you indéede neither will he deferre saluation from day to day Lastly I am afraide that one of you infecteth an other therefore I doo wishe that you may be seuered asunder when the Tempter is gone It is euident that the Kings Keisars dyd vvithstand the Pope a long season tyll by maine might the Pope took in hand to staÌ„d in armes against them For Carolus in his tyme made an Edict against the Pope and cut off halfe his Crowne yet dyd the Pope swell and ryse more more but in blood the spirit of the Lord will walke more effectuallie And I for my part together with my brethren will pray for you continuallie that the Lord God would open your eyes that you may sée the trueth for vndoubtedlie your hearts are full of woormwood gall and I sée that bitternes is within you euen to death if the Lord God quicken you not Who euer sayd that that was proper to man which is to be giuen to God but you who euer affirmed that the Pope was Lord and God and King and Keisar saue all only you who hath giuen him power by which as of himselfe he standeth who hath giuen him honour by which through his might he striketh he cutteth off he saueth saue onely you who hath giuen him the keies of hell and heauen where he bindeth and he loseth saue all onely you who hath sayd he is God Vicegerant in earth by which he ordaineth and deposeth but onely you who hath made him equall with God and most like vnto the highest saue all onely you his Schollers his Disciples his Ministers and such as are and haue béene accoumpted Heretiques and are of the same profession as are you wherfore returne come away flie froÌ„ the whore of Roome Apoc. 17. O be not deceyued she hath poysoned all the Kings of the earth with the venome of her cup Stay a while pause and consider and you shall sée the dampnation of this great whore that sitteth vpon many waters With her haue the Kings of the earth committed fornication with her haue the Inhabitants of the earth béene made drunke for shée sitteth vpon a scarlet coloured Beast A Beast is Roome called for the eruell sauadge vnnaturall beastly qualities found with in her as appeareth in Daniel Dan. 7.7 Sitting in Scarlet for that the was red and inglutted with the blood of the Saintes The outragious pride of this vvhore of Roome the Pope is séene In that at this day he hath vpoÌ„ his Pallace a Piller of stone that is valued at 20000. Crownes Hee hath his roose seeled vvith golde couer His hanginges are of precious stone lyke glasse And yeerely hath he comming in out of the common stewes an Annuall reuenew vvhich is his tribute of 20000. pounds from amoÌ„g the vvhores common vvomen of Roome so that he is the vvhore that sitteth in the golden chayte Then hauing names full of blasphemy for is there any one now or was there any euer héeretofore that had the same blasphemous titles as hath the Pope Then hauing vâ— heads which are seuen hylles on which Roome did stand and was built and so sometimes had seuen Kinges within her The whore is said to haue ten hornes many kingdoms vnder her Then she is arayed in Purple and Scarlet For the glorie of your Popedome staÌ„deth in outward Pompe and we know that no Prince in the world is more ritchly attired then is that monster at Roome Then she hath a cup of abhominations in her hand And not without cause in as much as all Heresies false doctrine and Superstitions of the late Churches haue come from her Then in the forehead is there a Misterie written Babilon the great the mother of whordome A Mysterie in déede for none can comprehend this secrete but the Elect None can tell you that this Roome is that whore but such as God hath touched None can open this plainly to the world saue onely those to whome God hath giuen it And therefore if your hearts were not hardned if in hearing you dyd not heare or in séeing you sawe not and were not blinded or if the Lord had not shut vp your vnderstanding for your wilfulnesse it could not be possible but in this lyght and beautie of our time of the trueth you should vnderstand and conuert be saued and deferre not off from day to day for the longer you stay the more fierce God is the longer you prolong the more seuere he is This day if you heare his voyce harden not your harts I tell you that the wicked man dooth moste prowdely kéepe his countenaunce and will not be chauÌ„ged the heart of the godly man melteth when he heareth of the Lord Rom. 2.5 wherefore take you héede that according to your hardnesse of heart and your impenitent soules which will not repent you heape vp vengeance against the day of vengeance against the day of wrathe the reuealing of the iust iudgement of God For wherfore should you stand thus in defence of the Pope wherefore should you hazard your selues for a mortall man wherefore stande you against the truthe is it for the you are ignoraunt you may sée Is it because you haue learned so Our Fathers are to be followed no farther then you follow the Lordet Reade Origen in Esech Hom. 7. reade Augu. vpon Iohn Tract 49. cap. 11 you shall haue another lesson the Lord God shall be your maister Is it because you feare man why the Lord our God is greater stande to him what haue your Fathers beléetâ—ed so then be you other men you shall not beare theyr iniquities what haue you learned this from them of olde why what then They erred go you vprightlie they sinned against theyr God prouoke you him not they liued in miserable dayes and sawe little you haue the lawe in your mouthe and it is open to all they desired and could not haue it you may haue and will not take it They had the Gospell kept from them by the Tiranny of the man of sinne that brused and stamped vnder his féete the Saints of
fire Deut. 4.24 For the Lorde he is a iudge of the world 1. Sam. 2.10 he is as in Egle swift to anger Exod. 19.4 he is as a man strengthened with wine Psal 78.65 hee is as a roaring Lyon to the wicked Isay 31.4 and as a deuourer and eater vp of the impenitent The Lord he is terrible Deut. 7.21 a reuenger of vnrighteousnes he is swift to deuoure the families of the wicked and he will not spare the vngodly houses therefore out of these places of scripture I make this conclusion His wordes are to be feared and his lawes and comandements are to bee kept that is able if wee disobay him to destroy vs But The Lord our God is a consuming fire a two edged sworde as a flaming fire to the wicked that disobey him ergo The Lorde our God is to be feared and his lawes his command ementes but none other whatsoeuer coÌ„trarie to his are to be kept Now this coÌ„maundement here is taken two manner of wayes Exclusiue 1 Excluding all manner of false worship 2 Excluding all other commaundements of men contrarie to this 3 Excluding all foraine power and iurisdiction of Turke and Pope contrarie to this Inclusiue For God includeth all kinde of true worship within this coÌ„mandement of his word The second circumst was this Who they were this commandement did concerne touch They were the Israelites and the people of God hereof I may principally yeeld two reasons 1 First because the promise made so Abraham should be kept that God shoulde be mindfull of that that was spokeÌ„ namely that he and his séede should be blessed for euer which â—hing hath bene must largely and most aboundantly both séene and knowne to all the world and continued so long as Israel feared his name serued him the Lord their God Was it not so of old and doe not we knowe that it is true Israel why they were the inheritaunce of the liuing God Deut. 4.20 Deut. 9.26 Deut. 14.2 2. Sam. 21.3 Israel they were redéemed in his strength Israel was a holy people to their God Israel was as the vineyard of the Lord and he brought out the Heathen and planted them Psal 80.9 Israel was elected of God and the Lorde loued them euermore Deut. 10.15 Israel was a royall Priesthoode Exod. 19.6 and a holy nation counted of till they forsooke the Lord their God of hoste and then God forsooâ—e them 2 Secondly this lawe was giuen to Israel that it might be a witnes vnto them of the iust iudgements of God if they obeyed him not as Moses did prophecie for for this cause are they called by God Rebels and runnagates from the Lorde Deut. 9.24 Psal 106.40 Then were they castawayes from the face of GOD. Eze. 16.3 Then were they counted a wicked generation and of the posteritie of Cham Then as they sell straungely were they called ignominiously by the name of Apostataes Then Eze. 2.3 Then named hypocrites for their dissembling with their God Rom. 2.17 Then Incredulous persons for their vnbeliefe Then were they called the Slayers and murtherers of the Prophetes Iohn 7.28 for in déede they killed them Then the Persecutours of the Gospell Matth. 