benefites The formall cause is the gladsome message of free remission of sinnes purchased by Christ Iesus The finall cause is that mankynd beyng deliuered out of the handes of his enemies Death Sinne Hell Sathan should serue God in holynesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of his lyfe He that is of God heareth Gods word he loueth it beleueth it doth it These thyngs are included in the word Heare The word of God hath sūdry hearers some receiue it some receiue it not Note the parable of the seede The séede of the word of God when it was sowed fell some by the wayes side some vpon stones some vpō thornes and some in good ground c. but more strictly and briefly the word of God hath two sortes of heares Elect and Reprobate The elect say with Peter Domine ad quem ibimus verba vitae aeternae habes Maister to whom shal we goe thou hast the wordes of eternall lyfe The reprobate say Durus est hic sermo This is a hard saying who can heare it Can this mortalitie put on immortalitie Cā this corruption put on incorruption Can Christ be God and mā Can God beget a sonne as of late the deuill of Norwiche deuilishlye sayde yea worse then a deuill was he For the deuils in the former Chapter acknowledged Christ crying and saying Thou art Christ the sonne of God but this deuill denyed Christ The word of God is preached in vayne to many the hony is lost that is put into vessels of gall the fishe is cast away that is cast into dry pooles and the séede perisheth that is sowed vpon the sand S. Cypriā sayth Certe labor irritus est nullius effectus offerre lumen coeco sermonem surdo sapientiam bruto Cum nec sentire brutus possit nec coecus lumē admittere nec surdus audire Truly it is lost labor and to no purpose to offer light to a blind mā speach to a deafe mā wisedome to a grosse head seyng that a grosse head cannot perceiue a blinde man can not see a deafe man can not heare The auncient father Origen sayth Quāto melius esset nonnullis omnino non audire verbum Dei quam audire cum malitia vel audire cum hypocrisi melius autem dicimus ad comparationem malorum How much better were it to some not to heare the word of God at all thā to heare it with malice or to heare it with hypocrisie we say better in respect of euils Excellent is this word therefore ought we to heare it It differreth from ours manifoldly in truth for God is true yea truth it selfe man is false yea falshode it selfe Omnis homo mandax Euery mā is a lyer It differeth from ours in profit Lord to whom shall we go sayth Peter thou hast the wordes of eternall lyfe our wordes haue no profit they are wordes of eternall death It differeth in certaintie for very truth and certainty it selfe sayth that the most firme Elements of heauen earth shall passe but his word shall in no wise passe The Prophet Esay sayth Verbum Domini manet in aeternum The word of the Lord endureth for euer Mary hath chosē the good part which shall not be taken away from her our wordes are vncertaine as vnconstāt as the Weather-cocke We say and vnsay and vnsay and say againe That which liketh vs to day misliketh vs to morow It differeth in power as soone as hee had sayd to the band of men and officers of the hyghe Priestes I am he they went backewarde and fell to the grounde Note here the power of the word of God They came armed they came to take Iesus and after they heard his mightfull word they fell to the groūd Mathew sayth Docebat eos tāquam authoritatem habens He taught them as one hauyng power and not as the Scribes Our wordes are sinnefull corrupt and vnperfect It differeth in spirit The wordes that I speake vnto you are spirit and lyfe But our wordes are prophane and transitorie Christ sayth Qui de terra est terrenus est de terra loquitur He that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth It differeth from our woordes in swéetnes The seruaunts of the Phariseis high Priestes which were sent to take Christ returned and said thus of the excellencie of his word Nunquam sic loquutus est homo Neuer mā spake as this mā doth Not Demosthenes out of whose mouth flowed fluddes of eloquence not Cicero the Father of eloquence not eloquent Pericles of whom it is written that he did thunder out his wordes But Christes Argumentes were so mighty and his woordes so swéete that a certaine woman hauyng great admiration therof lifted vp her voyce and sayd vnto him happy is the wombe that bare thée and the pappes which thou hast sucked To be brief this word differeth in perfection In his word all things endure Take away this perfect word what is man a brute beast Take the Sunne out of the world what remaineth Horrible darknes Lactantius sayth Lumen mētis humanae Deus est remoto Deo coelestique doctrina omnia erroribus plena sunt God is the light of mans soule If you set a side or put away from you God his heauenly word All thynges are ful of errours Take away this word what is a