whereas the Church of Rome will be known to be the true church by the Visibilitie Antiquitie and multitude thereof and so bee seene and pointed at with the outward eye and finger you shall finde that Visibilitie Antiquitie multitude are not the markes of the true Church but a little flocke few in number and yet of greatest Antiquitie as by these places may appeare For tell me I pray you where the Church was visible when being assembled at Ierusalem there arose agreat persecution against it insomuch as they were all dispersed and â—caâ—â—red And where or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the church visible when Christ was smitten and all the rest was scattered and hid and concealed themselues Doth not S. Iohn in his Reuelation expresly witnesse that the church of Christ signified there by a woman fled into a desert or wildetnesse where shee had a place prepared for her of God and where she could not for a certaine season be found of the persecutors Where was the Church in the time of Elias the propheâ— when he said They haue forsaken thy 〈◊〉 they haue destroyed thine Altar and slaâ—ne thy Prophets with the sword and I am left alone Agai 〈…〉 That vnder the raigne of Achas there was takeÌ„ patterne of a the Altar of the Idolâ—ters of D 〈…〉 sens and Vrias the high-priest remoued the Altar of the Lord. It appeareth thereby that the Priesthood was corrupted the Altar remooued consequentlye the sacrifice ceased I trust then there is no Papist so impudent to â—ay that either the true Church â—as in the Scribes Pharises or in the time of Achas Mâ—â—asses and many other Kinges of Israel so visible and populous as they would haue it But that the Church of Christ were in that small number where soâ—uer dispearsed 2. Secondly the Church of Rome holdes that Ignorance is the mother of deâ—â—tion But Christ saith Ignorance is the mother of â—rrâ—r saying you â—rre not knowing the Scriptures And Christ â—iddeth the people to search the Scripture Paul commauÌ„ded that word of God should dwell p 〈…〉 sly in the people whereby they might themselues and the Bereans examined the Scriptures 3. Thirdly the Church of Rome teacheth that the Scriptures 〈◊〉 to â—â—read and prayers to be vsed in a strange tangue Saint Paul faith He that speaketh in a strange tongue speaketh not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but vnto God for no man heareth him howbeit in the spirit hee speaketh secret thinges Hee that speaketh in a strange language edifieth himselfe I would that you al spake strange languages but rather that you prophecied For greater is hee that prophecieth then hee that speaketh diuers tongues except he expound it that the church may receaue edification And now bretheren if I come vnto you speaking diuers tongues what shall it profit you c. Morcouer things without life which giue a sound whether it bee Harpe or Pipe except they haue a distinction in the sound how shall it bee knowne what is piped or harped So likewise by the tongue except you vtter wordes which haue signification how shall it be vnderstood what is spokeÌ„ for you shal speak in the ayre 4. Fourthly The Church of Rome doth teach there is a Purgatorie Christ in the Gospell sheweth onely two places namely heauen and hell Christ said to the good Theefe this day shalt thou bee with me in Paradlce Christ saith verily verily I say vnto you he that heareth my wordes and beleeueth him that sent me hath eternall life and commeth not into condemnation but passeth from death to life Saint Paul saith I coâ—et to be dissolued and to be with Christ Againe for we know that when this earthly Tabernacle of ours is dissolued we haue a building of God not made with handes but eternal in the heauens Againe Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from hence foorth they rest from their labours and their workes followe them And Saint Peter telleth the Saâ—â—tes and Children of God and assureth them of it That the end of their fayth is the Saluation of their soules 5. Fiftly The Church of Roâ—e teacheth that since the fall of Adam man hath free-will whereas God saith After that time that the imaginations of mens heartes are onely euill eâ—erâ—e day Christ saith No man câ—n come vnto me except the Father draw him Againe Conuert thou me and I shall be coâ—â—erted Also There is not one that dooth good 〈◊〉 not one Againe without faith it is impossible to please God And againe whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Also except men be ingrafted into him they can bring foorth no fruites c. 6. Sixtly the Church of Rome deliuereth the Sacrament 〈◊〉 in one kind namely bread Christ saith Drink ye all of this Cup. Paul saith Let a man examine himselfe and so let him â—ate of this bread and drinke of this Cup. 7. Seauenthly The Church of Rome holdeth Transubstantiation in the Sacrament and this they would seeme to ground vpon these wordes This is my bodie which they wil haue to be expounded liberally But why then doe they not expound the wordes of Christ literally also concerning the cupp For the Text saith