23.34 for they hated the way of life Then were they called the betrayers of Christ for they killed him And from that day to this Actes 13.46 haue they and their séede bene Vagabonds in strange landes they haue runnâ— from countrie to countrie Actes 3.13 and they haue had no place for why they prouoked the Lord their God to anger and nowe hath he punished them according to the wordes of his seruaunt Moses long before Nowe therefore this appertaineth vnto vs As the Ammorites Pâ—eresits and Iebusites were dâ—â—en â—ut of their owne land thâ—â—â—â—â—el might postede and eâ—â—oy the same So were the Israelites dispossessed of their inheritaÌ„ce for their sinnes that we might be heirs in their steede for séeing that this lawe was giuen vnto them to kéepe and they disobeyed it it is taken from them and giuen vnto vs that we may loue it And in as much as all the day long the Lord stretched foorth his hande vnto a disobedient and gaynesaying people we haue also to take héede that we harden not our heartes as they did in the day of temptation wherefore in many trials and in a long patience and sufferable affection did the Lords leade them from time to time that they might knowe him At the length did he cast them off for their stubbornnesse and hardnesse of heart and whereas they were accepted before GOD gaue vnto them the spirite of slumber and their table was made a snare and a net and a stumbling blocke as 〈◊〉 recompence vnto them to this day And whereas before they were braunches of the right Oliue trée nowe are they cut off and we are taken in in their steade Rom. 11.24 Israel is cast off and we the Gentiles are in their place we must therefore take héede that we also liue now according to the lawes of our God lest that the Lorde despise vs God is of long suffering and of great mercy but when as he striketh he is a consuming fire as he did them for his rigor vpon Israel and his mercy towardes vs his angrie countenaunce shewed vnto them and his louing fauour to vs warde declare both his seueritie and iustice vpon them in refusing them and his clemencie towarde vs that were straungers in that he hath chosen vs as an other Israel and an other Church vnto him selfe for we are nowe the Israel of God and so long we shall be the same as we either obey him rightly or serue him vprightly or be readie to serue him or swerue not from him but kéepe the right way which that we may doe we will examine the third circumstance The thirde circumstance What is the commaundement commaunded here It is this These wordes which I commaund thee this day shall be in thy heart c. Wherein I wold that you noted many thinges 1 First the words commaunded are the words of God not the wordes of Man Turke Pope c. 2 Secondly giuen this day noteth that as yeres doe consist of dayes so day after day making many dayes doth declare that God is to be loued and feared euery day 3 Thirdly here is to be noted the future time these words shal be in thy heart which is a precise lawe that in as much as no time is limited but the future time named it doth argue that God is to be remembred at all times 4 Fourthly I doe gather here in that God saith These wordes shall be laide vp in thy heart that therefore Rires and ceremonies are not to be required so much in the true seruice of the Lord as is the soul and spirit For God will be serued in spirit and trueth 5 In that his wordes are to be remembred is
whether he did well or euill And Osorius did but the other day sende abroade his CoÌ„nfections to poyson the young Frie of England who as he flaunteth it out in a leafe or two yet halteth he in many places and speaketh verie roughly and breaketh out euery where vnpleasauntly and then healeth vp the wound so rawly againe as that his gleaned and piked vp corne stolne words borrowed ware deceiptfull stile quauering Notes and slaunderous speeches against the trueth be wundered at and greatly pittied of all cunning woorkemen Moreouer the other day was the like seene for the Snowe hath not yet falne vpon the ground nor yet hath the Sickle beene put into the Corne sithence one to name Campion and an other to name Howlet haue caste out Rebellious Pamphlets and offered combate to all the learned in this Realme Now all these men for that they wanted credit and estimation where they liued before are coÌ„tent like Maisterlesse men to goe abegging and aske for entertainement abroade Therefore haue they praesumed to enter the Courte gates and there to open their Pedlers Packes and to set out to sale their counterfeit Merchaundies supposing that because her Maiesties Subiects vpon hope of amendement haue in all clemencie beene borne with all to this day Therefore also they should looke for the same fauour and good woordes bothe of her Maiestie and your Honours handes as a rewarde giuen them for their slaunderous and Scismaticall Libelles May it please you therefore with the same eyes and like harte as you haue to this daye moste Honourably continued so also to turne back and looke vpoÌ„ the learned with in this Realme It wil be knowne vnto you that God hath so blessed them in England with all kinde of furniture Timber Wood and Stone fine woorke wrought woorke and needell woorke golde siluer and all other kinde of Science Arte and knowledge bothe diuine and humaine as all theyr outlandish falshoods robbery pilfering and stealth with their foolish and mishapen Quiddities loose arguments broken reasons falsified Scriptures coloured and disguised Authors are neuer able to be compared or come neere vnto vs. For whye the Lorde is on our side and he rayseth vp bothe the eloquent and the good man As for those men what haue we to doo with them seeing they are bewitched with falsehood and lyes The Lorde our God is he that we must follow his voyce must we heere and as for those that bring not his woorde the Lorde shal be reuenged on them himselfe For my owne parte what I haue set downe against our aduersaries the Iesuites in this booke in the same I will not be my owne Iudge but I will referre that I haue spoken to the indifferent Reader and he all that I haue doone vnto the Scriptures The Lorde the true and righteous euermore the God of our fathers that hath alwayes beene with you kindle your noble and vertuous proceedings more and more that you maye bee a light and fartherer in the same to all those that looue and feare the Lorde And the Lorde graunt that his countenaunce may shine vpon vs that his word may be knowne rightly his lawes and commaundements obserued diligently the vertuous and godly men defended mightely the wicked and obstinate punished seuearely and his goodnes and mercie spreade abroade openly vpon vs all That her Maiestie may raigne long time ouer vs to see the iudgements of our God put in execution that her Grace may see an end of all vnquietnes dissention and strife and establish peace vnitie and concorde in the Church of God Amen Your Honours moste humble to commaund Iohn Keltridge From my Chamber in Holborne at London Iune 10. To the Readers and faithfull Christians health and peace in Christe Iesus THe great looue that the Lord our GOD hath borne to the Church neither is it neither can it be hid from any man and if we which haue nowe Itued in the same many yeeres be not either stuffed and choaked vp with his manifolde benefites or carelesse secure for that they haue béene so plentifull Then will euerie faithfull and good man say as I say that of all Nations and Countries vnder heauen we haue hitherto liued most happily For if Warres were looked for the Lord hath turned all to peace If conspiracies and Treasons were practised they haue béene reuealed from time to time If Insurrections were made they the authors haue béen suppressed immediatly If Forrainers and straungers haue determined any thing against vs their pretended deuises neuer tooke effect If at any time they haue purposed to spoyle vs the Lord hath deliuered them into our handes If the heauens haue portended any great thing or the earth hath shaken her pillers against man or the Elements in flaming manner cast foorth their sparkes of fyre yet haue all these moste straunge thinges to this day shewen their force declared their effectes and plainely manifested their angrie countenaunâ—â—s against other Nations and straunge people not against vs of England So that I may say happy are we if we may continue happy and blessed be we aboue all other if we be still blessed of the Lord and most of all are we to praise our God if héereafter we shall be able to stande as hetherto we haue done which he onely knoweth not man Of this I am certaine and for the same I haue a good warrant that if our sinnes be not come vp vnto the brim if our iniquities be not ripe or our manifolde transgressions come vp before God then haue we not to feare any thing but whatsoeuer kinde of â—â—â—righting it be howsoeuer mens heartes doo fayle them or what rumors and signes of alterations the wicked doo forecast in their hearts all shall be turned to the best if we haue not prouoked the Lord. In verie déede it is true that the Lord is able to remooue our Candelstitke that the Lord is able to carrie vs into a straunge lande and he is of power to hang vp our Harpes vpon the willowe Trées and enforce vs to sing a song of Sion in Babell Yet let Israel be of good chéere and you the people of the Lord comforted for if you will feare the Lord and obey him all thinges shall goe well with you Deut. 28.2 all the blessinges of God shall be powred vppon you and you shall stande in feare and dread of none But and if you disobey the Lord your God and cleaue not vnto him all the plagues and curses set downe in his booke shall ouertake you Leui. 26.14 Lamen 2.17 I tell you of a trueth that if we looke not to our wayes and take héede to such thinges as the Lord our God hath forbidden vs without questioÌ„ he will bring such a thing to passe as all the eares of men that heare thereof shall tingle at it For my owne part I am perswaded that euen now God hath begun to becken his hand and shake his rod at vs and of the same I will