man a captiue of Sathan a pray of death a slaue of sinne a firebrand of hell Ignorantia Scripturarū Christi ignorantia est Ignoraūce of the Scriptures is ignoraunce of Christ As far as heauen is distant frō earth so farre ought heauenly thynges alwayes to be preferred before humane things yea incomparably ought they alwayes to be preferred It is cōpared to the Sunne whose office is by spreadyng of his radiant and bright beames to expell darknes and to dispose euery thyng to beare frute Right so the office of Gods word is with his bright shinyng beames of grace to expell the darknes of heresies errours to take away the cold frost of iniquitie and to dispose and frame euery man and womā to bring forth the frutes of pietie godlynes It is compared to fier for that it enflameth vs by loue The two Disciples whiche went to Emans sayd after that Christ had interpreted vnto them in all the Scriptures did not our hartes burne within vs while he talked with vs by the way and opened to vs the Scriptures and Christ sayth I am come to send fier on the earth and what is my desire but that it be already kindled It is likened to a glasse in this glasse euery man may sée whence he came what he is whether he goeth his sin his banishmēt his miserie S. Hierō geueth swéet coūsaile to a certain virgin Vtere lectione diuina vtere speculo vide speculū foeda corrigenda pulchra cōseruāda pulchra faciēda
plenty sufficient both for the strong to eate and for the litle one to sucke So Irenaeus Scripturae in aperto sunt sine ambiguitate similiter ab omnibus audiri possunt The Scriptures are playne and without doubtfulnes and may be heard indifferētly of all men So sayth Chrisost Omnia clara plana sunt in Scripturis diuinis quaecūque necessaria sunt manifesta sunt All thynges are cleare and plane in the holy Scriptures whatsoeuer thyng is necessary for vs is also manifest So sayth Epiphanius Lib. 2. So sayth Saint Hierom. in Psal. 86. So to conclude Gregory sayth it is a streame wherin the litle lambe may wade and the great Elephantes may swymme But touchyng the discourse of naturall reason S. Ambrose sayth that No creature in earth or in heauen is able to reache to the depth of these thyngs These are his wordes Mens deficit vox silet non mea tantum sed angelorum supra potestates supra angelos supra Cherubim supra Seraphim supra omnē sensum est The mynde is astonyed the voyce fayleth not onely of me but also of the angels it is aboue the powers aboue the angels aboue the Cherubins aboue the Seraphins aboue all maner of vnderstandyng Notwithstandyng all these excellēt properties of Gods word and mo then a thousand thousand tounges cā declare We become Citizens of Corazin Bethsaida and Capharnaum Tyrus Sidō Sodom the Quéene of the South the men of Niniue and that barbarous Eunuche shall rise agaynst vs in the day of iudgement If such preachyng had bene in Tyrus Sidon as hath bene in England especially these xx yeares they would haue repēted in sackcloth and ashes Therfore it shal be easier for Tyrus Sidon at the day of iudgemēt thē for England If the mighty workes which haue bene done in England had bene done among them of Sodom They had remained without plague of fire and brimstone The Quéene of the South shall rise against vs at the day of iudgement A woman a Quéene a frayle sexe the weaker vessell yet of Princely power men the stronger vessell and yet most of them not of Princely power She was a straunger we are now Domestici of the houshold She wanted the promises of Messias we haue the promises of Messias She came to Salomō a wise man certainly yet a mortall and sinfull man whiche could not helpe her but in externall thynges and therein peraduenture barely and slenderly we refuse to come to Christ God and man who can helpe vs in all thyngs who is all in all and all to all She came to heare the wisedome of Salomon Wōderfull was his wisedome his wisedome exceeded the wisedome of all thē of the East all the wisedome of the Egyptiās he excéeded all mē in wisedome he wrote iij. thousād Prouerbes His songes were a thousād fiue He disputed of trees euen from the Ceder trée that groweth in Libanō vnto the Isop that springeth out of the wall And he disputed of beastes foules wormes and fishes There came of all nations to heare the wisedome of Salomon from all kynges of the earth whiche had heard of his wisedome But behold he that preacheth this day out of the ship is greater then Salamon and preacheth farre greater and better matters Notwithstāding fooles refuse to heare his preachyng This famous Quéene came to Salomon from far out of a swéete and frutefull countrey the frutefull Arabia called also Saba so frutefull that it bringeth corne and fruite twise in the yeare where groweth all kind of spices and swéet gummes and the Townes are vnwalled because the people do liue alwayes in peace But we neglect to walke a litle way within the