cleaue fast to the Kings Maiestie our supreme head in earth next vnder Christ of this Church of England as faithfull subiects by Gods law ought to do Though they go about to stirre Gog and Magog and all the rauenours of the world against vs yet we trust in God verily and doubt not but they shal haue such a ruine and ouerthrow as is prophecied by Ezechiel in his 39. chapter against Gog Magog going about to destroy the people of God whom the people of God shall so vanquish and ouerthrow on the mountains of Israel that none of them shall escape but their carcasses there to lie to be deuoured by kites and crowes and birds of the aire And if they shal persist in this their pestilent malice to make inuasion into this Realme then let vs wish that their great captaine Gog I meane the Bishop of Rome may come with them to drinke with them of the same cup that he maliciously goeth about to prepare for vs that the people of God might after surely liue in peace Thus far Bishop Tunstall By whom we may learne these notable lessons that the Pope hath béene no peacemaker but a maker of wars these many yéeres and therefore he is the child of the diuell by his iudgement Secondly that all true subiects ought to trust in God and their Prince and not to feare anie inuasions he shall deuise against them Thirdly that he is that Gog that hidden and hypocriticall enemie of Christ of whom Ezechiel prophecieth and that he and all his shall be destroyed and all their attempts against Gods Church shall not prosper Tunstal a man of great learning and iudgement saw thus much in his daies when the daie of the gospel began but to shine and shal not we now in the cléere sunshine therof acknowledge so much But to returne to Master Bellarmine againe he answeres to the former place De Rom. pont lib. 3. ca. 6. that I haue alleadged out of Ierome vpon Malachie That although Ierome in this place was of this iudgement yet in his Commentaries vpon Matthew he taught the contrarie But Master Bellarmine doth mistake Ierome For Ierome himselfe doth not say vpon Matthew that Elias shall com before the second comming of Christ In Mat. ca. 11. but he there shewes the opinions of others These be his words There are some saith he which thinke that therefore Iohn was called Elias that as in the second comming of Christ according to Malachie Elias must come before must shew the comming of the Iudge So Iohn did in his first comming And so they both are messengers either of his first comming or of his second Ierome shewes here the opinion of others and not his owne why Iohn was called Elias which he had set downe before in these words That Iohn was called Elias not according to the opinion of some foolish Philosophers and certaine heretiques which bring in transmigration of soules from one bodie to another but because according to another testimonie of the gospell he came in the power and spirit of Elias and that he had the same grace or measure of the holy spirit which Elias had And also the austeritie of life and courage of mind both of Elias and Iohn were equall Hee was in the wildernesse so also was he He was girded with a girdle of a skinne so also was he He because he rebuked Ahab and Iezabell of their wickednes was compelled to flie he because he reproued the vnlawfull mariage of Herode and Herodias lost his head These are Ieromes considerations why he thought Iohn might be compared to Elias Then he addes There be some others that thinke c. As though that which followes were not his opinion but the opinion of som others whom he also makes mention of in that other place of Malachie which I haue before alleadged And there he cals them plainely Iewish heretikes And the same opinion of others concerning the comming of Elias Ierom alleadgeth in other places and he inueieth against all such followers of Iewish fables Iohannes Viualdus a Papist in opere regali de duodecima persecutione ecclesiae Dei affirmes plainly that Ierom thought In explic orat Ier. in cap. 29. Ezec. that Elias should not come in his owne person but that the vertue and power of Elias should come But he himselfe saith that he followes rather Austen Thomas and Vincentius So that Ierom in this matter is not contrarie to himselfe as Master Bellarmine would haue him but all one Nay he is so farre from being of the Papists opinion concerning Antichrist that although the booke were sealed and this matter concealed from the fathers and by degrées not all at once opened to the church as we maie note in the Reuelation yet euen by that small light of Gods word Reu. 5.2 6.1 which at that time was giuen the Church of this matter he aiming at the truth doth quite ouerthrow the Papists opinion For vpon the second Chapter of Malachie he writes thus The Iewes saith he vnderstand that which is spoken here of the prophet Behold I will send my Angell of Elias the Prophet and that which followes The Lord whom you seeke for shall by and by come to his temple and the Angell of the testament whom you would haue they referre to their Messias that is to their Christ who they say shall come in the ende of the world But I maruell how that the verie experience of the things which haue chanced hath not taught them the truth for what temple shall their Lord find which is ouerthrowne to the verie foundation Or is it to be builded vp againe of any other before Christs comming What shal their Christ do more when as all things are restored to their former state of another Our Lord in the Gospell expounding Elias to be Iohn Baptist saith If you will vnderstand he is Elias which is to come of whom also this same Prophet whom we now expound speakes of in the end of his prophesie Behold I wil send you Elias the Prophet before that great and fearefull day of the Lord come But how Iohn also might be called Elias he gaue vs also to vnderstand saying that he came in the power and spirit of Elias Thus farre Ierome Where he plainly out of the scriptures refutes the Papists opinion concerning Antichrist Whom they teach shall be borne in Babylon of the tribe of Dan and when he shall come to Ierusalem circumcising himselfe he shall say to the Iewes I am Christ promised vnto you Then all the Iewes shall flocke vnto him and they shall build againe the temple destroyed of the Romans And he shall sit there saying that hee is God and shall kill Enoch and Elias This is the Papists opinion concerning Antichrist as it is set downe in their Catholicon by Ioh. de Ianua a Frier And this their opinion Ierome in this place manifestly refutes who saith that the temple shall not be built
doth not say the words I haue spoken a little before but the wordes I doe speake are spirit and life and therefore are my flesh For euen as that which containeth a mans spirit and life is his flesh euen so saith our Sauiour that which containeth my spirit and life is also my flesh So that by this short sentence he exhorteth all men to the reading of his word Wouldest thou be partaker of Christs life and spirit then eate his flesh that is read his word muse and meditate therein day and night And no doubt beleeue the saying of thy Sauiour his wordes he hath spoken shall be spirit and life vnto thee Thus we may sée how Ferus doctrine most manifestly agrées with the doctrine of our Sauiour Manie for want of eating of this flesh which feede their bodies daintily with the flesh of fishes and foules at this daie haue faint and pined soules nay dead soules void of the life and spirit of Iesus Christ In Mat. cap. 7. Ferus also of the certaintie of our saluation and of the sufficiencie of the Scriptures writes thus What saith he do men so greatly desire as securitie How much would the Emperor of Rome giue that he might be safe from his enemies How much would euery iust man reioice if he were certaine of his estate if he knewe that he should neuer fall how greatly would euery sinner reioyce if safetie were assured him against death hell But all these things doe Christs words onely performe This saith Ferus But the Romane Correctors in their copie do command to put out onely They are loth that so much should bee attributed to the Scriptures Of the sanctification also of the sabboth In