stedfastilie and not to be doubted of by any man that the Barnes of the Lord doo signifie vnto vs the Church of God and within them 〈◊〉 the ende of the world there will be Chaffe mixt with good Corneâ— that is wicked with good euill men among righteous men and Heretiqâ—â—â— among those that are faithfull It is as true and as pretie as it is plaine that Prosper sayth Prosper depromis et praed Dei Cap. 7. Nunc vero ecclesia aut Arca velut mundâ— et immunda animalia bonos malosque portare cognoscitur vsque in praedictum finem de quo Dominus et saluator noster in Euangelio 〈◊〉 est That is And nowe we are assured that the Church of God which is as was the Arke hath in it bothe fowle and cleant 〈◊〉 and is openlie knowne as well to carie the good as those that are euill euen vntyll the determined ende and tyme whereof our Sauiour Christe spake in the Gospell which is vnttyil the ende of the worâ—e So that nowe we are not to be discouraged but comforted not dismayed but stayed in as much as the Lord will alwayes fight for vs and permitte the wicked for a season that their condempnation may be greater when he commeth And it must not be vnknowen to you that there haue risen vp Heretiques from tyme to tyme but especially in the Primitiue Church and in the lyght of the Gospell as the Iesuites and the Fanulie of Looue and the Seminaries doo now in our age Euse Lib. 2. Cap. 1. After Christe 46 yéeres began Simon Magus whome the Pope is 〈◊〉 lyke as can be that selteth the holie Ghost and hell and Heauen and soules of men for money Beda After Christe 58. yéeres or thereabout 〈◊〉 by Elymas Bariesus he would haue peruerted and turned Sergius Paulus from the trueth as Champion and Howlet haue laboured of 〈◊〉 to peruert the state of England Iren. Lib. 1. Cap. 25. After Christe 73. sprang vp Corinthus as like the Papistes in this one thing as might be that he luâ—â—â— after the satissying of the â—â—â—lie and delighted in meate and drinke and maried women Euse Lib. 4. Cap. 7. After Christe 93. sprâ—ng vp Basilides before 〈◊〉 Menander whome in this one thing the Pope and his Clergie resâ—â—â— bleth in that they thinke that Faith by periurie may be renouriâ—â—â— Epiphanius Haer. 26. After Christe 100. yéeres arose vp the Gnostikes some call them Barborites all one with Papistes for they had in them a swelling pride as hath the Pope with his Cardinals thought they knowe all things and their women among them were as common as the strumpets and 〈◊〉 be at Roome for the Friars Haer. 29. After Christe 121. dyd the Nazaritâ—â— spread their Herefies abroade altogether in effect as are the Iesuites who gaue them selues to the obseruation of the Lawe euen alike as be all their Ceremonies which they vse Euse Lib. 5. Cap. 13. After Christ 163. were the Montanists verie rife in the world what they differed from the sects of Iesuites and their company I knowe not all one they were in many things For they for bad mariage as papistes doo they absteined from 〈…〉 béeing vnlaâ—â—full euen as papistes doo they vsed 〈…〉 and defiled women as the papists doo And thus from time to time since Christe there haue béene most detestable Herefies in the Church now I am of opinion that the errors of the papistes are a confused and mingled Chaos euen a trusse and Booget of Hertfies gathered togeather of all sortes of Heretiques from the beginning which when time seâ—ueth I will prooue Héere lyeth out 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 holde that God of his mercie will as wel defend vs as he hath done the other his Churches that hath béene pestered with them since the comming of Christe And as for England they can doo it no 〈◊〉 God is with vs. They cannot hurt vs God fighteth for vs theâ—r pretious bauâ—â—es shal not breake our heads for so hath the Lord 〈…〉 Their errors shall doo what God will haue done that is mough to comfort vs. For the papistes them selues what grosse and 〈◊〉 opinions they holde this short Treatise shall declare 〈◊〉 Irequire at your hands that shall reade this Booke First that 〈…〉 â—â—differerently without partiality Secondly that you way the Articles and sundrie pointes and howe and where the trueth in them is to be looked for Thirdly that you cast not your eyes vpon the writer or vpon the Aduersary that is confuted but that you iudge 〈◊〉 betwixt bothe Last of all with a perfect pure and vndefiled 〈…〉 this booke to be read of thée that thou thy selfe mayst be comâ—â—ted thy conscience assured thy minde and beare satisfied and thy adversaries mouthes that would hinder thée for euermore stopped So I leaue thée to the tuition of the Almightie and do aduertise thée to may for the conuersion of these Heret ques or for the will of the Lord to be shewed vpâ— them according â—â— that purpose and determination of 〈◊〉 which he hath decréed And so fare you most hattehe well Yours in the Lord. Iohn Keltridge ⧠To the aduersaries of the grace of God in the Tower of London or els where I Iohn Keltridge wishe amendment of life conuersion to the moste auncient and vndoubted faith with true repentaunce and contrition of hart That they may become liuely and perfect members of Iesus Christe ALbeit the rare strange comming of you into England hath kindled the harts of many men against you so them see on fire as it is very apparaÌ„t that the flaÌ„erherof is not like to be extinguished till either the godly people see your conuersion from your heresies or conceiue some hope that you will return to God speedily Yet we for our partes that haue endeuored by preaching to bring you to the Lord may not cannot cease continually either to pray with earnestnes or desire with stedfastnes or begge with feruentnes or intreat in all faithfulnes at the handes of the Lord that he would lighten you by his spirit or quicken you thorow his grace or resolue you by the trueth or confirme you by the woord which you dayly heare that the only true and perfect man Iesus Christe maye be knowen unto you which knowledge and perfect vnderstanding you cannot be ignorant of if you shut not your eyes or withdrawe your harts from the hearing of the same What you haue been hitherto we know but what heerafter you shal be that the Lord our GOD knoweth not we We may hope very hardly for you refuse the trueth willingly your conuersioÌ„ 〈◊〉 we not looke for speedily you perseuere in your errours so stouely So that for that matter we deforre and commit all to to the Lord. Notwithstanding for myne owne 〈…〉 some thing to say vnto you for your owne behalfe I haue much to charge you with For my selfe wheras I haue bothe spoken heertofore and doo
the Lord willinghe yet for the commaundement sake and for necessitie we must obey him The exhortation is to the good and godlie men whome the Lord hath alwayes vsed to styrre vp and prick foreward in his seruice The Commaundement is to the wicked wilfull and vnbeléeuing persons who albeit the beanies and light of trueth apppeareth will not for all that beléeue Wherefore I am of opinion that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 the generall Proposition ende purpose and drifte of Moses is this to exhort and require all such as are the Lordes to haue a regarde to his Commaundements and to feare his name and of this I must speake two manner of wayes First generallie 1. To all that are heere and to such as shall heare heereof heereafter Next perticularlie 2. To certaine persons whom I see in this place and I would they were rather in some other place then heere The first kinde of reuerence and feare to be spoken of generally is appertinent vnto all that looue the Lord who in yeale with perfectnesse in looue with thankfulnesse in great care with earnestnesse ought bothe daylie and continuallie to serue the Lord their God For who defendeth them at all assayes but hée who protecteth them when they are in distresse but onely hée who is able in néede to ease them in myserie to reléeue them in daungers to comfort them in anguishe of soule and heart to deliuer them but onely this whome we should feare whome we should dread whome we should reuerence the Lord our God For this cause in Deuteronomie I finde it thus written Deur 11.18 First that you shall lay vp Secondly the wordes spoken by the Lord. 3. In your heart 4. In your soule 5. You shall binde them as signes on your hands 6. They shal be as Frontlets between your eies 7. Then you shall teach them your children 8. Euen then when thou sittest in thine house 9. Then when thou walkest by the way 10. Then wheÌ„ thou lieft down 11. Then when thou risest vp 12. Then shalt thou write them vpon the postes of thy house and vpon thy gates The reason of this That your dayes may be multiplied that the dayes of your Children may be multiplied in the Land for the Lord sware vnto your Fathers to giue it them so long as the heaueâ—s are aboâ—e the earth Yet there is a condition for this blessing is graunted vpon a bonde wherein Israel was and we nowe his people we bound also Euen to looue the Lord our God to walke in his wayes and to cleaue vnto him c. In the Prophesie of Isaiah Isa 8.19 where as the Lord God dooth most gréeuoustie denounce the heauy Iudgements vpon Iuda Israel and the Affirians for not obeying and seruing the Lord their God At the length the Lord comforteth his people and encorageth the Saintes and wylleth them not to feare albeit they be as signes and wunders to the wicked men and he fetteth downe his will and his purpose of his feare and reuerence in two thinges First In an Inquisition Secondlie In an aunswere to the same The Inquisition is of the wicked men and of Idolaters that say vnto the godlie Enquire of them that haue a spirite of Diuination enquire of them that are Southsayers enquire of them which whisper and murmure The olde Idolaters vpstart Papistes are a lyke in all things and the first kept away the law froÌ„ the people these make ignoraunce the mother of deuotion Then at that tyme this shall be the aunswere made by the godlie Should not a people enquire at their God should you goe from the lyuing to the dead Nay to the Lawe and to the Testimony should you goe and if then you speake not according to that woorde there is no trueth and no lyght in you wherefore they haue first done vs great iniurie I meane the aduersaries of the grace of God the Papistes who haue drawne away not onely the simple and plaine men from the Lord by kéeping the booke of God shut from them but also haue taught them an other lawe of their owne inuentions and contrarie to the lawe they haue receyued of the Lorde O that they had perfectly the Lawe of the Lord in Mathew Where at such time as the Saduces had béene put to silence by our Sauiour Christe and the Pharisées vnderstanding thereof gathered together them selues also to dispute with him Math. 22.34 One among them all an expounder of the Lawe could not temper his affections but boldly rusheth out and speaketh which shall be séene by you in the circumstaunces of the Text. First in a Question The Question mooued by a