sayest 1. Corinth 14. And in that whole Chapter bee vtterly disliketh seruice in an vnknowne tongue And therefore if the Church of Rome will not confesse their errour heerein she is past all shame and hath the impudent and shamelesse face of an harlot They haue all deuised and defende a place of Purgatorie wherein all that depart this life bée put and there punished béeing a punishing fire vntill they helpe to fetch them out with theyr Masses and other their inuentions and deuises which they wil not do nor thinke they haue reason to doe except they haue good currant coyne for the same And therefore it may bee well and iustly called Purgatorie pickepurse and it is manifestly apparant héereby that wealth and great riches of the Clergie was the onely marke they ayuâ—ed at For it hath no warrant in the Canonicall bookes of the scriptures yea the Canonicall bookes of the scriptures shew the contrary and so do the ancient Fathers Christ in the Gospel Luk. 16. sheweth only but two places namely heauen and hell saying that the rich mans soule which was vnmercifull to Lazarus went after his death to hell there was tormented that Lazarus soule béeing dead was caried into Abrahams bosom a place of ioy and comfort To the Théefe which was executed at the passion and suffering of Christ and beléeued in him Christ answered Hodiâ— eris mocum in paradiso This day shalt thou bee with mee in paradise Luk. 23.43 Which sheweth that the soules of the faithfull neuer come in Purgatorie fire to be boyled and punished for all their sinne is forgiuen and consequently the punishment incident to the same is forgiuen also and their soules passe from death to life and into paradise a place of comfort delectablenes all swéetnes namely heauen where Christ is Verely verely I say vnto you saith Christ he that heareth my word beleeueth him that sent me hath eternall life and commeth not into condemnation but passeth from death to life Iohn 5.25 What is become then of this Purgatorie Saint Paule sayth I couet to be dissolued and to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 shewing thereby that presently after his dissolution he was to bée with Christ in glorie For wee know saith hée that when this earthly tabernacle of ours is dissolued wee shall bee a building not made with hands but eternall in the heauens 2. Cor. 5.1 Saint Iohn in his Reuelation saith Blessed are the dead which die in the Lorde from henceforth they rest from their labours and their workes followe them Reu. 14.13 If from the time of their death they haue blessednes and rest as he sheweth then are they not in any Purgatorie fire to bée scortched and molested Saint Peter telleth the Saints and children of God and assureth them of it That the ende of their faith is the saluation of their soules 1. Pet. 1.9 If saluation of their soules begin at the end of their faith which lasteth vnto the end of their life and no longer for then they haue the fruition and possession of that which they beleeue and hope for then is it manifest there is no Purgatorie Ambrose saith Qui hic non receperit remissionem peccatorum illic non erit is in coelo quia remissio peccatorum vita aeterna est He that heere in this life receiueth not remission of sinnes shall neuer come in the kingdome of heauen for life eternall is remission of sinnes Cyprian saith Quando â—stine excessum fuerit nullus iam locus poenitentiae nullus satisfactionis effectus hic vita aut amittitur aut tenetur hic saluti aeternae cultu Dei fructu prouidetur And againe by and by he saith Tu sub ipso licet exitu vitae temporalis occasu pro delictis Deum roges quiverus vnus est venia datur confitenti credenti indulgentia salutaris ad immortalitatem sub ipsa morte transitur That is when men are once departed hence there is then no more place of repentance no effect of satisfaction heere life is eyther lost or kept heere prouision is made for eternall saluation by the worship of God fruits And thâ—refore saith he Doe thou call vpon God though it be at thy last gaspe and departure of this thy temporall life but call vpon that God which is one and true pardon is giuen thee if thou confesse thy sins and sauing forgiuenes if thou beleeue and from death presently thou shalt passe to immortalitie Ierome saith that the time of sowing their sáede for Christians is this present life that as soone as this life is ended they reape euerlasting life Augustine saith Primum fides catholicorum diuina authoritate regnum esse crescit calorum secundum gehennam vbi omnis Apostata vel a Christi fide alienus supplicia experitur Tertium peniâ—us ignoramus nec esse in scripturis sanctis reperimus The first place saith hee the faith of Catholickes doth by diuine authoritie beleeue to bee the kingdome of heauen the second hell a third place we are vtterly ignorant of neyther can we find any such in the holy scripturs And the same Augustine writeth in another place That they which beleeue a purgatory