cap. Mat. 22 Ferus hath this notable lesson The chiefest worke of the sabboth saith he is to cease from thine owne workes and to giue place that God may worke his in thee that is faith charitie patience longanimitie chastitie The second worke is that we apply our selues to doe good workes and to meditate in the Law of God to heare the word of God to pray in spirit and truth Especially therefore the word of God is to be heard without which there is no hallowing of it know that this is commanded thee of God that thou heare his word and keepe it and of this he will require an account of thee in the day of iudgement Neither is it enough for thee to heare it once or twise vnlesse thou heare it often The Diuell is euer assaulting thee and thou must euer by the word of God resist him by which alone he is ouercome Againe thou must meditate of the word of God or els thou hearest in vaine And two things especially are to be meditated out of the word of God that is to say our sinnes and Gods goodnesse And by these two as in Iacobs ladder sometime we must descend into our selues and sometime ascend vnto God Thus farre Ferus If this be true how hallowed they the Lords sabboth in the daies of our forefathers when Gods word was neuer or seldome preached to them If this be true that we should meditate on this Law of God then must we know it And here the Romane addition to Ferus detractes from the word of God againe that dignitie which Ferus giues to it By which alone saith he the Diuell is conquered but they blot out alone Of voluntarie religion Ferus writes thus Then In cap. 4. Ioh. their worshippings had not the warrant of the word of God and how can then they be certaine or sure to please God for they onely followed their owne reason and the examples of the fathers For thus they reasoned with themselues If an earthly or fleshly calfe pleased God offered at Ierusalem how much more shall a calfe of gold seeing it is more precious lasteth longer Also if it were lawfull for our holy fathers to worship God in this mountaine why is not the same lawfull for vs But in the worship of God neither mans reason neither the examples of the fathers but Gods word are to be followed Thou shalt not doe saieth he that which seemeth good in thine owne eies but that I command Here Ferus sets downe the only true and certaine ground of Gods true worshippe that is the word and commandement of God Here the reason of man or the examples of the fathers are denied to bee sure grounds of Gods worshippe and yet the Papistes doe builde their faith on these Dom. 1. Sexag Of the Scriptures also Philippus de Dies writes thus The matters which faith teacheth are so excellent that no mans wit be it neuer so sharpe and subtile can attaine vnto them for if it could then it were no faith And therefore to obtaine this faith we must heare the word of God as the Apostle exaggerates saying howe shall they beleeue in him which they haue not heard And after he concludes saying Faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God And so it appeareth how to the obtaining of faith it is necessarie to heare the word of God Behold how God which is the fruit which we hope for is not obtained without charitie and charitie is not obtained without faith and faith is not obtained without the preaching of the word of God And therefore for the verie great agreement and likenesse that it hath the Lorde called his worde seed What other doctrine doe we teach at this day here in England of the necessitie of hearing and knowing the worde of God In 3. cap. ad Col. Theodore also vpon that place of the Apostle to the Colossians Let the word of God dwell plentiously among you writes thus The olde law also commanded the daily meditation and studie of Gods word Thou shalt meditate in them saith the Lawe sitting at home in thy house rising vp also and lying vpon thy bed and going in thy iourney This thing the Apostle commandeth that we should also carrie about with vs the doctrine of the Lord and that we should praise him and that we should sanctifie him with our tongues with spirituall songs That phrase also in your hearts is as much to say As not in your mouthes onely That same note which the Hebrew text yéelds in that same Psalme we vse daily to repeat is worth marking Psal 95. v. 7. In the Hebrew it is thus Because he is our God and we are the people of his pasture and sheepe of his hands If to day you will heare his voice Here is the full point in the Hebrew text and here endes the verse and not where the common translation appoints it to ende So that then we are his people and shéepe of his pasture Here are great priuiledges such as none could be wished greater such as euerie man would desire to be partaker of But as euery one desires to be partaker of these priuiledges and blessings so let him as well marke the infallible and most plaine
condition annexed vnto them that is If so bee we to day heare his voice Oh let euerie good christian heare his voice to day that is with all spéede possible that God maie be his God that he maie bee one of the people of his pasture and a shéepe of his hands The doctrine is plaine the contempt thereof is very dangerous Who now will be a Recusant The Prophet Dauid discoursing excellently of the corruption of our nature doth thus vnfould the sins thereof Psal 53.5 Haue they no knowledge Here is the roote of all sinne to be ignorant to lacke knowledge now followes the branches Working iniquitie eating my people as though they would eate bread they haue not called vpon God they feared where no feare was These are the fruits of ignorance to doe wickedlie to deale cruellie with Gods people not to call vpon God and to be fearefull and superstitious These are the workes of darkenesse these are the workes of the seruants of the prince of darkenes these are the fruits which procéede of ignorance of the Scriptures And I pray God for want of this roote the like fruits of doing wickedly of dealing cruellie of praying idolatrously and of fearing superstitiously be not in manie at this day Stella writes thus of the blessed Virgine Stell in 2. cap. Luc. The most wise Virgine had not a fooles heart of which the wise man saith It is like a broken vessell and can hold no wisedome But she was like the Arke of the couenant wherein both the tables of the new law that is of the Gospel and of the olde law also were contained or laid vp For whatsoeuer things were spoken before of our blessed and mightie Sauiour or what things himselfe our Sauiour opening his mouth taught his Disciples and the rude multitude all those things the pure Virgine without wearinesse kept in her faithfull heart and did ruminate or meditate vpon them Let vs learne therefore being stirred vp by the blessed Virgines example to meditate vpon heauenly things and to carrie in our mindes those things which God teacheth the which we shall excellently doe if we shal daily meditate vpon Gods mysteries In the olde lawe those beasts which did not chew the cudde as swine and such like were accounted vncleane and by Gods commandement the people of Israell might not eate of them So doe thou alwaies meditate and as it were chew the end as concerning those things which the Lord God the creator and maker of all things hath done for thee how for thy sake he tooke the shape of a seruant how he suffered most bitter death for thee a miserable sinner c. Thus farre Stella Where we may note that he wisheth all Christians to be like the blessed virgine Heb. 9.4 in this that she had both tables of the Testaments laide vp in her heart And how can they be like her herein which séeme otherwise verie deuoutly to honour and reuerence her Reu. 22.9 euen more then she requires euen as Saint Iohn did to the Angell which will scarcely take the tables of the Testaments that is the holy scriptures into their handes How can they haue them in their hearts nay surely if this be the onely marke of cleane beastes to chew the cudde as Stella affirmeth that is to meditate vpon the word of God then they surely which thinke they are not bound to know the scriptures and so cannot meditate vpon them and therefore doe not chew the cudde are