Scribe Secondlie in a replie to the Question The replie made by our sauiour Christe The Question is the greater moued by the Scribe 1. In the asking 2. In the tempting 3. In the speaking to Christe The Question mooued was Maister VVhich is the greatest commaundement in the Lawe The Aunswer and replie by Christe is this Thou shalt looue whome the Lord thy God Howe 1. With all thine heart 2. With al thy soule 3. With al thy mind And this is the first coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„t the greatest Moreouer for the aunswer of Christ is twofolde it concerneth The Lorde onely as before is seene in his seruice Man onely which is thus 1. Thou shalt loue 2. Thy neighbor 3. Euen as thy selfe And in these two coÌ„sisteth the Law and the â—…ophets In Marke the Euangelist This same peruerse man the Scribe that did oppose him selfe against Christe after the Question mooued and the replie added the revnto by our sauiour Christe is â—pted to haue spoken discretelie and to haue set downe his opinion bothe soundlie and wiselie concerning this thing And his iudgement was this Maister thou hast saide truelie For there is but one God For there is none other but he And to loue him 1. With all the heart 2. With all the vnderstaÌ„ding 3. With all the soule 4. With all the strength 5. And thy neighbour as thy selfe Is more then all burnt offeringes and Sacrifices In these places rehearsed you plainly sée that in the seruice of the Lord the principall thing required is this That we obey him and his commaundements O how godly and pleasaunt a thing is it for Israel to know the Lord his statutes are in his mouth his Ordinaunces shall make him blessed his séede shall inherite the land he shall not feare by night nor stand in dreade at noone day for the Lord of hoasts is with him the God of Iacob is his defence The Lorde shal be a shéelde to that man and the stay and staffe of peace shal be vpon his head he is sure not to be mooued and to the nethermost hell shall he neuer fall His pathes are pathes of righteousnesse his wayes be the wayes of lyfe Glorie is on his head honour and renowne are a couering for that man happy shall he be for euer and all generations shall remember him
Then as yet your Images are not lawfull And if Paule saide rightlie 1. Cor. 10.20 The things which the Gentils doo offer they offer vnto Diuels If that Iohn is to be credited 1. Ioh. 5.21 Filioli custodite vos a simulachris My Babes keepe you free from Images Let these peruerters of the truthe the Papists take heede If in the Reuelation Apoc. 18.4 the people of God are commaunded to depart and to get them out from among them least they be partakers of theyr synnes It is then high time to looke to you high time to abhorre you high time to flie from you least we also perish togeather with you O that your harde harts were not hardened that your iniquities were not ingrauen with a Diamonde that you were not iustly blinded for your obstinacie that the Lord had not cast you off that wilfullie you reâ—â—â—ted not the truthe that your throats were not open Sepulchers that you were not swifte to shed blood that your waies were not execrable and that you had not denied the Lord to his face I tell you and I tell you in gréefe that which I tell you You haue a two edged sword in your hand and it is drawne and you come heather to wounde vs with all Arrowes and coales of fire are in your mouthe to spit them out against the Saints Serpents tongues are with in you and the poyson of Aspes is in your lippes to infect all those are pure in hart Truelie you are the reprobate Siluer which God hath reiected Iere. 6.30 We haue offered the preatious Stones vnto you as Hogges you treade them vnder your feete Math. 7.6 Our holie things haue we cast vnto you you runne away from them as Dogges As the waxe so shall you be before the Lord for it and melte at the heate of his fierie countenance Psal 68.3 As fier on the Mountaines deuoureth the wood so shall you perish in his furie Psal 83.15 with the Bitte and with the Snaffle shall the Lord breake in sunder your Iawe boanes Psal 32.12 And be you assured that the axe is alreadie put vnto the roote of the trée and the heauie iudgement of the Lord God approacheth yea it is at hand if you returne not Images why their names are abhomination to the Lord. Images why Psal 16.4 They that make them are fooles and infatuated their doctrine is a doctrine of vanitie Psal 16.4 Iere. 10.8 Images why the names of them shal be â—oted out from off the earth and they shall not be remembred any longer Zach. 13.12 O therfore feare the Lord and he will loue 〈◊〉 the sonne least he be angry and you peâ—ish from off the Lande if once his displeasure fall O then happy are all they that put theyr trust in him Tell me of all you that are here which of the innumerable people and Nations vnder heauen hath the Lord our God spaced that haue vsed Imageâ— whether the Sidmians that worshipped Astaroh or the Ammoriâ—â— which serued Melcom or the men of Accaron who adored Baal zebub or the Philistines that held of Dagon or you or the Romans that gaue themselues ouer to all Idolaâ—â—â—â— then stand in a we and sinne not examine with your owne harts and be still One thing I will tell you and admonish you off The Fathers haue determined to giue sentence vpon you the best and the generall Councels that are good and holy haue condempned you our Church of England and all the reformed Churches in the world haue deâ—â—â—ede and set themselues against you and you are not able to stand to your opinions and therefore there is a gréeuous fall prepared for you and it is at hand I would that you called to minde the words of Cyprian Cyp. Tract 4. De vani Idolor Vans igitur omnium Deus neque enim illa sublimitas potest habere consortem cum sola omnium â—eneat potestatem 1 There is one Lord God of all and his highnes will not admit an equall seeing that he hath onely power ouer all Lactantius Firmianus albeit in many things he wrote well yet in this aboue the rest he is moste principally commended who in his second of his Institutions hath this saying 2. Inst lyb De origine erroris 2. Cap. 19. Deus supra hominem est nec in imo positus sed in summa regione quaerendus est quare non act dubium quin religio nulla sit vbicunque simulachrum est 1 God saith Lactantius is aboue man and he is not to be sought after heere on earth but abooue on high in the highest heauens Wherefore wee doubt notall to pronounce and saye that in that place there is no manner of religion at all whereas any Image or Idoll is founde Gregorius is of this opinion Omne manu factum adorare non licet Lib. 9. Indict 40. Epist 9. Cypr. aduer Demetr that is It is not lawfull to adore and fall downe to any thing that is made with hands Cypâ—ianuâ— against Demâ—â—ris 〈◊〉 didâ—vâ—rite very shaâ—pâ—y and merueleus whetly against this Idoll worship and after many reasons at the lengthe dooth bring in that place of Scripture to prooue his assertion which I haue now in hande for it is written saith Ciprian 〈◊〉 Deâ—â—is tuum adâ—rabis The Fathers are vvholie bent against Images in euery place 〈◊〉 all 's soli serniâ—s that is Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and thou shalt serue him onely I could say much vnto you out of the Fathers and shewe you your grosse errors by the iudgement of so learned and reuerend men but bothe the time dooth rall me backe and my purpose is not to compile a volume and the other Articles which you holde doo require that I should spées delie runne ouer this that I may also saye something of them This I say vnto you Lib. 5. de Iust Lib. 4. Lib. 11. Cap. 16. reade Lactantius in his fifth booke of True righteousnesse he will enforme you sufficiently reave Origen against Celsus he will teache you perfectly Reade Cyrill vpon Iohn he will instruct you directly Turne vnto Athanasius against the Gentilles you shall learne prensely forget not at your leasure to séeke to Clemens to Iames brother of our Lord Liber 5. Epist 44. for he hath done euerie thinge there mosse exactlie Or search out Augustine to Maximus where he flowteth and laugheth at their Paganisme there shall you finds how purely he instructeth them how sharplie he reprehendeth them how fiercely he striketh them and how â—uâ—â—tingly he forewarneth them to auoide the heauy hande of God in worshipping of Images and so leauing you to the force and strength of these men I leaue you for this time to consider better of this Article The second point in the third parte of the fyrst diuision There followeth now in my firste part the second point remayning in my thirde diuision namely that there is