in the 27. and 28. verses that he tooke the Cup and said this is my blood I am sure they wil not say that the Cup was the blood of Christ as the wordes bee but they will graunt a signe in those wordes namely that by the Cup is meant the wine in it If then they will admitte a figure in this why may there not be a figure in the other namely this is my body should be vnderstood thus This bread is a figure of my body which was broken for you circumcision was called the Lordes couenant when indeed it was not the couenant So likewise the Pascall Lamb is called the Passouer when indeed it was but a signe of the Passouer Christ saith Doe this in remembrance of mee And Saint Paul saith plainelye and expresly that the communicants doe eate bread and therefore it remaineth breade after the wordes of consecration For if it were transubstantiated into the bodye of Christ then were there no Breade to eate but the bodye of Christ is the thing that should be eaten But none doe eate the verye bodye of Christ For if euerie Communicant did eate the verie bodie of Christ nturally câ—rnally really as they â—â—ossely suppoâ—â— Christ should haue a number of bodies â—esides if C 〈…〉 gaue his body to be eaten really by his Disciples at the timâ— of the institution of this Sacrament what was it that did hang vpon the Crosse on the morrowâ— moreuer it is said as touching the bodie of Christ. The heanens musâ— contaiâ—◠〈◊〉 to the end of the world Eightly The Church of Româ— holâ—â—â—â— the Pope hâ—th â—oritie to depose Kingâ—â— and Pri 〈…〉 s. God deposeth the mightye from theâ—r seates and exâ—lteth them of the low degree It is God that testifieth of
for that many write that flowe with phrases and yet are barrein in substance and such are neyther wise nor wittye others are so concise that you neede a comentarie to vnderstand them others haue good wittes but so criticall that they arraigne other mens works at the Tribunall seate of euery censurious Aristarchs vnderstanding when their owne are sacrificed in Paules Church-yard for bringing in the Dutch Curtezan to corrupt English conditions and sent away Westward for carping both at Court Cittie and countrie For they are so sodaine witted that a Flea can no sooner friske foorth but they must needs coÌ„ment on her Others shal be so subiect to affectioÌ„ that wheÌ„ they haue don any thing worthy of praise they eyther like Hennes that goe cackling in regard of their new laid Egge and blaze their owne workes abroad or indeauour by secret insinuation to bee commended by others as the Italian Poet did who hauing made an Epigram which much pleased himselfe shewed it to some of his friendes praysing it aboue the skies They presently demaunding who was the Author He for very shame of pride would not tell them it was his but with a fleeting countenance gaue them to vnderstaÌ„d that the verses and the laughter were Cosiâ—-germaines and issued both froÌ„ the same proud heart Therin discouering both his owne selfe-loue and vanitie Doctor Aloander with a myraculous insight espied that by reason of some retrograde influence it should happen that this yeare many Countries shall bee highly troubled with warres Commotions sicknesses and Plagues The Spirit saith hee among the Godlyc shall warre with the flesh and honest plaine dealing shall bee at deadly fewde with Peter Pick-thanks secret insinuation A dreadfull debate shall be betwixt the Wife and the Husband who shall beare moste sway and authoritie insomuch as the wife shall sitte playing in the Chamber aboue when the Husband shall stand working in the shop belowc There shall be also as much strife among Players who shall haue the greatest Auditory as is warre among the foure knaues at Cardes for superioritic Brokers and Vsurers shall so pinch the poore this yeare that for euer after they shall be no better then Knaues by estimation Land-lords and Lease-mongers shall peele their Tennants raysing rents and taking houses ouer mens heads to the vndoing of Man wife and Children Gentlemen that were wont to keepe good houses and maintaine Hospitalitie in the Countrie shall this yeare depart from thence giuing ouethouse keeping and come to London And eyther keepe a chaÌ„ber there or waite at the Court vncalled with a man and a Lackey after him where he was wont to maintaine halfe a score proper men to attend on him and thirtye or fortie other persons besides euery day in the weeke Tapsters shall this yeare in Sommer be indyted for mingling their bottle Ale with small Beere and Ale-wiues in winter for filling three pots to one toste and for selling flesh on Frydaies without lycence Many black tempests shall be in Taphouses for Cannes shall flye about and light on mens heads without winges and with the rich poore men shall bee accounted knaues without occasion Some shall be so costiue in their stomackes as they shall cary hollowe hearts vnder holy shapes and weare braue hoodes that haue but bare learning Those that can flatter least shall speede worst Qui nescit dissimulare nescit viâ—ere And he that cannot verba dare ad voluntatem