euen as swine and vncleane beasts before God how religious or holy otherwise outwardly they appeare Ferus of Marie writes thus when she saw Christ Marke heere the good workes of Marie Ferus in 11. ca. Io. nay thou shalt see here the roote and true order of good workes When as she did see Iesus saith hee This is the roote of all good workes the knowledge of Christ For he which sees him not that is doth not know him will neuer fall down before him nor pray vnto him Afterward she fell downe at Iesus feete For the throwing downe of our selues immediately followes the knowledge of Christ He falles downe happily that falles before the Lord. And againe he standes vpright vnhappily which before God doth not humble but aduance himselfe As did that chiefe Angell and that Pharisee in the Gospell who standing not onely in bodie but in minde did bragge of his good workes Héere we may learne that Ferus affirmes that knowledge is the roote of all good workes and if this be true how could they do anie good works in poperie in their great blindnes and ignorance Surely it could not be but that they erred often and if they did any it was by chance rather as a blinde man may doe a thing rightly then by anie certaintie In 2. ca. Luc. Of the excellencie and sufficiencie of the scriptures Stella also writes thus The giuing of vs the lawe wherein we should liue should most of all mooue vs and euen force vs to loue God with all our heart and to serue him faithfully For although the gift of our creation to his owne image and likenesse and that he would make vs capable of that heauenly inheritance although I say this were a great and an excellent gift yet notwithstanding if God had not giuen vs his law wherein he should declare vnto vs his will shewing vnto vs also what we should doe that we might obtaine that same blessednesse for which we were created without all doubt our life had beene sorrowfull and miserable If a King should say to any one if you shall doe that which pleaseth me I will aduance you to great honours so that none in my kingdome shall be compared vnto you but contrariwise if you shall not doe that which pleaseth mee you shall not escape vnpunished yea being fast bound in chaines and as it were buried in a darke dungeon you shall die miserably What thinke you would this man doe what would hee chiefely care for Certainly to know the Kings pleasure and then with all his endeuour to doe it For by this meanes he should gaine the greatest good thing in the world and contrarily if he did not this he should purchase himselfe euerlasting confusion But if the King would not declare to this man his pleasure and what thing he delighted in or what he hated surely this man must needs liue a miserable and sorrowfull life vntil he could come to the knowledge of the Kings pleasure So Nabuchadnezzar commanded his wise men vpon paine of death that they should shew him the dreame he had dreamed But now if the king should declare to this man al his pleasure should disclose to him faithfully his very hart how glad would he be how greatly would he reioice because now he saw plainly the gate of his pleasure opened vnto him We know assuredly being led not only through faith but also by reason that there is one only God in the world there is no
the Hebrewe article Lamed which is the signe of the Datiue case as though they were giuen to Dauid from aboue and not Dauids Psalmes with the signe of the Genitiue case as though they were of his owne making or inuention So saint Paul saith 2. Tim. 3.16 The whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God And saint Peter saith Pet. 2. ep 3.15 Iames 1.5 As our beloued brother Paul according to the wisedome giuen to him wrote to you And saint Iames saith If any man lacke wisedome let him aske of God c. Hereof is the maiestie of the holy scriptures and worde of God it descendes from aboue all mens hearts must climbe vp to it no man nor Church is aboue it so that we maie iustly saie thereof as Dauid said Psal 138.2 Thou hast magnified thy name and thy word aboue all things Osor lib. 3. de Sapientia Of the authoritie of the scriptures Osorius writes thus If thou be afraide to walke in darkenesse and desirest to be filled with the light of saluation doe not search for those causes and reasons of things thou canst neuer attaine vnto but onely giue credit to the heauenly testimonies and be content that thou maiest be sure that those thinges which thou beleeuest are confirmed by Gods â—â—ne word and sentence This is the rocke of all Christians â—â—at they knowe that those things which they doe beleeue are ratified by Gods owne word The words of all the Angels in heauen nor of all the men and Churches in the world without this word could not quiet and assure our consciences Therefore we beleeue and are assured because we know God hath spoken it and whatsoeuer hee hath spoken we doubt not of though he haue but once spoken it as Balam did Num. 22.11.20 after Gods answere he went to aske him the second time Againe of the excellent commoditie which is reaped by studying the scriptures he writes thus And that we may begin Lib. 5. de Sap. from hence it is euident by Gods owne mouth that true wisedome consists in true obedience and kéeping of the law of God For thus it is written This shall be your wisedome and vnderstanding before all people that they hearing these commandements may say Behold a wise and an vnderstanding people As though hee should say let others loue the studies of the Mathematiques let them search out with all their endeuours the hidden secretes of nature and if they thinke good let them measure out the heauens and let them endeuour to bring to light that which is shut vp in the bowels of the earth let them bragge of their wisedome and vaunt of their wits let them walke with the titles of great learned men and let them intrude themselues euerie where as correctors and amenders of common wealths But you keepe firmely with you one kinde of wisedome onely that is to say study you in the Lawe of God day and night let that neuer slippe out of your mindes Other studies can neither saue you nor aduance you nor deliuer you out of perils nor to conclude can bring you any fruit or commoditie in aduersities Nay it may so fall out that that same false opinion of wisedome may oftentimes bring you into the danger of your life and maye throw you headlong into euerlasting destruction For he is not called blessed which is skilfull in the artes which mans braine hath deuised but he that studies earnestly in the law of God day and night And after he concludes thus This Oration plainely declares that all wisedome is contained in the studying of the law of God If this be true why then are not all men in the Popes kingdome exhorted and pricked forward to this blessednesse why are some kept backe from it and forbidden it If all wisedome bee contained therein what state haue they béene in which neuer knew it And Ferus herin also agrées with Osorius Fer in c 9. act As vnreasonable beasts are guided and holden in with a bridle so to man is giuen reason and to Christians the word of God by which they may be gouerned He accounts Christians lacking the knowledge of the word of God like bruit bâ—astes without a bridle or like men without reason And againe The word of God is that sharpe and piercing sword wherewith the Diuell is repelled and put to flight He therefore that will liue without care danger let him take into his hands this sword Thus saith Ferus but the Pope saith not so he will not haue euerie one meddle with this sword In cap. 20. act And againe These are the weapons wherewith the enemies haue hurt the Church that is to say peruerse doctrine and all doctrine is peruerse wicked that agrees not with the rule and square of Gods worde Ibidem And a little after vpon these words And to the word of his grace He addes this as though he should say If any thing as yet bee wanting let it be taken out of the word of God For Gods word is a Lanterne vnto our feete Aboue all other things chiefly in all aduersities the power and authoritie of God and the word of truth doe comfort vs and doe defend vs against all inuasions of