fiâ—e are much deceiued and that through an humane conceit How then can the Papistes be the true Catholicks which beléeue not the faith of the Catholicks which Augustine doth affirme They also hold that a man since the fall of Adam batl frée will of himselfe of his own power to câ—me vnto God and to do things acceptable wel pleasing in his sight Whereas God saith after that time that the imaginations of mens harts are onely euil euery day Gen. 6. If they be onely euill then haue they of themselues no affection to goodnes acceptable to him And Christ saith no man can come vnto me except my Father draw him Iohn 6.44.65 If her must bee drawne before he can come hee hath no procliuitie or willingnes of himself to come And therfore is it that the Prophet saith Conuert thou me and I shall bee conuerted Ier. 7. shewing that hee hath no power in himselfe to be conuerted And S. Paule sheweth that till God giue grace there is none that doth good no not one Rom. 3.10 c. For all the philosophicall vertues good deeds which men doe before they haue faith which is the gift of God are sinne not acceptable to God Iohn 6.29 For the Apostle witnesseth that without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 and that whatsoeuer is not of â—aith is sin Rom. 14.23 Christ himself again saith that except men be ingrafâ— into him they can bring foorth no fruit Iohn 15.1.2 c. Paule often teacheth that wee must be new men cast off the olde man Rom. 1.2 â— And againe hee biddeth to be renewed in the spirit of our minds 1. Cor. 2.14 And moreouer hee saith that the naturall man perceiueth not the thinges that
had a beginning as all the excellent Philosophers that euer were haue agréeed except Aristotle for a time who helde a fancie that this world had no beginning but was from all eternity but at last in his old age he confessed and held the contrary in his booke de mundo which hee wrote to King Alexander which booke Iustin Martyr estéemed greatly and called it the Epitome of all Aristotles true Philosophy This then being so that the worlde had a beginning it must néeds follow that it had an efficient cause or maker thereof I demaund then who it was that made it If you say it made it selfe it is absurd for how could it make it selfe before it selfe was and when it had no being at all If you say that something within the worlde made the world that is thaâ— some one part of the worlde made the whole that is more absurd for it is as much as if a man should say that the finger and this before it was a finger or part of the bodie did make the whole bodie Wherefore it may bee confessed by force of this argument which is plainely demonstratiue that a greater and more excellent thing than is the whole world put togeather yea that some thing which was before heauen and earth were made was and must needes be the maker thereof and framer of this worlde and this can be nothing else but God the Creator of all things who was before all his Creatures and is termed in the sacred writings Alpha and Omega the first and the last For that hee onely was without beginning himselfe and shall be and remaine without ending For he is eternall being the Primus Motor and the onely Almightie Creator of all thinges So true is it which Paul the Apostle doth testifie when he saith that the inuisible things of God that is his eternall power and diuine Essence are perfectly seene in the creation of the world being perceiued by his workes which he hath made If therefore men would but cast vp their eyes to heauen and from thence looke downe againe vppon the earth and so beholde the excellent beauty and building of this worlde he cannot be so sottish or dull conceited but hee must knowe there was and is a God which was the maker of them and be moâ—ued in some sort to glorifie so incomparable and excellent a Creator Yea the Poets and others haue affirmed of God that he is Pater hominum the Father of men to show that men haue their originall and creation from him so that if we should draw our eyes from the beholding of the great world and consider but Man who for his beauty excellencie is called in Greeke Michocosmos the litle world still we shall be enforced to acknowledge God the Author of vs the Father and Creator of vs. So true is it that which Paul the Apostle noteth out of the Poet Aratus which saith that Eius progenies sumus We are the issue or offspring of God And as true it is which he further saith in that place that in him we liue moue and haue our being And therfore we owe all duetifull obedience and subiection vnto him which duety and nature commands vs to performe in regard of our Creation For the sonne honoureth his father by naturall duety and all men are naturally carried to be gratefull to their founders to whom they are specially bound and whom they ought not to forget neither will except they be extreame vnthankefull and dissolute 3 Not onely the Creation of the worlde and of all things