walles of our Cities to leaue ill ayre ill soyle ill company ill exercises ill maners to come to Christ She came with great perill we may come without perill yet we come not She left her happy kyngdome with long and painful trauaile came to Salomon we haue Christ in the kyngdome of England without leauing of kyngdome and with litle trauaile may wee heare him yet wee heare him not She came with giftes She came to Hierusalem with a very great trayne with Camels that bare swéet odours gold excéedyng much and precious stones But wee may haue accesse to Iesus Christ cōmyng without trayne without gifts Come to the waters all ye that be thirsty ye that haue no money come buy c. We refuse grace offered fréely This noble Queene knew Salomō by onely fame we know Christ by his manifold miracles yet we come not yet we beleue not yet we bring forth no good fruites Therfore iustly shall we be condemned It is shamefull to be vanquished of a woman more shamefull of an heathē woman most shamefull in such a cause The men of Niniue shall rise agaynst vs and condemne vs and reproue vs of vnbeliefe not by authoritye but by comparison of the better act They heard Ionas a very man we reiect Christ God man They heard Ionas a straunger we neglect to heare Christ a Sauiour a father a maister a freind cōnuersant with vs many yeares They repented at the preaching of Ionas we repent not at the preaching of Christ Ionas preached but only thrée dayes Christ hath preached most gratiously and mercifully these Twenty yeares in England and for all his so gratious and mercifull preaching we repent not Ionas wrought no miracle Christ hath wrought many maruelous miracles He hath mightely deliuered vs from Pharao of Egipt from Nabuchadnazer of Babilon from Holofernes of Syria and hath miraculously preserued Iudith of England her people For all these graces and giftes wée are nothing thankfull we are become carnall gospellers wée waxe colde in religion the Papistes waxe whot we waxe colde I knowe it We amend Mandrabuli more as sower ale in sommer we become euery day worse worse That barbarous Eunuche of the Queene of the Ethiopians shall at the day of iudgement rise agaynst vs and condemne vs He was an Eunuche florishing in authoritye estimation riches and yet for all that in his iorney sitting in his chariot he read Esaias the prophet Moreouer he vnderstode not what was contayned in the prophet He aunswered Philip not onely gentlely and courteously albeit he asked him saying vnderstandest thou what thou readest but also desired him notwithstanding he was clothed in poore attire that he would come vp and sit with him in the chariot You sée the promptnes of his minde you see the godly feruēcie of a barbarous Eunuche Chrisost largely and swéetely discoursing of this matter in fine concludeth thus Idoneus est barbarus iste qui nobis omnibus doctor fiat This barbarous Eunuch is méete to be a doctour and teacher to vs all Sithence the case thus standeth that we are wearye of spiritual Manna the best meate and demeane our selues with the vnthankfull Israelites vngratiously in
vnitye to the Church of Roome and to their Byshop the head thereof the aduersary of Christ and vtter enemy to his crosse boldly braying and bragging that out of the vnitye of this bodye and head of theirs no man can be saued For these miserable men ought to vnderstaÌ„d that this necessary vnitye without which no man can haue saluation is not that vnitye whereby members are ioyned to members bunches to bunches monsters to monsters and the deceiued to Antichrist the deceiuer but that it is that vnitye wherby the true members of the true bodye are conioyned to the true and onely one head Iesus Christe our mediator and Sauiour The tyranne of Roome is not the head of the true church I proue thus He hath not the worde of God for his warrant Ergo he is not the head of the true church Christ sayth that he himselfe is the onely vniuersall Shepheard The prophets haue prophesied so of Christ Esai 40. Ezech. 37. 34. Hierem. 30. Psal. 33. c. The Apostle so nameth him Christ himselfe not long before he left this worldâ— sayd to his disciples I will pray the father and he shall geue you another coÌ„forter that he may abide with you for euer euen the spirite of truth Here we learne what vicar Christ hath substituted Not the Pope but the holy ghost So writeth Tertul. Barnard and others This place of Iohn I am the good shepheard S. August expoundeth of Christ So doth Chrisost So doth Nicholas Lyra as simple an interpretour as he was Fiet vnus pastor id est Christus There shal be one shepeheard that is to say not the Pope but Christ The Apostles had no knowledge of this monstrous head The Nicene Councell knew it not The Councell of Carthage excommunicated cursed him to the deuill that called him selfe vniuersall Byshop or chief Priest The whole Councell of Aphrica condeÌ„ned the attempt of