and sooth vp his superiours in their follyes and imperfections shall as hardly thriue this yeare as it is likely that men will be affraide of a good fyre at Midsomer if it bee possible to haue a frost of three weeks continuance in Iuly For tell but Quintus that his breath doth stincke And doe not cogge and say 't is sweete and cleere Hee le let thee passe and neuer bid thee drinke When as Auphidius shall haue good cheere For now who loues to play a worldlings part Must teach his tongue refraine to tell his heart Hee is a gaâ—â—ant fit to serue a Lord And at the Court to haue a speciall place Which can both claw and sooth at euerie word And sweare that 's rare which doth deserue no grace And when his Lord an idle tale doth tell Cryes by this hand you haue spoke passing well In this dangerous yeare shal happen many Combattes betweene the flesh the spirit our inordinate passions will wee nill wee shall not cease almost hourely to rise vp against Reason and so molest vs perturbting our rest and inward quietnes For example whereof I wil recite vnto you what was related in the life of S. Anselme once Archbishop of Canterbury that as hee walked into the fields he saw a Shepheards little Boy who had caught a Bird and tyed a stone to her legge with a thrid and euer as the Bird mounted vp to soare aloft the stone drewe her downe againe The reuerend old man much mooued at this sight fell presently a weeping lamenting thereby the miserable conditions of men who no sooner indeauour to ascend to heauen by contemplation but the flesh hales the heart backe againe and drawes to earth enforcing the soule to lye there like a Beast which should haue soared in the heauens like an Angell Some shall haue so much wit that they shall surfet on it and striue so long against the streame as their bodyes shall faile to carrie their heads any longer Some shall haue such large consciences as they shall build fayre houses by briberie gather much wealth by contention and crueltie and ere they are aware heap vp riches for an other wretchednesse for themselues For Vna opibus poterit nox quoque obesse tuis Water shall this yeare bee so weake an Element in the world that men and women shall scarce haue teares sufficient to bewaile their sins and there shall be such a dearth of Onyons that Widdowes shal want moysture to follow their Husbands to their Funeralles Fewe shall wax beggers by giuing of Almes for in our time the world is so far from giuing as a Nigards purse will scarce bequeath his maister a good dinner Many shall be so seduced by blinde opinions that digging a pit for others they shall fall into it themselues and cry peccaui when the Popes pardon shall not preuaile against their Treachery Coyne shall â—uaile more then coÌ„science for they that haue the one are not much troubled with the other study nothing lesse then to doe good nothing more then to doe hurt and spitte their worst least they should die in the Deuils debt Few that are poore shal haue more money then they need and many that are wealthy not so much wit as they want The hearts of the wicked shall be so hardned as they shall say â—ush we can neuer be cast downe for there shall no harme happen vnto vs. yet the fattest Oxe we sâ—e is readyest for slaughter and the felicitie of fooles is their owne destruction It is hard saith
legges shall be glad to goe on crutches and such as lost their horses and carres at the last Lotterie and pawnd theirâ— apparell to venture for a blancke paper shall euer heereafter weare a fooles Cap for their labour and if they runne not mad at their folly yet shall they bee glad to drudge with a basket at their backs for hazarding that was their owne into other mens handes by such slye and secret cousnage So the poore Car men shall cursse Aristotle that said Corruptio vnius est generatio alterius for their olde Carts being gone they haue no stocke to buy others Many shal driue whole Aâ—â—-tubbes into consumptions and so drowne their stomacks in liquor as if in a short time they pisse not out their wealth and cause the â—ot to infect their purses and eate out the bottome yet shall they consume their bodies and make themselues sicklye or ten to one not possibly escape the dropsic Gentlemen shall this yeare be much wronged by their Taylors for their consciences are now larger then euer they were for where they were wont to steale but halte a yard of broad cloath in making vp a payre of breeches now they doe largely nicke their Customers also in the lace and take more then enough for the new fashion sake besides their olde fees There shall bee a mightie conspiracie amongst Bakers Butchers and Brewers insomuch as they that lacke monye or haue not good credit shall neither haue breade meate nor drinke when they are drye or hungrie Poore men are much threatned that Lawyers shall pleade none of their causes without coine for if they should Westminster-Hall would bee little troubled with rich men and so Pettie-loggers Lifters and Cut-purses would bee greatly hindred and impouerished Schollers shall bee preferred when such