heretiques the Diuell and the world He doth not say as some Papists doe nowe saie that the wants of the Church must be supplied by traditions but by the Scriptures It is able to supplie all wants And againe vpon these words Saying none other things then those Fer. in act 24. which Moses and the Prophets did saie should come The doctrine of Christians must bee agreeable to the Scriptures And if Paul were not ashamed to preach the Scriptures how much lesse we And after speaking of Pauls Nauigation Let vs vse all fit meanes saith he but especially let vs trust in God In Act. 27. If we cannot escape the danger of our body yet let vs haue a care that our soule may be safe And marke here that the longer we are on this sea meaning the world wee doe saile the more dangerously Againe There is neuer more dangerous fayling then where there is famine of the word of God If we would then not suffer shipwrack Col. 3.16 let vs haue the anchor in our houses as Saint Paul counsels vs. And a little after As these men in so great dangers had nothing els to comfort them but the words of Paul so also now the word of God only comforts vs which God giues vs abundantly But wo be to our vnthankfulnesse which despise it The houre shall come when we shall desire to heare the word of God and it shall not be granted vs. Wo to him that despiseth it for he shall be despised Let all Recusants marke this Marke diligently also saith he that Paul spake but thrise in the shippe first he warned them that they should not saile secondly he comforted them And here thirdly he forewarneth against imminent
holpen our rebels in Ireland Who persecutes kings in their owne pallaces in their chambers in their closets as the secret murthers of manie Princes and Kings by his fauourers in our memorie plainly testifie There lackes nothing but this that when as he sees that all his priuie and secret practises can do no good that he with open warre come into the field himselfe and with his riches and treasures wherein he abounds and with all the friends that he can make proclaime open warre against that great day of the God almightie of which great day of battell both the prophet Ioel and Zacharie and also Saint Iohn in his Reuelation may seeme to spake Ioel. 3.9 Zac. 14.13.14 Rev. 16.14 Aust de ciu de lib. 18. ca. 52. S. Austē saith That some in his daies thought that the last persecutiō of Antichrist should be like the eleuenth plague of the Egyptians in which while the Egyptians fiercely persecuted the Israelits in the red sea the people of God going thorow on drie ground they themselues perished But Saint Austen doth not thinke that by those ten plagues of Egypt these ten persecutions of the Roman Emperours were prophetically signified Although saith he of those which thinke thus these are wittily and exquisitly compared the one to the other but not by the spirit of prophecie but by mans coniecture which sometimes proues true and sometimes false Saint Austens chiefe reason against this opinion is because of the number For that there haue beene and may be more persecutions then ten or eleuen against the Church of God But to let the number go the matter of this exposition may séeme fitly to agrée with the other prophecies of the scripture If Antichrists kingdome be spiritually Egypt as saint Iohn calleth it then Pharaoh was a type of Antichrist and fitly may we coniecture that he shal both deale in Gods Church persecute and also perish as he did Is not the Pope like Pharaoh Pharaoh killed the infants in the water And hath not the Pope done so with Christian children 2. Tim. 3.15 1. Ioh. 2.14 Timothie knew the scriptures from his childhood And saint Iohn saith You young men are strong because the word of God dwelleth in you And Dauid how shall a yong man cleanse his waies that through the filth of sin he perish not but by keeping thy word But the Pope hath taken this word from children from young men from all men Therefore he hath taken away their strength and in them he hath defiled and polluted their waies And therefore he hath as much as in him lies killed them For God hath testified that the soule that sinneth shall die And as also that other Pharaoh burthened mens backs and bodies so hath he burthened all mens consciences with the obseruations of his superstitious lawes And is he not then rightly Pharaoh This persecution of Gods Church comming out of Egypt makes also the same most manifest Since the first day that Gods people began to forsake his blinde superstition he hath neuer ceased to persecute them And as in his doings he is a Pharaoh so he shall be Pharaoh in his ende And here the papists opinion concerning Antichrist how absurd is it and against all reason that another Antichrist should be borne in Babylon and should come with such a power that he should persecute the Church of Christ more then euer it hath béene persecuted I thinke they thinke that Antichrist when he comes shall not be able to ouercome their Pope and yet this he must doe if their opinion be true The Turke hath not beene able to ouercome Christendome for all his might riches and power and do they thinke that euer any shall arise mightier then he Ians har Eu. ca. 22. After the affliction of those daies the sunne shall be darkened c. which without all doubt saith Iansenius belongs to the comming of Christ to the which comming shall goe before the most grieuous persecution of the faithfull by Antichrist But surely it is not likely that euer anie shall come more mightie then the Turke and Pope and therefore let vs thinke surely that this persecution is begun alreadie that Antichrist is comed The Pope hath taught thus much himselfe For he decreed that none should preach of the day of iudgement nor of Antichrist Concil Lat. ses 11. although he had a Reuelation vnlesse he first examine him What néede he haue feared if he had not béene guiltie especially séeing we are commaunded to preach the iudgement 2. Thes 2.8 Nay how contrarie to the verie plaine and manifest text of the scriptures is their opinion of Antichrist Saint Paul telleth vs plainly that the Lord Iesus shall consume Antichrist with the breath of his mouth and shal quite abolish destroy him with his glorious appearāce What can be plainer then this that Iesus Christ by his second comming shall quite destroy Antichrist But they teach that Michael the Archangel shall destroy him with a thunderbolt And that Antichrist being thus dead and slaine by Michael Christ shal not by by come after but that there shall be granted to the elect 45. Iohes Vinaldus opere regali de 12. persecut Eccles daies after to repent in And that then after those 45. daies no man shall know the time when Christ shal come to iudgement And that then there shal be silence as it were in heauen and peace in the Church that tribulation ceasing And that then Antichrists disciples shal reioyce and shall beginne to marrie and to make feasts saying although our master be dead yet now we shall haue rest and securitie And so that day of the Lord shall come vpon them vnawares c. How this and saint Pauls doctrine doe agree togither let euerie one in this great and waightie matter iudge but indifferently And yet this they dare auouch euen contrary to the iudgement of Austen whom there the same author alleadgeth who writes thus concerning this matter in his Epistle to Hesichius I dare not number the times as concerning the comming of our Sauiour which is looked for in the end Neither do I thinke that any of the prophets haue set downe this number but that rather ought to be of force amongst vs which our Lord himselfe said Act. 1.7 No man can know the times which the father hath put in his own power Thus in their opinion the papists doe dissent both from S. Paul and Saint Austen But thus much of Antichrist 12. Of Miracles FErus of this matter writes thus Vnlesse you see you will not beleeue In 4. cap. Io. This word condemneth vs for we also require signes That is we will be otherwise certified then by the word For when as we heare the forgiuenesse of sinnes and other promises of God then we think we would beleeue if we were assured by any sensible signes But if thou be one of the faithfull the word of God ought to suffice thee without