this vsurped iurisdiction and called it the smokie pride of the world The Romish Prelate doth subuert corrupt prophane the doctrine of Christ and his Sacraments manifestly maintaineth Idolatrie Therfore he caÌ„ not be the vniuersall Shepheard He is not worthy to be called a Shepheard A Shepheard nay a fleashéepe A Byshop a Butcher a Pastour a Pyrate a Prelate a Pylate a Vicar of Christ a Vicar of Venus a Cephas Caiphas Phocas that execrable murtherer was he that first proclaimed the Byshop of Rome to be head of the vniuersall Church about vj. hundred xiij yeares after Christ was borne This Phocas beyng but a common souldiour did by treason and conspiracie lay hands vpon his liedge Lord and Maister the Emperour Mauritius and in cruell sort did him to death and so by trayterous vilanie he aspired to the Empire The maner of his crueltie was this First he commauÌ„ded foorth the Emperours yongest sonne and caused him to be slayne euen in the fight of his father and so the second and then the third and afterwarde the Empresse Mauritius heauely lookyng on lamentyng saying vnto God Righteous art thou O Lord and rightfull is thy iudgement Last of all he vsed the like tyranny also vpon the Emperour and layd him his wife and his iij. children on a heape together After that he had thus liued and coÌ„mitted sundry murthers and other great misâ—â—â—â—â— the people tooke him slue him â–ª 〈◊〉 â—â—ew him in to the fire Here you maâ— sée the first promotour a holy promotour of the Popes holynes A murtherer â—â—e finder out of supremacie And Supâ—â—â—â—cie fouÌ„ded and builded vpon murther S. Cyprian calleth Stephen and Cornelius Bishops of Rome brethreÌ„ and companions And whereas certaine Schismatickes yelded them selues subiect to the Byshop of Rome perswading them selues that the Bishops of Aphrica had lesse power theÌ„ the Byshops of Rome Cyprian called them desperate wicked persons for so doyng I frame this Argument out of Chrisost Quicunque desyderauerit primatuÌ„ in terra in Coelo inueniet confusionem Whosoeuer ambitiouslye desireth supremacy vpon earth shall finde in heauen confusion The Byshop of Roome ambitiouslye desireth supremacye on earth Therefore he shall finde confusion in heaueÌ„ The Pope is Antichrist Ergo he is not the head of the Church He which auauÌ„ceth himself aboue all that is called God is Antichrist The pope doth so Ergo the Pope is Antichrist Irenaeus a most auncient doctour of the Church who liued almost fiften hundred yeares since disputyng of Antichrist sayth thus Antichristus cum sit seruus tamen adorari vult vt Deus Antichrist notwithstaÌ„ding he be but a slaue yet he will be worshipped as if he were god Ioachimus Abbas saith Antichristus iam pridem natus est Romae altiùs extolletur in sede Apostolica Antichrist is long since borne in Rome yet shall he be higher aduaunced in the Apostolick sea Antichrist sayth Gregory is he that shall clayme to himselfe to be called the vniuersall Byshop and shall haue a garde of priestes to attend vpon him S. August sayth BabyloÌ„ is the first Roome and Rome the second Babylon And to come nearer the matter S. Iohn sayth Antichrist shall sit in the Citye that is built vpon seuen hilles and so is the Citie of Roome And Sybilla sayth that the greatest terror and furye of his Empire and the greatest woe that he shall worke shall be by the bankes of Tyber and there is Roome He that hath eyes to sée let him see he that hath eares to heare let him heare Agayne Christ was humble the Pope proude Christ was poore the Pope rich Christ patient the Pope impatient Christ merciful the Pope vnmercifull Christ vsed admonitioÌ„ the Pope imprisonment Christ communication the Pope extirpation Christ all manner of clemencie the Pope all manner of tyranny briefely you shall finde the Pope in all vertue seuered from Christ you shall finde him to Christ Beliall to light darcknes to truth falshode Are not these and such lyke the very fruites of Antichrist the trée is knowne by his fruite Whereas these shakers of the ship of Christ vrge Antiquitie Vniuersalitye and Succession to make much for them I aunswere these thinges make nothing for them but rather agaynst them Notwithstanding their Vincentius Lirinensis whome they haue in so high price This is Vincentius pretious assertion In ipsa catholica Ecclesia magnopore curandum est vt id teneamus quod vbique quod seÌ„per quod ab omnibus creditum est In the Catholick Church we must haue especiall care to hold that which euery where alwayes and of all men is beléeued Yet to helpe his credite the Church of Roome was not so deformed with heresies at the time when he did write which was a thousand yeares more since as it is mentioned Antiquitye doth not preiudice or hinder trueth Their antiquity is no marke of the Church Their Antiquitie is iniquitye Tertull. sayth nothing can prescribe agaynst truth neither time nor authoritye of