as sing Bases leaue to loue good drinke Or when such dye of surfettes that keepe a temperate dyet But flatterers shall haue great giftes when the good and godly labours of Schollers shall be scarce worth Gramercies Sextons shal this yere complaine of their hard fortunes for that their gettinges shal decrease what they purchased in the plague time they shall now haue leysure to consume 〈◊〉 wring the marrow of the malte and so sucking in a cup of Spanish Sacke that when their two or three yeares gaynes has been but one yeares spending they shal at last be serued with a fieri facias and pray for the imployment of Coffin-mongers and that there may not growe such rust vpon Spades Pick-axes But amongst all these blacke and disaster accydents this yeare promiseth good fortune to Saylors and Souldiours for what they gette by the sword they may spend at their pleasures if beyond count and reckoning they haue anye thing paide them by the Treasurer if they build not Hospitalles with it they may imploy it on apparrell or to the maintenance of the honest knot of friendship Players shal haue libertie to be as famous in pride and idlenes as they are dissolute in liuing and as best in their marriages for communitie as vnhappie in their choyces for honesty Women are like to bee endued with such masculine courage as if they once haue their willes they will euer after striue for the maisterie therfore marryed meÌ„ of weakest wit and worst courage had best to bee prouided of good weapons to defend themselues from assaults for such husbands as are not able to resist them valiantly are awarded to pay a Sheepes-head to their next neighbour in pennance of their pusillanimitie Seeing then that the oyle of Holly is a present remedie for a shrewd huswife he is a flat foole that suffers his wife to crowne him with a Pispotte The French disease in this westerly partes is like to proue verie dangerous especially to such as are not prouided to vndergoe the charge of three weekes dyet without which they shall neuer be without Ache in their bones vntill the Vsurers of London sweare to bestowe a new Steeple vppon Paules Church This shall be a blacke yeare for Theeues and seditious persons for all kinde of 〈◊〉 shall so prosper both in Vpland groundes and in high-waies as the verie stalkes thereof shall almoste touch the top of Tyborne Those that are thinne clad want fuell may not straine curtesie to goe cold to bed vnlesse better order to prouided for the price of Sea-coales that priuate gaine may not enhance the rate thereof to publique griefe and discommoditie It is to be much doubted that this yeare there shal be such store of Caterpillers as they shal not only deuoure blossoms but consume the best of our possessions such plentie of thankles Trencher-flyes as will hang on the fulnesse of prosperitie and flye from declyning estate and aduersitie according to that of the Poet. Non deerunt socij rebus mihi crede secundis aduersis nullus te putat esse bonum Neuer was such a curious generation clasped vnder the cope of heaueÌ„ as is in these our miserable daies For what vaine studyes exercise for moste part our iudiciary Astronomers by calculating Natiuities fore-telling euents prescribing the limits of mens liues fore-shewing their perrils and daungers but meere cousnage and idle curiositie who many times shutting a knaue in a circle and looking about for the deuill finde him lurk in their bosomes Such shall bee the corruptions of mens mindes that Ingratitude shall forgette her best benafactors and raysed by insinuation to sublime condition shall bee vnmindefull of the happinesse that followes content is enemie to ambitions aspiring For seldome can Presumption be enthronde To liue esteem'd or dye to be bemoan'd An humble coate entapissed with mosse A lowly life that feares no sodaine losse A minde that dreades no fall nor craues no Crowne But makes his true-content his best renowne These are the choice contents the goods the gaine which rightly can bee ours The rest are vaine If then thou see a troope of garded Knaues waite at Aagastoe's heeles like seruile slaues Be not agast admire not at his state For now the world is bent to serue and hate T is true that slaue whome Pompey did promoate was he that first assaid to cut his throate Iudas shall this yeare walke about the world and sell his Neighbour for commoditie to any man But the Iewes shall bee of an other disposition for hauing taken out a peÌ„nie in the shilling these many yeares they shall nowe with good conscience venture vppon three pence with the aduantage From the superfluitie of mens braynes shall bee hatched that hideous monster selfe conceite like a Tyrant so raigne in peoples hearts that many men shall think their opinion is their God many women imagine that none are so fayre as themselues Many shall apparantlye prooue themselues knauish yet â—in their owne opinions will be accounted honest The Cobler shall say the Shoemaker is a botcher Cherillus shal sweare he is more learned theÌ„ Homer Craftes in occupations sectes in Religions shal abound