Else when thou blessest with the spirit how shall he which occupieth the roome of the vnlearned say Amen at thy giuing of thanks seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest Thou verily giuest thanks wel but the other is not edified S. Paul here speakes manifestly of common prayer in the Church both of praying singing of Psalmes and not only of priuate hymnes or some particular songs which some Christians made to their owne comforts and to praise God as Master Bellarmine expounds this place Saint Pauls doctrine agrées with the promise of our sauiour Lib. 2. de verb. dei cap. 16. and with the practise of the Church before recited The same doctrine he deliuereth to Timothie a Bishop to be deliuered to the whole Church I will therefore saith he first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thanks be made for all men for kings 1. Tim. 2.1 and all that are in authoritie that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlines and honestie No doubt he meanes here common praiers And he puts downe the benefits which are reaped thereby which being knowen and vnderstood of the Church should as it were whet on this their desire of praying These benefits they should know assuredlie they did reape by their prayers and that they were to obtaine them by no other meanes but by prayer And therefore séeing they are such things as no man can be without all men greatliest desire it behooueth them especially to praie for these and as they know and vnderstand the price of them to be so much the more earnest by their prayers in begging them of God The like doctrine he teacheth all men after in their priuate prayers I will saith he that men pray in all places lifting vp pure hands without doubtfulnes They must haue faith ioined with their prayers and beleeue verilie they doe receiue that which they praie for according to our sauiours doctrine or else they shall obteine nothing at Gods hands But this faith of receiuing the things they praie for argues a knowledge They cannot beléeue they receiue the things they praie for vnlesse they know what they praie for so that by saint Pauls doctrine both common priuate prayers must be made with our vnderstanding The same teacheth saint Iames Is anie sicke amongst you Let him call for the elders of the Church let them pray for him Ia. 5.14 And annoint him with oyle in the name of the Lord And the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke Here are common praiers set downe but they must be done in faith and in the name of the Lord Iesus S. Iames agrees with the gospell Our common praiers must haue these two conditions which the gospel teacheth they must be made in faith and with knowledge as is before repeated And they must be made in the name of the Lord Iesus They must not be barbarous prayers without vnderstanding as saint Paul tearmes them but Christian prayers framed according to the doctrine of Iesus Christ The same doctrine saint Iohn teacheth 1. Io. 5.14.15 And this is the assurance which we haue in him that if we aske anie thing according to his will he heareth vs. And if we know that he heare vs whatsoeuer we aske we know that we haue the petitions that we haue desired of him Saint Iohn ioines the same two conditions to common prayers which saint Iames did that is faith and assurance that we shall obtaine our petitions and knowledge And this is that which our sauiour himselfe also teacheth all his Io. 16.24 Hitherto haue ye asked nothing in my name Aske and ye shall receiue that your ioy may be full What can be greater ioy to a man then to haue his suit granted of a mortall man euen of a king but to haue it granted at the handes of God is the cause of the greatest ioy in the world Prou. 13.12 The hope that is deferred saith Salomon is the fainting of the heart bu◠when the desire commeth it is a tree of life But how shall w◠know that our suits and prayers be granted vs or not vnlesse we know what we pray for Therefore they take from vs this tree of life which teach vs to praie in Latin and not to vnderstand our prayers They take from vs the greatest ioie we haue in the world And what kind of enemies are they 1. Iohn 5.16 The same doctrine saint Iohn giues of priuate prayers If anie man saith he see his brother sinne a sinne not vnto death let him aske and he shall giue life for them which sinne not vnto death All Christians ought to praie for their brethren when they sée them offend They should praie God to amend them And should they not then vnderstand their prayers I would to God all Christians would attentiuelie marke this forcible effect of prayer they shall by their praiers giue life to their brethren offending To restore a dead man in bodie to life againe what a great commendation would we account it but it is a farre greater matter to restore a dead man in soule to life againe And this most assuredly doth faithfull praier Oh that all Christians would remember this and practise it and cease in their brothers sinnes as most men do now a daies either to backbite them or slaunder them but rather as saint Iohn here counselleth pray for them Neither were the common prayers onelie in the Gospell but in the law also in a knowne tongue Before the captiuitie Dauid saith O come let vs sing vnto the Lord Let vs heartily reioyce in the strength of our saluation This exhortation had béene in vaine if the people then had not vnderstood what had beene said And in another Psalme he concludes thus Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for euer and euer Psal 106.48 And let all the people say Amen prase ye the Lord. And againe speaking of the Church of Christ Psal 47.7 he saith God is king ouer all the earth sing ye praises with vnderstanding All Christs subiectes must be children to maliciousnes but not in wit they must be men in vnderstanding And they must praise God with their vnderstandings He requires only the heart He will be worshipped in spirit and truth Iohn 4.23 Esay 29.13 as our sauiour teacheth And againe We must not now worship him as the wicked did in Esaias daies This people honoureth me with their lips but their heart is farre from mee This kinde of worship God condemned in the Iewes and do we thinke that he wil allow of such like amongst christians Of the common praiers also of the Iewes after the captiuity Neh. 8.6 we read thus in the booke of Nehemiah And Esdrah praised the Lord the great God and all the people answered Amen c. No doubt if they had not vnderstood his praises they could not haue answered Amen So that contrarie to M. Hardings and Mast Stapletons assertions
both priuate and common deuotions ought to be in a toong knowne and vnderstood of the common people But M. Bellarmine in this weightie matter of praier which is as it were the verie key of heauen and the onlie means for the poore sinner to refresh and comfort his soule is quite contrarie to himselfe For in one place he writes thus That he is not worthy of the thing he asketh which doth not acknowledge that he standeth need of the thing he requireth And therefore we must be poore and miserable wretches in our owne eies if so bee that we will obtaine mercie and grace And againe he deuides praier thus There is one kinde of prayer saith he only mentall Another both mentall and vocall Neither ought there be added the third member vocall onely for that is not onely profitable to please God but rather to prouoke Gods anger according to that saying This people honoureth me with their lippes Esay 29. Mat. 15. but their hearts are farre from me Here he plainly affirmes that onely vocall praiers such as are all praiers not vnderstood obtaine nothing at Gods hands but rather prouoke his anger If this be true then their masses which manie of their priests scant well vnderstood and their other Latine praiers which commonlie the people made without vnderstanding pleased not but rather displeased God And againe he writes thus Lib. 1. cap. 9. de oper bonis in particular Esay 29. Mat. 15. Ierem. 