therein contained doth proclaim that there is a God who is to be honoured for his infinite extended authoritie and almighty power for he made all things of nothing onely he spake the word and they were created but his daily blessinges and benefites sent downe vppon the earth doe show also there is a God which is prouident and hath care of men and therefore of men to be praised thanked and glorified for euer For true it is which saint Paul saith in this behalfe that God left not himselfe without witnes when he bestowed benefits from heauen giuing vnto vs raine and seasonable weather and filling our harts with meate and gladnes By meanes of these and all other his blessings men might and still may daily be induced not only to beléeue that there is a God from whome they receiue all these but also to acknowledge and attribute all praise and thankesgiuing vnto him as to their first principall and speciall benefactor For the Oxe doth know his owne and the Asse his Master féeder and maintainer And therefore how can it bee but reasonable men should much more knowe God not onely their first founder and Creator but their daily féeder preseruer kéeper and vpholder For so ofâ— as they thinke vpon these thinges and sée and haue them they cannot choose but bee put in minde of God the sender and Author of them all and be mooued with a gratefull minde towards him And hereof is it that hee is called Deus à dando Of giuing And in english wee call God quasi good because hee is onely and perfectly good of himselfe alone and the giuer of all goodnes and of all good gifts and blessings vnto others from whom as from the fountaine al benefits whatsoeuer do come descend ffow and be deriued vnto them 4 I might heere shew how God is also knowen to the world by his iudgements vpon wicked and vnrighteous people who diuers times hee maketh visible examples of his seueritie and iustice if men did well consider them for heereby also hath God ministred himselfe as Paule the Apostle teacheth These promises I trust may suffice if there were no more to bee said for by them we may easily sée and prooue that there is a God which created the world and all things therein which preserueth vpholdeth the same with his mightie puissaunce which supporteth the earth and all the creatures thereof with his prouidence and helping hand yea behind the heauens and the earth which are the worke of his hands Euery mans owne conscience doth plentifully teach as I said before that there is a God which is to bee feared For howsoeuer many a man that hath spent his life in a wicked way and most damnablâ— course could wish in his heart there were no God because hee seeth God no otherwise than in his vengeaunce yea howsâ—euer many a wicked person doth ssooth himselfe in his wickednes and flatteringlie say vnto himselfe like the foole in the Psalmes There is no God yet at other times his own conscience wil so prouoke him and enforce this matter that there is a God that with the horror and dread of him it will make him quake feare and tremble for the feare of him is so deepely printed in the natures of all men as that it is impossible to shake it off And which is more a kinde of deuotion to worship him
and their lawfull Princes he will not only pardon without exception but he will abette them in their deuilish deuised and perswade them forward in their damnable courses till at last when it is too late for them to repent they will if they take not good héed in time féele the â—â—art of it in hell tormentes together for euer What the religon of Rome is may appéere by this that any man for monie may get a pardoÌ„ for his sins then what sin néed rich men feare to commit when a Popes pardon will saiue all or how can it be otherwise than a religion of licentiousnes when for mony a man may haue a licence of dispensation against any sin whatsoeuer These things be such open blottes to the Romish religion as that worthily euery good and godly minde hath it in detestation doth iustly condemne it Yet further will I prooue that the Church of Rome cannot be the true Church possibly 1 The Church of Rome doth hold that the diuine and sacred Scriptures doo not containe all things necessarie to saluation but their vnwritten traditions must forsooth all bée receiued with equall and lyke authoritie for so hath theyr Councell of Trent determined And Pope Leâ— the fourth feareth not to pronounce with a loud voice That hee that receyueth not without difference the Popish Cannons as well as the foure Gospels beleeueth not aright nor holdeth the Catholike faith effectually The decretall Epistles also they number with the Canonical scriptures And Pope Agathe saith that all the sanctions and decrées of their Romish Sea are to bee taken as stablished by the diuine voice Which blasphemies who can abyde For heereby they make both the Scriptures imperfect and not so content doe further adde vnto those Scriptures Wherein they commit two