so faceingly stand against GOD and so proudlie lyst vp your heads and so impudently perseuere in your errors I wyll bréeflie say something vnto you of so many your Heresies and false allegations as connenientlie I maye for I knowe that you came not hether in vaine Some of you are Seminaries and not without cause so called for you sowe your Tares among our Corne and you haue scattered the Cockle among our Wheate whersoeuer you come Some of you be Iesuites and I wunder that vnder so glorious a name so vile and so outragious so lewde and so pestiferous so fonde and so monsterous an Heretique can be contayned Iesuites of Iesus as the Nazarites named them of Nazareth where Christe dwelt And the Adamites called them so of Adam but they followed no one thing of the customs ordinances of those men froÌ„ vvhome they tooke theyr names no more then the Iesuites doo follow Iesus Dyd Iesus euer knowe that man of sinne whome you worshippe the Pope dyd Iesus adore Images as you doo dyd Iesus pray to Saints as your manner is dyd Iesus vse those whorishe Traditions of Bell Bull and Candle Oyle Salte and adiurations as is common among your dyd Iesus pray to the Crosse and whipped he and scourged he him selfe with his owne handes as you vse to doo Then I perceyue you haue but the name of Iesus to deceyus men with all you haue no one thing in you which Iesus had And for that you are Wookies in Shéepes cloathing and we now knowe you by your déedes I wyll speake some thing of such Articles and most principall Heresies on which you do holde The Lord sayth Thou shalt looue mee with all thy soule with all thy heart with all thy might and the Lord the GOD onely shalt thou serue But you Harding for the Church of Roome Dist 96 you looue the Pope he is The Terrestriall God The Pope why he is God in déede as appeareth also at the Counsell of Trident The Pope why he is not a Man The Pope why In Sexto de Elect. he hath power ouer the Angelles of GOD as appeareth in the Councell of Lateran vnder Leo the tenthe The Pope why that which he dooth is receyued as Canonicall not to be broken for so sayde Alexander the seconde to Phillip King of Fraunce The Pope why he that offendeth and breaketh his Lawes shall not be forgiuen for euer Dist 19. C. 51. Rom. pontif for so sayde Nicholaus to the Archbishoppes The Pope why it is not lawfull to adde or diminishe any thing that hée hath done as witnesseth your owne Pope Adrian Sinodo apud Trecas The Pope why it is thus written of him Qui decreta Romanorum pontificum violauerit anathema sit 1 Whoso euer shall breake or violate the Decrees of the Pope shall be as accursed This was done at a Councell by Leo Pope the fowrth Cap. 5. by the consent of thrée score and two Bishoppes The Pope why whosoeuer obeyed not him as béeing in the Apostolicall Sea Papa 7. was coumpted an Idolater as is found in the Decrées of Gregorie Nowe whether or no these are lawfull and whether you or no bé not shamelesse men to come hether to teache vs such whorishe and Idolatrous abhominations that shall be triâ—d in the booke of the Lord. First of all you call a mortall man by the name of the eternall God doo you thinke this is lawfull What sayth Esaâ— Ego Dominus hoc est nomen meum gloriam meam non dabo alteri c. That is I am the Lord that is my name and my glorie will I giue vnto no other Isa 42.8 You haue not read what the Lord sayd of Israel when as he purpoâ—â— to saue them Propter me propter me faciam vt non blaspheâ—mer et gloriam meam alteri non dabo That is For my selfâ— cuen for my selfe will I doo this that I may not be blasphemed and my glorie will I giue to none other Isa 48.11 If the Angell in the Reuelation Apoca. 19.10 would not take that woorship and adoration that Iohn would haue adored him withall but thought it a derogation from the Maiestie of God to take it Damasus 1. in the dayes of Iulius as in Platina Boniface 16. in the tyme of Honorius and Simmachus the. 1. vnder Faustin Consull and Gregori the. 1. vnder Mauri and Boniface the thyrd vnder Phocas vvere the first that had this worship and adoration giuen to them being the first generall Popes so named and at the consecration of them all vvas much blood shed Howe sacrilegious blasphemous is that man of sinne the Pops that hath so many thousandes comming to him continually and falling downe and worshipping him Wherefore because I am purposed to be short and as before so nowe also in my writinges not to be tedious I will referre all your Romishe tytles giuen vnto the Pope all onely vnto one And these shal be by way of Question determined Namely whether or no it be lawfull for you to giue that honour and that worshippe to the Pope that you doo I say it is not lawfull but it is a dampnable and most execrable thing and this will I make proofe of out of the booke of God The Pope is not to bee woorshipped Rati 1. He onely that is Omnipotent and Lord of all is to be worshipped The Lord our God is omnipotent and Lord onely of all Ergo. The Lord our God onely and not the Pope is to be worshipped For my owne parte when any one of my premisses is denied then I can say that iustlie which nowe willinglie I wyll not speake of Yet we knowe that in former tunes there were most godlie and most honourable most â—â—se and most prudent men that liued then notwithstanding there is no president found among them of anye such grose blindnes as is in you or any example of any such honor or worship giuen to any one then liuing as you doo now to the Pope Abraham presumed not to go any farther then vnto the Lord whom he also adored If you reade the Storie of Iacob Gene. 35. with his longe trauaile great paine and wearie retorne home againe When as all the good and honotable men of olde time refused to be worshiped hovv dare the Pope take that being inferior to them in thousand degrees which they durst not you shall finde that hee thought none worthie honor and reuerence neither adored any but God whom he called omnipotent in Genesis Israell albeit Moyses had beene in the Mount and had séene God face to face and had talked with him and had séene his glorie in the Tabernacle and was chaunged in countenaunce for Israell could not abide to behould him because the brightnesse of his face was great Exod. 15. yet doo you not finde that this singuler instrument of the Lord Moses was adored or worshipped as your Pope is reade Deut. 32. and Psal
that haue offered vp of the Children of God vnto Deuilles You haue serued Baall Hamon and you haue runne vnto the Calues euen the golden Calues of Dan and Bethell You haue laide in waite for the Lordes annointed and you haue cursed â—auid to his face The Preistes of Nob haue béene slayne by your handes and by your Fathers handes haue the righteous men béene eaten vp Wherefore wee must require this blood at your handes if you will not returne and come vnto the Lorde Truely your blood shal be spilt at the Poole of Samaria according to the worde of the Lorde and that Roome shal be as the house of Baasa The Sworde of the Lord shall waxe red with blood and he shall reioyce in the fat of the slaine As did the Children of Edome at the day of his wrath so shall you sée the bones of your mighty men lye in the stréetes For the Lorde hath seene you and he hath tryed you you are already wayed in the Ballaunce and you are founde to light And if now you repent not and retorne not If now you amend not and reuolte not from your errors as I found you so I must leaue you open to the hand of the enimie And it shal be my prayer bothe day and night that the Lord would quicken you or that he would shorten you that the Lorde would amend you or that he would ende you that you be not reserued as flaming firebrands till the day of displeasure to consume any more of the Saincts of God And for the second parte of this my Sermon the next time that I come hether and when I haue leisure you shall know and vnderstande more * ⎠* FINIS Primae partis THE SECOND PART OF the Sermon preached against the Iesuites at the Towre the 21. of May 1581. being written in the 6. of Deut. ver 6. These wordes which I commaunde thee this day shall be in thy heart Deut. 6.6 THis briefe and shorte sentence beloued in the Lorde is a portion and parcell of the wordes going before in this verse where the Lorde exhorting his people to feare him and to feare him onely did in a compendious maner vtter his will and pleasure in a few estminstances namely to heare his voyce and his worde with all their minde with all their soule with all their might with all their strength wherevpon successiuely did follow a reason of that was spoken that is These wordes which I commaunde thee this day shall be in thy heart Nowe if you doe remember in my generall diuision were noted the other day these two things First an exhortation secondly a commaundement of the exhortation wee spake then at large and nowe wee must say some thing of that remayneth therefore there is generally noted here out of these wordes rehearsed one thing namely â— The onely and sole commandement here set downe And this commandement is seene in circuÌ„stances 1 Who commaundeth The Lorde our God commaundeth 2 Who they bee the commandement concerneth The Israelites be they it coÌ„cerneth 3 What is the comandement These words that I coÌ„mand this day shall be in thy hart that is the commandement 4 For how long a time was this commandement giuen euen for euer and for euer vnto all is it giuen Circumst 1. The Lord commandeth and it is not without cause whose power it we disobay him whose loue if we do serue him whose strength if wee refuse him whose mencie if we imbrace him Whose rigor if we resist him whose fauor if we stick to him haue not now onely but from time to time béen séene of all Therefore is hee omnipotent that hee may rule vs and hée is almightie that hee may fame vs and hee is stout that hee may bridle vs and hee is high that hee may ouersée vs and he the Lord our God is terrible that he may feare vs if we go astray and do that which is amisse Of this that I haue spoken and of him in this place that is the Commander I may giue diuers reasons yet will I onely yéelde thrée vnto you which I know may particularly touch vs all The first is a Personae magnitudine that is a reasonable persuasion from the greatnes of of the person to feare him the Lorde God Deut. 4.39 The Lorde why who is like vnto him who may be compared vnto him Vnus solus est he onely is one and onely God Psal 73.1 The Lord Why Solus bonus bonis hee is onely good to the good Isay 30.18 The Lord Why Clemens c. He is bouÌ„tifull and of long suffering Nech 9.6 The Lord Why Deus est creator he hath made all he hath framed all and he will bee feared of all Esay 49.13 The Lorde Why Suorum consolator he comforteth those that are his 1. Par. 29.12 The Lord Why Vniuer sorum Dominus he is Lorde of all Ezech. 13.21 The Lord Why Dux populi sui he is a leader a captaine and a guider of his people Out of all which wee may gather this conclusion He that made all that framed all that ruled all that guideth all that protecteth all is all in all for to be feared by all But the Lorde our God that heere commaundeth vs that heere forwarneth vs is hee that framed al that ruled all that guideth all that protecteth all ergo The Lorde our God is all in all and onely to be feared by all The second reason from the person of God is taken a personae bonitate i. froÌ„ the goodnesse of his person if we feare him Deut. 7.9 Hee the Lorde our God hee is true faithfull Psal 36.10 Hee the Lord our God he is the Lord the welspring of life Esay 49.5 Hee the Lord our God he is the God of strength Psal 89.18 Hee the Lord our God the glorie of the power and strength of his people Esay 33.22 Hee the Lorde our God is a righteous God and a good trustie lawgiuer Hee the Lorde our God hee is the light and bewrie of Israell out of these is made this conclusion Who so with loue hath tendered vs with mercie hath loked on vs with life hath quickned vs and by his righteousnes hath deliuered vs is to be honored feared of all liuing creatures else none but he The Lorde our God in this place commaunding vs is the same also that hath tendered vs and looked to vs and quickened vs and guided vs ergo The Lord our God is to be feared honoured and obeyed of all liuing creatures and else none but he The thirde reason is taken three manner of wayes from the persoÌ„ of God 1 Amanu i. from his hand that striketh vs 2 Apotentia i. from his power that reacheth vs 3 Apoena i. from his scourges and plagues which consumeth vs If wee obeye him not For he is the sworde of the glorie of his people Deut. 33.29 For he is a consuming