48. The fift condition of prayer is deuotion And deuotion here is called a desire of praying attentiuely carefully diligently and feruently for the Lord reprooues the people that praie only with their lips And he is pronounced accursed that doth the worke of the Lord negligently This condition as also the former do spring of faith For he which attentiuely with a strong faith considers how great the maiestie of God is and how great is our vilenesse how great the matter is which we require at Gods hands it is not almost possible but that he should come to pray humbly reuerently and feruently Thus farre M. Bellarmine Where he makes the consideration and knowledge of the thing we begge at Gods hands a meanes to make Christians deuout in their praiers But they which praie in Latine lacke this consideration therefore their praiers cannot bee made but without deuotion So that here M. Bellarmine séems to require knowledge in praier that their praiers maie be deuout and please God But in other places he goes about to prooue that praiers not vnderstood maie please God And he alleadgeth arguments to confirme the same The priest saith he in the olde law prayed for the people in the Tabernacle and the people tarried without and neither vnderstood nor knewe what he prayed First here the priest was a shadow of Christ who alone entred into the tabernacle and the people might not enter in with him and therefore could not vnderstand his praiers but his praiers were such as if they had bin present they might haue vnderstood And therefore this makes nothing for their Latine seruice where priest and people are both present togither Secondly he alleadgeth that the Church praies for infidels and wicked men which would not that she should pray for them and yet no doubt her prayers doe them good But here the Church doth vnderstand her prayers The question is not whether he that reapeth good by a prayer should vnderstand it or not But whether he that makes anie praier either for himselfe or for anie other ought to praie with vnderstanding and to know the praier he makes Surely he that praies for another or for himselfe and knowes not what he praies shall neither do himselfe nor the other anie good As they which in times past said de profundis for them which were dead did no doubt not profit them naie if they had vnderstood what they had saide they would neuer haue said it for the dead which was made of one liuing for himsefe neither are the dead so much as once named therein Thirdly he alleadgeth some sayings of the fathers as of Origen and Chrysostome That as charmers by words not vnderstood doe driue Serpents out of their holes so the word of God being read and yet not thorowly vnderstood is of much more force against the Diuell But these fathers speake not of the Scriptures read in a strange language of the people that they should be of anie force but onely of some darke and obscure places which being read and passed ouer although not thorowlie vnderstood with some other plainer places might yet profit the soule and daunt the enemy as did the Eunuches reading of the Prophet Esay who no doubt vnderstood the words hee read as they doe not of their Latine praiers although he vnderstood not the meaning of the wordes For he coulde saie Of whom speaketh the Prophet of himselfe or of another But these places make nothing for praier which speake of reading the Scripture Lastly he alleadgeth Austen That one praying the prayers which heretikes haue made not knowing them to be heretikes prayers may reape good by them But this is nothing to the purpose So the praier be good and praied with vnderstanding and a liuely faith it makes no matter who made it Basill verie excellently of the common prayers vsed in the Church in his time writes thus Hexam hom 4. If so be that God account the sea good and beautifull and commendable how much more is not that wise decree of the Church more glorious in which a mixt noise of men women and children as it were of the water beating against the shoare of their praiers rebounds vnto God with the depth of peace and tranquilitie and preserues it firme and vnmooueable all those wicked spirits being put to flight which were not able with their hereticall doctrines so much as once to mooue her He calles these common praiers consilium the wisdome or policie of the Church The olde enemy of our saluation Sathan hath banished this pollicie out of the church Of all other this most preuailes against him Let the true Church vse it againe and iudge who she is which vseth it not But it is worthie our consideration how other Papists haue condemned praiers in generall being made without our vnderstanding Viuiennus a Papist concerning this matter Lib. 3. de offic boni patrisfam cap. 25. writes thus Therefore if any man saith he seeke the meanes how he may obtaine the grace of God let him giue himselfe to prayers which are the weapons by which all the power of the Diuell is ouerthrowne Therefore the wicked spirits sometimes when we pray cast stumbling blocks in our waies that either being slothfull we may be wearie of praying or being terrified we may quite giue it ouer or being carried away with vaine thoughts we may pronounce negligently those words which we should pronounce with great discretion being like to drunken men who oftentimes talke many things neither doe
call him The Lord our righteousnes Psal 4. ◠And thus also Dauid cals him heare me O God that art my righteousnes And this also then is another true marke of the true Church to call account Iesus Christ their righteousnes And if this be his name it must not be giuen to anie other he must haue his name alone himselfe They denie him his name that attribute their righteousnes to an thing else in this world what soeuer And this name haue al Gods saints alwaies attributed vnto him Gen. 18.27 I haue begun to speake vnto my Lord saith Abraham which am but dust and ashes thus basely he thought of himselfe what glorie what beautie is in dust and ashes And O Lord saith Iacob I am not worthie of the least of all thy mercies Gen. 32.10 and of all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant As though hee should say I can challenge nothing no not the least grace which thou hast bestowed vpon me And Iob saith Iob. 9.2 How should a man compared to God be iustified If he would dispute with him he could not aunswere one thing for a thousand And to Iob agréeth Dauid Innumerable troubles saith hée are comed about me my sinnes haue taken such holde vpon me that I am not able to looke vp Psal 40.12 Yea they are moe in number then the haires of my head and my heart hath failed me Euen Dauid himselfe thus manie in number accounted his sinnes Act. 13.22 being a man according to Gods owne heart And who dare then account his sinnes fewer And our Sauiour likewise teacheth all his when as they haue done all that is commaunded them if they were able to doe it Luk. 17.10 as there is none able euen then to say and to account themselues in deed vnprofitable seruants Much more then when they shall not be able to doe perfectly euen the least of that which is commaunded them Nay if the Apostles themselues shall say they haue no sinne 1. Io. 1.8 they were lyers Much more then anie other Christians whatsoeuer All true Christians account their works doe they neuer so manie and so excellent but duties not deserts as saint Paul teacheth them For the loue of Christ now saith he pincheth vs or constraineth vs to doe all things 2. Cor. 5.14 For we thus iudge that if one be dead for all then were all dead And he died for al that they which liue should not henceforth liue vnto themselues but vnto him that died for them and rose againe Here is the ende and cause of all good works They are but duties which we are bound to doe for Iesus Christs sake that died for vs if so be we could do euen a thousand times more thē we can doe Mat. 5.16 They are light they are not fire Let your light so shine before men saith our Sauiour that men seeing your good works Luke 12.44 may glorifie your heauenly father But he deserueth the praise of this light that kindled the fire And that is he which said I am come to send fire vpon the earth and what will I now but that it burne Io. 2.18 The light is his that oweth the fire our works are not ours