notable sinnes first accusing the sacred and canonical scriptures that they containe not al matters necessary to saluation which is directly contrary to the testimonie of S. Iohn who saith that these things are written that ye may beleeue that in beleuing ye may haue life eternal and cleane contrary to the testimonie of Saint Paul who saith That the Scriptures giuen by diuine inspiration are profitable to reproue to teach to correct to instruct and perfect the man of God 2. Tim 3.15 Ergo the Scriptures or word of God written is a true sound and perfect whole doctrine containing in it selfe fully all things néedfull for our saluation Yea Saint Paule saith expressely to Timothie That the Scriptures are able to make him wise vnto saluation 2. Tim. 3.13 And therefore the Church of Rome béeing cleane contradictorie dooth marueilously erre and therefore also we néed none of theyr vnwritten traditions And againe how should we bée assured that those traditions which they call Apostolicall be Apostolicall considering them not written by the Apostles Augustine speaking hereof saith thus Si qua retinuit Iesus Christus quis nostrum dicet hoc vel illud esse Et si quis hoc dicat quomodo probabit That is If Iesus Christ haue kept any thing close which of vs shall say that it is this or that And if anie say it is this how wilâ— hee proue it For all the errors of the Church of Rome shrowd themselues vnder the harbour of traditions And Chrysostom saith flatly whatsoeuer is requisite for our saluation is conteined in the Scriptures And againe hee saith All thinges bee cleare and plaine in the Scriptures and whatsoeuer thinges be needfull be manifest there And Ierome in the prologue of the Bible to Paulyne after hée had recited the bookes of the new Testament and the old saith thus I pray thee deare brother among these liue muse vpon these know nothing else seeke for none other thing And againe vpon the bookes of the olde and new Testament These writings be holie these bookes bee sound there is none other to bee compared to these whatsoeuer is beside these may in no wise bee receaued amongst these holy things And againe hée saith All other thinges which they seeke out or inuent at their pleasure without the authority testimony of the Scriptures as though they were the traditions of the Apostles the word of God cutteth off Let vs therefore stand fast to the written word of God and as for their traditions which they cannot prooue but obtrude vnto vs without testimonie of Scriptures let vs contemne them For as Athanasius saith the holy Scriptures inspired from God are sufficient to all instruction of the truth And as for the other point of the Papists in equalling and adding of their traditions their decretall Epistles and Canons to the pure and diuine word of God it is a blasphemy intollerable and who can indure it For doth not God say thus Yee shall put nothing to the word which I commaunde you neither take ought there from Deut. 4. And againe he saith whatsoeuer I commaund you that take heede yee doe onely to the Lord put nothing thereto not take ought therefrom And doth not S. Iohn in his Reuelation say that if any man adde to this thinge God shall adde vnto him the plagues which are written in this booke and shall take away his part out of the booke of life I conclude therefore that the Church of Rome which doth not content hir selfe with the sacred and Holie Scripture which the chast spouse of Christ euermore doth is not the true Church of God for there she sheweth hir selfe to beare the marke of a strumpet But when shée procéedeth and addeth hir owne traditions Decretall Epistles and Cannons to the word written and maketh them to be of as good and equall authoritie as the Canonicall and sacred Scriptures themselues What greater pride could haue bin shewed or what higher blasphemie But these are the right notes of an adulteresse to equall hirself with her husband Yea What should I say more They holde that the authoritie of the Church is aboue the Scriptures which sheweth fullie the notable pride and spirituall whoredome of their Church 2 The Church of Rome is Idolatrous and therfore it is not the true Church They fall downe before Idolls and Images as the heathen did and therfore commit Idollatrie as the heathen did I speake for the manner of their worship for the heathen how soeuer they worshipped not the true God yet they thought they worshiped the true God and their meaning was to worship the the true God in the Image or Idoll as the Papists likewise doo meane for they say they be not such fooles as to thinke or beléeue that an Image or Idoll made of wood or stone could bée God neither were the heathen so foolish as to thinke or beléeue that their Idolles or Images were God for they knew they were made of wood or stone or such like but as they tooke it they worshipped God in the Image as the Papists say they doo and therefore the case for the manner of worship is all