fortibus pax necessaria est nec morientibus sed viuentibus communicatio a nobis danda est c. That is At this present peace is necessarie not to the weake but to the strong and the communion is to be giuen not to the dead but to them that are aliue c. And after this Cyprian giueth Pope Cornelius a great charge concerning the soldiers that were then in armes that before they went to the battaile they should receiue the supper of the Lorde In Sophonianâ— Proph. both in breade and in wine Ierome is a sufficient witnesse for his tyme of this who both allowed of receiuing it in both kinds and commaunded all other to do it Therfore I shal néede to wade no further in confuting and gainsaying you whome both the Scriptures and the fathers Pope Leo did make a petition and in the same did commaund that none shuld digresse from the Apostles you do ergo and all good men of all times for this grieuous sacriledge haue condemned Wherfore it followeth My wordes shal be in your heart In this graue vehement yet short commaundement from the Lord from Moses and for the lawe of the Lorde and for the kéeping of the same I haue to obserue especially this That customes of men antiquitie in matters of waight Chanons of Bishops decrees of Popes opinions of fathers constitutions prouinciall and fond ceremonies obserued of olde are not to be allowed of against God And as euery good and faithfull Christian ought to beléeue this so is it not possible that your religion for you call it religion should stande if you helde not vppon the vaine customes and foolish inuentions of your auncesters I knowe right well that I haue in many your articles sayde something against this your vayne authoritie yet haue I nowe more occasion Against this vaine sacrilegious vsurped authoritie did Vrban Pope 25. Cyprian to Pompeius against Stephanus Augustine to Paulinus inueyghe much as I see you more diuelishly bent and more hautily at this present to lift vp your heades For if the pryde of your father the Pope were not in you or that it did not burst out at this present in your faces when you heare the trueth auowched and your lyes impugned wee could conceiue some good opinion of you and thinke that of ignorance you did that you doe but nowe that wée sée howe you kicke and spurne against the quicke and against the worde of the Lorde and his commandements oppose the decrees constitutions of your Popes wée plainly perceiue that of malice you withstande vs of disdaine you contemne vs of an euill heart you fight with vs and as carelesse and faithlesse persons you thrust in your selues for to controll vs. Dist 21. C. in no uo Testam What if Anacletus that presumptuous Herod in his Epistle to the Bishops of Italy vaunted of his Popedome and royall state which he set vp aboue others as mistresse and Quéene of all the worlde shall wée therefore thinke that his lawes can moue vs or his Decretals concerne vs or his counterfeit holynesse delude vs so that we also though he haue bewitched others shoulde nowe againe be inchaunted with his deadly cup of poyson I tell you no wee serue the God of heauen wee serue the Lorde of hostes and we knowe it is better to obey God than you what De maioritate obedientia folit howe where when what time did the Lorde euer saye as Innocentius 3. sayd the second Nimrod of the earth that the sacerdotall dignitie was aboue the imperiall crown and maiestie of the Lordes annoynted And because that one man sayde that as the Sunne was higher and greater then the Moone so the Pope is greater and higher then the Emperours Shall wee for him and his saying obey all that he did I tell you no but whatsoeuer the Lorde commaundeth that will we doe For that same decree of Pope Leo the fourth at the Councell holden of threescore and twelue Bishops may not preuaile with vs wee regarde not his edict nor cursse doe what he can and the thing that hee and all the other agréed vnto was a damnable thing For it was thus enacted Si quis dogmata mandata sanctiones c. If any man shall violate and breake the ordinances Ex conc 4. Leonis Papae 4. decrees appointmentes constitutions and edictes inacted by the see of Rome for reformation of any thing that same man shal be accursed Nowe I tell you that that same prowde Peacock is he that togither with his shal be vnfeathered and accursed to wee wil be safe in the name of the Lorde and dwelt in peace vnder his winges all the Hornets of Rome shall neuer sting vs. Thinke you that wee are moued at Adrian Pope Adrianus Papa Synodo apud Trecas for all his seuere lawe made Quòd nulli liceat vel addere aliquid vel demere de decretis Pontificum Howe it is lawfull for no man to adde or detract from the decrees of the Bishops of Rome You cannâ— shewe me any one Pope by the space of 400. yeares after Christ but he hath been tainted for his pride for som damnable and grosse sinne You may feare and you may feare in déede for it is a fearfull thing to you all to take awaye she reuerende maiestie from the soueraigne God and giue it to a cursed man as your predecessours and you haue done And I am assured and I knowe that no one Pope from the beginning of your Popedome within the compasse of these thousand yeares hath liued so vertuously or behaued him selfe so reuerently or done that he did so Christianly or raigned so peaceably among men but that he still incroched and mounted vp with Icarus winges a great deale higher then be ought to haue done and at length hath melted and béene tumbled downe very soudenly which assuredly hath béene the greate and heauie iudgement of God vppon your Prelates that the pryde and moste hautie looke of the whore of Rome might be detested of the worlde Hath not euery one for these your deformities abhorred you Verily at this time the gouernement of the worlde which sometimes you had is taken from you For who can suffer it and who wil tolerate your presumptuous hearts what are your decrées as antentike as allowable as sounde as good as holye as trewe as vndoubted as strong and as cerâ—eine as are the writinges of the Apostles In veritie Epistola 2. Anacleti episcopis Italie so haue all your Bishops sayde and what by armes what by force what by treacherie what by collusions and deceit and what by thretenings and manaces Dist 63. Ego Ludouicus Dist 63. Cap. Constitutum In Iob. lib. 35. Cap. 10. they haue attained to all that they haue attained It made the Emperour Ludouicus the first to stoope to the Bishops It made Henry the first and Otto the firste to subscribe vnto him and they both
yelded vp their right For Gregory the seuenth caused it to bee agréed vppon to be idolatrie if any one obeyed not the sea of Rome And Adrian Pope affirmed and in the same constituted Ex 2. Actione 7. Synod that the church of Rome was the heade and mother of all churches in the worlde and that all other churches shoulde stoope and obey her ordinances It is well knowen that Alexander the seconde writt to Philip king of Fraunce that all the decrées of the sea of Rome are as certeinly to be helde vppon to be beléeued and as surely receiued of all men as are the Canons of the whole worlde This caused Bonifacius to list vp his head so high aboue heauen and earth and writing to Ruffus and to other Bishops in Thessalia did chide thē mightily for their resisting him alleging out of the decrées of Pope Gelasius 9. q. 3. C. pater that the word of the Apostle of the see of Rome was neuer retracted but by the leaue of so reuerend a father and if he will not we will take leaue his fatherhood hath lyed a little and his lye is the greater as he woulde fauour that vpon the Lord 1. Sam. 10.1 which is contrary to God and his worde The Lorde sayth he choose Saul but the Pope was neuer chosen by God 1. Sam. 16.13 The Lorde did fetche Dauid from the sheepefold 1. Reg. 1.30 and willed his people to feare him And Salomon did the Lord set in the throne of his father but I do not finde that the Pope though he dwell at Rome hath any roume at all no not the breadth of a nayle in the booke of God I know that Iosias was sent from God The pope is one the King another the Pope of Sathan the King of God the Pope of mā the King is of the Lorde the Pope by vsurpation the King by ordination and therefore the Popes name is not in the Bible Kings be Matth. 