they are but the light of faith The Apostle Paul cals them fruits of righteousnes Phil. 1.11 they are not causes thereof They procéed from it When we are iustified then we bring forth good workes Heb. 11.6 2. Cor. 3.5 Before we can doe nothing that is good no not so much as thinke a good thought He that owes the trée may iustly challenge these fruits Ephes 1.13 After saith saint Paul that the Ephesians beléeued which is their new life and iustification they were also sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of their inheritance vntill the redemption of the possession purchased vnto the praise of his glorie God bestowes all his gifts vpon vs our faith whereby we liue and are iustified the holy spirit whereby we are sealed and assured that we are Gods children whereby we are sanctified and enriched with all good works yea and preserued euen till the day we shall obtaine that glorious kingdome of heauen purchased for vs by Iesus Christ for this onely ende that we should be to the praise of his glorie A Christian must in all things and for all things all his life long glorifie God This is the marke he must shoote at the thing he must doe daily And for this cause God bestowes his benefits yea euen all the good works he doth daily vpon him Gal. 1.23 So the Saints magnified God in Paul being now conuerted So in the Psalme all the saints protest Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs Psal 1 15 1. but vnto thy name giue the glorie And in the Prophet Esay 26.12 Thou hast wrought all our works in vs. We chalenge nothing our selues but onely glorifie thée that by vs vile earth blunt tooles vnfit instrumēts thou wouldest vouchsafe of thy aboundant mercie wisedome and power to worke such excellent things So that this is another marke of the true Church to attribute and ascribe all her righteousnes to the Lord Iesus Christ Another euident marke of the true Church to be cunning in the Scriptures to haue Gods law in her heart Heb 8.8 And this is that which saint Paul alleadgeth out of Ieremie that out of the mouth of two witnesses Deut. 19.15 this truth might be confirmed to vs That he that should now doubt thereof might iustly be condemned Behold the daies wil come saith the Lord when I shall make with the house of Israel with the house of Iudah a new testament Not like the testament I made with their fathers in the day I tooke them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt For they continued not in my testament and I regarded them not saith the Lord. For this is the testament that I will make with the house of Israel after these daies saith the Lord I wil put my lawes in their minds in their harts I wil write them and I will be their God and they shall be my people And they shall not teach euerie man his neighbour saying know the Lord For all shal know me from the greatest of them to the least of thē Here we may note a notable yea and a principal marke of the true Church God cals this his new testament or couenant Why then they that haue not had this or haue it not are not within the couenāt of God are none of his heirs are not partakers of his testament But what is this couenant They shal haue Gods law written in their heart they shall al know God frō the greatest of thē to the smallest Psal 19.7.119.110 They shall now be all cunning in Gods word that thereby as Dauid saith the verie simple shal get vnderstanding that they shall
wildernes which was a figure of the militant Church of Christ neuer rested in one place it was caried to and fro and therefore it quite ouerthrowes that firme and vniforme state of the Church which the Church of Rome now teacheth The Tabernacle was not only assaulted of enemies but also the Arke of God was taken of the Philistines 1. Sa. 4.11 No doubt an euident argument how Antichrist should possesse the visible Church of God in our daies The Church is a Tabernacle it is a Shippe it neuer continues in one place nor in one state and therefore they are vnwise Mat 8.24 1. Pet. 1.25 that will build their faith on the outward shew or name or place thereof But we know Gods word endureth the same for euer And therefore the more surer way is to builde our faith on it The Leuites and Priests caried onely the Tabernacle of the appointment of the Lord Num. 1.51 Ios 3.3 but the Church of Rome hath admitted allowed her Friers to carie it and hath dispensed with their Priestes Their Friers preached the couenants of God and his appointments made with man Their Priests were bound to say their seruice onely Granat prolog memor Thus much Granatensis confesseth This duty saith he especially belongs to the Priests and Ministers of the Church whom God hath commaunded that they should instruct and teach men in his law And therefore among other ornaments of the high Priest was his breastplate of iudgement which he bare on his breast wherein was engrauen learning and truth which two things God would haue in Aaronâ— heart that from him as from a fountaine all other men might draw learning and truth And after writing of the ignorance of the cleargie he writes thus But now wo is me the parish Priests and other Curates thinke that they are bound to nothing else but to minister the Sacraments and to say their seruice in due time and doing this in Hamlets and villages or in some townes they thinke that they haue verie well discharged their dutie and office Thus much Granatensis saw and condemned Exod. 25.2 The Tabernacle was made of the voluntarie offerings of the people The Church of Rome had vowes no man might be a priest vnlesse he would vow chastitie Here was a yoke of necessitie laid vpon their necks Vers 2. This voluntarie offering was quite taken away In the Tabernacle they offered onely to God but they in those daies offred to creatures And euerie one contributed somthing towards this building none was excluded but the cleargie in the Popes kingdome tooke vpon themselues only the name of the Church and excluded the people Lastly this Tabernacle was builded in all points Exod. 26.30 according to that patterne which Moses saw in the Mount Therefore euen as in Noah his Arke so in Moses Tabernacle and so in Christs Church also all mans deuises and inuentions must surcease But the Church of Rome admits the inuentions and deuises of man in her buildings And therefore as she is vnlike to Noah his Arke so she is also disagreeing to Moses Tabernacle And God commanded also Moses besides this tabernacle Exod. 25. ve 10 to make an Ark of Shittim wood two cubits an halfe long a cubit an halfe broad And thou shalt ouerlaie it with pure gold within and without shalt thou ouerlaie it And shalt make vpon it a crowne of gold round about it This Arke as the Tabernacle did represent the Iewish Synagogue so may it represent the Church of Christ Esay 60.17 Vers 11. of which as the Prophet Esay prophecieth I will giue thee for siluer gold and for yron siluer So heere it was all couered with Gold both within and without no doubt with the gold of God 1. Io. 4.8 1 Cor. 16.14 Phil. 3.12 that is with charitie For God is charitie saith saint Iohn and let all things be done with charitie saith S. Paul The length of it two cubits and an halfe declares that our perfection in this life is but imperfect The crowne of gold round about it signifies that as saint Iohn and saint Peter teach 1. Pet 2.9 Reuel 1.6 all Christians now are Kings and Priests And thou shalt cast foure rings of Gold for it Vers 12. and put them in the foure corners thereof that is two rings shal be on the one side of it and two rings on the other side thereof And thou shalt make barres of Shittim wood and couer them with gold And thou shalt put the barres in the rings by the sides of the Arke to beare the Arke with them the barres shall be in the rings of the Arke they shal not be taken away from it These foure rings doe liuely paint out vnto vs Io. 20.31 1. Ti 3 15. Ephe. 4.11 the foure gospels of our Sauiour Iesus Christ which are rings which are perfect and absolute which are fastened to the Arke which should neuer be parted from the Church And the two barres put thorow them couered also with gold to carie the Ark signifie Pastors and Doctors which preach these gospels and carie and spread the Church being guilded with this gold of charity thorow the whole world And these all must studie the gospell they must not be taken from it So thou shalt put in the Arke the testimonie that I shall giue thee The testimonie is the law of God Vers 16. Psal 19.7 Psal 119.129 Io. 14.6 Heb. 8.1 Act. 20.31 Nehem. 8.2 Heb. 8.11 which is not onely a rule of our life but also a couenant and contract betweene God and his people And this testimonie must be in the Church of God continually this she must witnes to great and small This contract or bagaine euerie one must know that will be saued And thou shalt make a mercie seat of pure golde Vers 17. two cubites and an halfe long and a cubit and an halfe broad And thou shalt make two Cherubims of gold of worke beaten out with the hammer Vers 19. Thou shalt make them at the two ends of the mercie seat And the one Cherub shalt thou make at the one end and the other Cherub at the other end of the matter of the mercie seat shal ye make the Cherubims on the two ends thereof This propitiatory or couering Luke 22 1â— Io. 13.1 this mercy seate signifies Iesus Christ He was pure gold His onely loue towards man caused him to be incarnate nay to die for vs. This mercie seat is in length and breadth as much as the Arke to declare that all the Arke stands need of this propitiation and couering So that now as Dauid witnesseth Psal 32. ver 1. the blessednes of euerie man liuing consisteth herein that his sinnes are couered And saint Iohn teacheth all Christians the vse of this propitiatorie or seat of mercie If anie man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous 1. Io. 2.2 and
he runnes to that he maie run straight vnto it or else he shall hardly win the prize So must all Christians haue alwaies their minds fixed vpon God Psal 123.2 euen as the eyes of seruants to the eyes of their maisters as Dauid teacheth they must euer walke with God as Enoch did if they mind to win that prize A little looking aside Gen. 5.22 will make them lose all though it be to worship an angell God only is their prize is their mark they must shoote at They must direct their eies only to him S. Austen very excellently teacheth vs this lesson O strange thing and greatly to be wondred at Med. 27. Of God the Creator of all things who is incomprehensible and vnspeakable all doubt set apart we reade speak and write high and wonderfull things but of Angels and soules whatsoeuer wee say we cannot so manifestly auouch But let our mind passe beyond these and let it passe ouer all that is created and let it runne and climbe vp and flie and passe ouer and with all her force let her direct the eyes of her faith vpon him which hath created all things Therefore I will make as it were a ladder in my heart and by the staues thereof I will climbe vp to my soule and by my soule and my mind I will climbe vp to my God which is aboue ouer my head Whatsoeuer is visibly seen whatsoeuer is spiritually imagined with force let it be far remoued from the sight of my soule and heart my vnderstanding alone by it selfe going forward let it fly swiftly to him who is the creator of Angels and souls and of all things That is a happie soule which forsakes these base things and seekes after those which be aloft which in the highest places makes the place of her dwelling and from the highest rockes beholds the sunne of righteousnesse with eagles eyes Nothing is so delectable or pleasant then to behold God alone with the sight of the mind and longing of the hart and after a strange maner inuisibly to see him who is inuisible And so to taste of another and not of this worlds sweetnesse and to behold another and not this worlds light For this our light which is shut vp in houses which in time ends which euery night alters which is common to vs with wormes and bruit beasts in comparison of that most excellent light is not to be called light but night Here Austen plainly teacheth that no man knowes the estate of soules Angels therfore we cannot pray with assured faith vnto them but we must climbe vp beyond them euen to God the maker of soules and Angels And herein Saint Austen agrées with Saint Iohn in the Reuelation and with Saint Paul to the Colossians but in some other places of Saint Austen I know how some haue made him disagrée from both these and from himselfe also in this place * Cap. 40. as appeares in these meditations But our Sauiour himselfe doth draw out the platforme of his Church most manifestly to all Christians that will giue but a little héed to his words euen to the capacity of a simple woman in Iohn 4. Ioh. 4.20 And the woman said to him after that he had tolde her of her fiue husbands Now I know assuredly that thou art a Prophet And vpon this ground she begins to enquire of him concerning true religion and the true meanes of the worshipping of God And euen here in the verie beginning shée ouerthrowes that Popish Maxime that it is sufficient to beléeue as the Church beléeueth she desires to be instructed further Our fathers saith she worshipped in this mountaine And you say that at Ierusalem is the place where we must worship 2. King 18.22 As though she should haue said We follow the steps and religion of our fathers in our worshipping of God But herein she câ—red and all such like that follow the tradition of the fathers for it was true perchance that she said that Abraham Isaac and Iacob had worshipped God in that hill but now the law of God comming after and commanding all sacrifices to be brought to Ierusalem they following the traditions of their fathers against the lawe of God erred as our Sauiour here teacheth this woman in her all posterities We must not respect what our fathers haue done but what Gods word teacheth But Iesus said to her Amos. 2.4 Woman beleeue me because the houre shall come when ye shall neither in this mountaine nor at Ierusalem worship the Father Here Christ teacheth her two principall notes and marks of the true Church First concerning the place thereof that it shall not be tied to anie one place no more as it had beene And therefore Rome falsely makes her selfe the mother Church and a second Ierusalem as it were Secondly concerning the obiect and end All religion and worship must bee done to God and to no creature else Psal 65.2 Matt. 4.10 This homage of our religion worship he challengeth as onely due to himselfe You worship you know not what we know what we worship This is a third mark of the true Church It must know what it worshippeth it must not serue God in ignorance and blindnesse Leuit. 21.18 Matth. 10.16 Luk. 17.33 He refused and condemned in the law as well blind as lame sacrifices And Gods people are compared to Doues and Eagles which both haue most cleare eies And god himself although before he had created heauen and earth Gen. 1 4. 1. Ioh. 5.1 yet he pronounced nothing good before he had created light And Saint Iohn saith that God himselfe is light he can abide no darkenesse And hereof all the faithfull are called children of light And Dauid now prophesying of the Church of Christ after his ascension saith speaking as it should séeme of our Church seruice Sing ye praises with vnderstanding And Saint Austen saith De mirab Scripturae that the holy Ghost came in all tongues to consecrate and make holy all tongues And our Sauiour said to the mother of Zebedees children Matth. 20.22 when she requested that her two sons might sit the one at his right hand and the other at his left you aske you know not what And do we not thinke that he will saie the same euen now to all Popish Latine prayers not vnderstood of them which make them And Saint Peter in his Catholique epistle 2. Pet. 3.18 writes to all Christians Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ And againe Ioine to your faith vertue 2. Pet. 1.5 and to your vertue knowledge And our Sauiour in the Gospell Ioh. 17.3 This is life eternall to know thee the true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ To know God is true Religion nay is eternall life And therefore the Church of Rome which did not nor as yet doth not teach her children to séeke for this knowledge