20. a defender of his people and Iehosaphat was accounted as one of the worthies among the Princes and Ezechias is estéemed as a man renowned for his holynesse But for the Pope he may get him a place in some odde corner of the worlde by tyrannie and bloudshed but he was neuer ordeyned or set in place by the Lorde our God This I remember Christ sayth The Kings of the earth do raigne and striue for rule but sayth Christ to his Apostles it may not be so with you of which I inferre that séeing the Pope is in the place of Peter as he sayth in the roume of an Apostle he must not therefore rule and raigne ouer vs. Moreouer Reddite quae sunt Caesaris Caesars Giue vnto Caesar the things that are Caesars But it was neuer sayde Math. 22. giue vnto the Pope that which is the Popes for as I doe finde his authoritie is and hath béene from time to time vsurped So that for my owne parte I tell you truely you that are here the hirelings of the Pope you the very members of the very Antichriste I am so farre from beléeuing either his ordinances or his decrées or his Canons that he hath made that I will not cease to praye continuallye daye and night that the Lorde our God woulde reuenge the iniquitie of the man of Rome and plucke him out of that seate of deadly sinne wherein he sitteth For what is the Pope and his vsurped authoritie that wée should obey his ordinances His customes are the customes of Egypt and his abhominations are the abhominations of Chanaan and they are not to bee followed Facietis iudiciamea praecepta mea seruabitis Leu. 18. in eis ambulabitis You shall doe my iudgementes you shall keepe my preceptes and walke in them sayth the Lorde I will tell you the deapth of my heart You are like vnto the men that the king of Assur brought from Babel for euen as you doe in Rome so did they At the first they serued the Lorde indifferently but in processe of time when the Lyons were taken from them they returned to their olde customes againe and did as the Nations and as the Countries round about them did From whome as I suppose you haue made stealth of your Demye Goddes 2. Reg. 17.27 retaining the maner of that seruice which the Nations did You can giue no reason of your religion It was saide of olde time that men beleued on the Lord as Abraham Isaac Iacob did and after that in the GOD of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and after that men did beleeue in Christ in the doctrine of the Apostles but the Papistes say they beleeue as their fathers beleeued This did Lucius Papa 24. and Marcellus Pope reprehēd and they referred all to Christ and his Apostle◠not to Fathers if it be demaunded at your handes saue onely this that you doe as your Fathers doe and that this your faith is that by which your auncestors were saued O be not beguiled shall your saluation be grounded vpon man shall you not aunswere euerie one for your selues and euerie man for his owne soule Yes your fathers shall not defend you at the day of wrath your fathers shall not be able to maintaine your cause when both they and you shall giue an account of the workes you haue done Your fathers downfal may not be your rising your fathers miserie can not be your ioy your fathers curse shall not be your blessing but if all they did goe astray returne you home vnto the Lord and so shall you be deliuered at the day of appearing of the iust God And if you will followe the fathers remember what the good fathers haue saide and followe them I wil not hinder you It is good counsel I tell you that Cyprian giueth who hath this saying to a brother of his Non est frater charissime Lib. 2. Epist Epist 3. quod aliquis aestimet sequendam esse quorundam consuetudinem c. That is It is not to be thought my welbeloued brother that a man should esteeme the customes of al men to be retained among vs as cōmendable things For this is to be regarded who they were that they folowed Did not God say from heauen this is my beloued Sonne heare him Then it is Christe alone to whome we must giue eare The aduise of Augustine may be taken herein that in his second booke of Baptisme hath such or like wordes Lib. 2. Dist 8. Can. Veritate Veritate manifestata cedat consuetudo c. That is Custome after trueth is knowne must giue place For no man will allowe of any custome as he will of reason and of the trueth of any matter bicause reason and trueth goe before all thinges I call to minde what Gregorius saide vnto Gulielmus Auersanus Bishoppe Dist 2. Can. Si consuetudinem Si consuetudinem fortassis opponas aduertendum est quod Dominus dixit Ego sum via
veritas vita non dixit ego sum consuetudo sed veritas That is You will peraduenture set some auncient custome against me but it is to be noted what God saith It is saide by him I am the way the trueth and the life and GOD did not say I am the custome but I am the trueth Wherefore Augustine saide well Ad Casulâ—num Praesbyterum Dist 11. Can. consuetud Consuetudinem laudamus quae contra fidem catholicam nihil vsurpare dignoscitur That is We allowe and commend that custome that is not knowne to haue vsurped any thing at any time contrarie to the true and Catholique faith Therefore I aunswere you here if you can proue to me out of the Scriptures those Articles and pointes of religion which you affirme you holde by custome I will yelde and condiscend to your opinions otherwise I am of the minde these learned Fathers are of That we must beléeue the truth before all your customes and if you doe not thinke that my iudgement is sound you shall giue me leaue to offend to erre and to goe out of the way with them There is nowe remayning the last thing yet as good and necessarie a thing as any other and it is this God saith thus My words shall be in your heart what his words the words of the Lord You will heare no word at all Is it so and the Lordes wordes howe hardly are you drawne to heare them at this present Why how in what manner where shall we lay them vp where shall we repose them In your heart and in your soule they should be laid vp And I do ensure you sithence my last being in this place and from the time that I haue séene so dissolute and lewde behauiour among you and howe pyningly and howe vntowardly and howe scornfully and howe irreuerendly howe hautily and howe disdainefully you stand here before the Lorde before his Angels in his Church before vs I am not onely astonied vpon the wickednesse and sinne I sée within you as I am amazed at the heauie iudgements of the Lord that hang ouer you Contempt of his word It was neuer noted but in Castawayes Irreuerend behauiour when the word is preached It was neuer séene but in the reprobate vnséemely demeanor and disdainfull lookes vpon the Prophetes You finde it not all onely saue in the Baalites and Chemerims or Saducées or Pharisées or in some such like vnto to them Wherefore you are of that froward generation and those vntoward sprigges That claue and rent in sunder that gnashed their teeth Actes 7. and fell vpon Stephan when they heard his preaching Why 2. Pet. 1.23 Matth. 13.33 Ephe. 6.17 Mark 4.32 Iere. 5.14 Ezech. 3.33 Wherefore for what cause should this be so The worde of the Lorde is that which assureth The worde of the Lorde is the leauen that leaueneth The word of the Lord is the sword that striketh The worde of the Lorde is the graine that increaseth The worde of the Lorde is the fire that inflameth The worde of the Lorde is the honie that sweetneth Howe then shall you escape the iudgements of God the fierce wrath of the highest the furie of his countenaunce the displeasure of our God that both vnwillingly doe come to heare and so like men of Bedlam and as if you were possessed by some foul fiende rage and byte when you vnderstand the trueth Then if not for Gods cause yet for your owne safetie regarde and marke this reason taken out of the former scriptures alledged That thing which bringeth death with it and destruction and confusion for euer is neither to be done or allowed or committed by any godly man nor by you The contempt of Gods worde your irreuerend behauiour in this sacred place bringeth death with it and destruction and confusion for euer if you repent not Ergo This vnseemely dealing in you which bringeth with it all these inconueniences should be done or allowed or committed neither by any godly man nor by you Consider then weigh and regard where and before whom you stand Here is the Lord that seeth you here be his Angels that behold you 1. Cor. 11.12 For whose sakes also you should do the things that are comely And vndoubtedly a greater comfort should there be none to the godly man or to any one vnder heauen then to féede vpon the trée of life then to drinke of this spirituall drinke Deut. 32.2 Mark 4.14 Psal 119.104 Ier. 23.29 Esai 55.1 the word of God This Why It is the rayne that bedeweth It is the seede that groweth It is the rule that leadeth It is the axe that heweth It is the fountaine that springeth It is the well that draweth the water of life to all that come that heare that beléeue that will be saued Then receiue to your comfort comprehend vnto life attaine vnto saluation heare and refuse not that the Lorde may blesse you For there is a verie comfortable reason and a strong conclusion gathered out of this place thus That which bringeth life and is commaunded by God is to be doone of all to be allowed and to be obeyed without exception The worde of the Lorde doth bring in life and is that which is commaunded by God vnto all Ergo The word of the Lord and the Gospell of trueth which is preached is to be heard of al and of you without exception His worde 2. Sam. 22.31 Psal 12.7 it is pure it is immaculate it is tried in the fire it will followe all them that hope and trust in him His wordes they are chaste and milde speaches they are seuered from the earth Psal 18.33 and purged more then seuen times His wordes his wayes They are not polluted wayes but they are leaders vnto life and the Lord is a protectour of all those that trust in him As for you I sée it as for you I doe well perceiue it as for you you doe declare it That you are none of those that haue his statutes before you His lawe is not regarded by you the bright morning starre hath not shined on you You you walke according to the wayes of them of Gomorrah You you trust in Pharaoh and in his mightie power you repose all on the Popes shoulders not on GOD You you are comforted in Herode his pleasaunt Oration and swéete style hath bewitched you You you are protected vnder the shadow of the great beast in the reuelation to whom the most of the Kinges of the earth doe â—â—ll downe and giue worship you you are angrie with Caine you you are hardened as was Sehon you you are the sonnes of the fathers that haue cast stones at the Prophetes you you are bouldened with Zedechias you you are still and you will be Sacrificers stil to the Quéene of HeaueÌ„ you you are peruerted as were false Prophets you you are proude and stately as were the Scribes you you couer sinne with sin as the Iewes dyd you you
haue practised and taken counsell against the Lord against Christ against his annointed but Achitophell with you and you with him you with Absolon Absolon with you shall be ouerthrowne bothe alike and haue one ende you your interprises fall as they did that Adonias did You you shal he ouerthrowne with Hamon you you with your Ioacim and Ioacim with you and you all ioyned together shall not be able to stand against one Ieremie wherfore returne repent amend and conuert and come vnto the Lorde and be saued Leu. 5.4 The soule that hath sworne and hath spoken the worde that he will doe euill yet if hée repent and be sory the lawe dyd admit him to bée reconciled againe vnto the Lorde There was no man that had offended Deut. 4.29 no man that had trespassed but if hée sought the Lorde his God with all his hart and returned hée was receiued was there euer any in Israell but when they had transgressed and serued straunge Gods Gods of siluer and Gods of stone and offended the Lorde after the maner of the nations that for all that were cast off 1. Reg. 8.33 and dispised of the Lord if they came home O then harken vnto his worde harden not your hartes the Lord wyll accept of you as of Israell learne to doo well séeke his statutes looke into the law of the Lorde sée if it be not an vndefiled law yea it is a law wherin is no imperfectioÌ„ no vanity no leasing no deceipt It is a law that suffereth no manner of Image Exo. 20.23 Exo. 34.1.7 which you onely stand vpon It is a lawe that admitteth you not to eate of the sacrifices of the nations nor of the fornications of the Gentiles all which you depende vpon it is a law that willeth you to runne from ydoles and from the abhominations of Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat that made Israell to sinne but you are all one with hym and runne a whoreing from the Lorde The worde of God 2. Reg 20.30 is most pure nothing like vnto it O therefore runne from the inuentions of men For why Dagon may not stand before the Arke Psa 18.33 1. Sam. 5.3 2. Par. 32.19 he shall fall flat vpon his face The Lorde dooth not regarde the workes of mens hands and the inuentions of their hartes bée farre from him The Lorde is hiest aboue all the world like vnto him there is none before hym was none and after him there shall be none such as is our god his name is an vndefiled name and it cannot be giuen to any other Then deferre not to come vnto the Lorde for Kinges haue not bene ashamed of hym Princes haue yéelded vnto his lore and the Kinges of the earth haue bene subiect to his commaundement The whole worlde hath relented to his voyce and commaundemente and all Nations haue subscribed to his hestes who is like vnto our God that sitteth in his throne aboue and what man may be compared vnto him His power and his righteousnesse is in the highest places Psal 35.11 his rules and his commaundements his wonders and his noble Actes within the clowdes Psa 77.13 Psa 83.1 Psa 89.9 None is lyke vnto him and none may be compared vnto our God Then harken you that are héere I require you agayne to harken yet it is in vayne I speake vnto the winde and I cast foorth my spéeches as into the ayre my talke is to disobedient Children and my wordes are powred foorth in vayne I sée you mooued as men are moued in wrath and you gather you together as the Adder doth stopping his eare charm the Charmer neuer so conningly you doo euill you generation of the wicked and your pride is looked vppon from heauen there is one sitteth aboue laugheth you to scorne and hée hath you already in derision Though you repine at him yet canne you not avoide his handes though you grin and mock yet wyl he hamper you your disobedience wyll hée punishe and your wicked cogitations will hee bringe to naught your haughtie mindes will he bringe downe and your dead lookes wyll hee chaunge I tell you there is a fire gone out alreadye and if it kindle but a litle yea happy shall you bée if you come vnto him For my owne part I hope it not for your partes you intende it not For my selfe I thinke it not for you you determin it not For that which I thinke I doo ensure you I perceiue it not for this time not I but all present sée it not how you are moued wée all sée how you are pricked we all iudge how you wil frame your selues herafter that the Lord knoweth but none of 〈◊〉 Concerning these therfore that are héere whom I perceiue you all are moued at let nothing trouble you right honorable and welbeloued in the Lorde they are as God wyl haue them you bee as God hath thought good for you they shall when God will returne vnto him I must therfore say Lib. 4. dialogorum as Gregorius saieth of such as were hardened in his time Sionti subeâ—dem igne aurum rutilat palea fumat ita sub eodem igne electus purgatur pecâ—ator crematur 1 As vnder the same fire Golde glistereth chaffe smoketh so in the same furnace the electe is purged the offender is burned As the king Iosuah said so must I say who speakinge of the Princes that were destroyed sayde thus It came of the Lord to harden their harts that they should come against Israell in battell Iosh 11.20 to the intent that they shoulde destroye them vtterly And so is it héere either you are come amonge vs that you may sée your selues and repent or els you bée sent of the Lorde that you may harden your hartes and haue a more gréeuous downefall At this let no man wonder For the fiery piller was a light to the Isralites Exo. 13.21 Exo. 14.22 Exo. 19.3 Exo. 16.20 but it was death and destruction to the Egiptians All passed throw the red sea and were baptised in the Clowde and in the Sea by Moses yet all sawe not the Land of promise Mounte Sinai burned and was death to the Isralites but Moses passed throw by the fire and went vp to the Lorde and was not hurt Num. 11.33 The Manna was Angels finde and nourished many it scrawled full of wormes to other and the Quayles nourished and were good meate yet diuers of them died with the meate in their mouthes So likewise is it in the worde of the Lord to some it is saluation to others it is condempnation The Heauens are pleasant and alike to all yet rayned they downe Haylestones vppon the Amorites Iosh 10.11 Cense and Sacrifice were good for all that Nadab and Abihu were consumed with fire from Heauen as they did Sacrifyâ—e Many were stonge with fierie Serpents and dyed but the godâ—ye and righteous men were healed when they looked on the same All that came to Iordan dyd not passe ouer Leu. 10.3 Num. 21.9 2 Reg. 2.8 2. Reg. 5.14 yet the Prophet Elias had no sooner touched it with his Mantell but hée went ouer on drie lande Many bathed in the riuer onely Naaman the Syrian was â—lonsed of his leprosie and by the worde of the Lorde the godly 〈…〉 the wicked are hardened the godly haue lyfe the reprobate are in death I doo remember the Toâ—er of Silâ—â— defended many but the 18 were killed for it fell vpon them and the Angell came downe into the water of Beehesda at certaine times and stirred the water for all that diuers went away Crepâ—â—s as they came 〈…〉 and were not holpen There were many Lopers in the dayes of Christ 〈◊〉 very fewe the ix Leapers were all only they you read of cleansed Great multitudes touched the hâ—m of Christes garments but the woman a Straunger was healed of hir fluxe of blooud Diuers sat in the seate of Moses all only Casphas gaue right sentence that one should die for the people In lyke maner many heare as you doe but God openeth and giueth vnderstandinge And so I conclude with Paule Rom. 9.18 of whom the Lorde our god wyll of hym hath hee mercie and whom hee wyll hee hardeneth And as for you the Lord if it be his wyll and pleasure open your eyes If not his wyll and purpose bee fulfylled FINIS ⧠Faultes escaped in Printing For the first part Page 7. line 9. reade he set page 7. line 22. reade to possesse and pa. 10 line 2. reade and howe page 11. lin 35. reade with power with right page 16. line 25. reade since Christes page 26. line 27. reade force page 29. line 9. reade There is page 36. line 16 reade must page 4â— line 29. reade slaine by them page 43. line 31. reade Apollyon For the second part Page 7. line 15. reade Euen the same commaundement page 11. line 22. reade They all yéelded to that page 13. line 15. reade The Lorde wyll ryse vp in his furie page 13. Annota For hat reade that page 14. Annot. 1. reade hath opened this page 14. lin 17. reade There bée Bonlij page 14. line 27. reade of the fruite Orizam page 16. lin 1. reade condescend vnto the end page 17 line 15. reade for Midbhath Nidbhath page 17. line 21. reade that should lyghten page 18. line 3. kept as at the day page 18. line 8. goe a gleaning page 18. Annot. 2. reade They all almost page 18. Annot. 3. reade not Christ and his Apostles page 20. line 7. reade Is no other page 20. li. 18. For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 page 21. line 4. reade then in vse page 21. line 7. reade Enthutianus page 25. An. Vltima reade Valafridus an Abbat page 29. An. Vltima reade To haue any page 32.17 reade But looked vpon ..