therefore resolued vvith himselfe to leaue the same and to giue himselfe vnto the fellovvship of the doctrine of the Gospell And came from Prage this yeare about Sexagesimae vnto our most gracious Prince and Lord to Dresden and vpon his graces further appointment likevvise came hither to Wittenberge and presently tolde vs of his purpose to ioyne himselfe vnto our Churches according as he should be best directed vvherevnto vve vvished him Gods blessing and furtherance and also receiued him vvillingly And for that he had heretofore a good vvhile vsed publiquely to Preach himselfe thought it very expedient by preaching to condemne such euident errors vvhich he did vvith a vvell meditated Sermon and great descretion from his heart This recātation was solemnly made before a great auditory of all sorts vpon the day Misericordias Domini this yeare in the Parish Church before a great congregation consisting of the vniuersitie and Schollers out of all Countries together vvith the vvhole company of Cittizens and Commons And after the Sermon ended he confirmed this his confession vvith prayer and the Lords Supper VVherefore vve humbly thanke the Eternall for that he daily graciously calleth his poore strayed sheepe vnto his heauenly kingdome and doe further beseech Almighty God our heauenly Father to vouchsafe by the vvorking of his holy Spirit fatherly to strengthen and confirme this Godefrid in the knovvne trueth mercifully to reduce other strayed sheepe vnto his sheepefould also to direct and gouerne his people and to confound the Romane Antichrists raging kingdome euen for his beloued Sonne Jesus Christ our Lord his sake Amen At Wittenberg the fift of May. 1601. By the Senior and other Doctors of Diuinitie there A Recantation done on the second Sonday after Easter called there Misericordias Domini vpon the Gospell for the day IOHN 10. ver 11. to 17. Iesus spake vnto the Iewes I am that good shepheard the good shepheard giueth his life for the sheepe But an hireling and he that is not the shepheard neither the sheepe are his owne seeth the Woolfe comming and he leaueth the sheepe and fleeth and the Woolfe catcheth them and scattereth the sheepe So the hireling fleeth because he is an hireling and careth not for the sheepe I am that good shepheard and know mine and am knowne of mine As the Father knoweth me so knowe I the Father and I lay downe my life for my sheepe Other sheepe I haue also which are not of this fould them also must J bring and they shall heare my voice and there shall be one sheepefould BEloued and elect in the Lorde Christ we reade in the Booke of the Chronicles of the Kings how that Almightie God did fight for his people and slue a great multitude of the enemies 2. Chro. 20. and obtained the victorie and got thereby such a huge spoile and bootie that in three whole dayes they could not carrie all the same away but in the fourth day they went into the Valley of Blessing Christ by his bitter sufferings hath subdued all our enemies and made vs to reioyce by giuing vs inwarde peace and there praised the Lord. Now hethervnto beloued your well affected mindes haue sufficiently heard how great a combate Iesus Christ hath sustained for vs the like whereof was neuer heard nor the like bootie was euer brought vnto the people of God This was done on Passion Friday past on which day the Sonne of God through his bitter sufferings ouercame and vtterly threwe to the ground all the enemies of mankinde whereby there is giuen vnto vs such a bootie of the which we may reioyce for euer As also the Prophet Esay saith in his 9. chap. ver 3. They haue reioyced before thee according to the ioye in Haruest and as men reioyce when they deuide the spoile Such glorious ioye haue we heard and found vpon the holy Easter day when Christ victoriously rose againe from the dead Now what this booke is that we haue herehence receiued was declared and taught vnto vs the last Sonday namely that peace which Christ thrise wished his Disciples Peace be with you to shew that through his sufferings death and resurrection now from henceforth all is become peaceable Let this therefore now stand still before vs that we like vnto the antient people of God hasten vs vnto the valley of blessing lawde honor and praise the worlds Sauiour Man soone forgetteth Gods benefits and therefore must often be put in minde thereof and neuer forget so great and vnspeakeable a benefit But because man forgetteth nothing more nor sooner then benefits the whole Christian Church hath set before vs this day such a Gospell in which is brought againe vnto our mindes the great loue and mercy of our most dearest shepheard Christ as namely how that he gaue his life vnto death for vs straied sheepe Seeing therefore I haue hethervnto beene a Fryer and stuck in the manifolde errors of Poperie but am now by the giuen grace of God come vnto the light of the trueth I will ground this my Recantation vpon this dayes Gospell 3. partes and deuide the same into three parts 1. First for that this present Sonday is in Christendome called Misericordias Domini the mercies of the Lord I will speake of the great mercy of God contained in these wordes I am that good sheepheard and giue my life for my sheepe 2. Secondly how God ordinarily bringeth the straied sheepe and sinners vnto his sheepefould seeing Christ saith He hath yet other sheepe which he must bring hithervnto 3. Thirdly how we ought to heare the true shepheard Christ his voyce and therein shew the errors of Poperie which are to be auoided as the very voyce of Antichrist Now the good and mercifull God assist vs herein with his diuine grace Amen 1. Part. Wherein Gods great mercies are set forth It is not without cause that the holy Apostle S. Paule 2. Cor. 1. vers 3. calleth Almightie God The Father of mercies and God of all comfort And Ephes 2.4 A God which is riche in mercie Without all controuersie Paul had some cause giuen him why he gaue God such a notable and glorious title yea surely there was good cause giuen him for he was a blasphemer and a persecutor but yet acknowledgeth he was receiued of God to mercy 1. Timoth. 1.13 Not onely that God had of his mercie forgiuen his sinnes but also had aduanced him to a notable Apostle and Preacher of his holy Gospell Dauid likewise exceedinglye commendeth Gods mercie but not without cause for he was an adulterer and a murtherer and yet God did not onely remit him his sinne but did also establish his kingdome in peace And therefore he iustly saith Psal 33.5 Benignitate or as the common translation Misericordia Domini pleci est terra The earth is full of the goodnesse or mercie of the Lord. And in the 145. Psalm ver 9. His mercies are ouer all his workes But such mercie goeth not
alone ouer one people and such mercy is not promised alone vnto one Nation Gods mercie cōmeth vnto all nations and sortes of people Cittie or Towne but it goeth ouer all mankinde The which Moses with great and feruent earnestnesse prooueth saying Exod. 34.6.7 The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slowe to anger and aboundant in goodnesse and trueth reseruing mercie for thousands that is without end As also God himselfe saith againe Deut. 5.9.10 I am the Lord thy God and shew mercie vnto many thousands In the second Booke of Samuel chap. 14. ver 14. the mercie of God is mightily declared by a notable speech Though God spare none that sinneth yet he appointeth means for the elects conuersion so receiueth to mercy the truely penitent A comfort to all afflicted consciences where the widow of Tekoah dealing with Dauid concerning Absolon whom Dauid for the murther he committed had banished amongst other things said thus God doth not spare any person yet doth he appoint meanes not to cast out from him him that is expelled But what are there any examples ready at hand whereby it may appeare to be so For otherwise surely the holy Scripture should be but of small accoumpt with afflicted and wounded consciences if it did but onely comfort vs with bare words without setting before vs any one example on whom God had also shewed his mercy But the holy Ghost hath besides the Scripture also set men before vs on whome we may cleerely see the exceeding great mercie of God Adam is iustly the first to be accompted of seeing also he was the first that was ouercome by Sathan and driuen from obedience to disobedience from the trueth to lyes for yet God would not that Adam should altogether perish but bethought him how Adam might be brought againe which was thus done After that Adam had perfected his sinne When soeuer man feeleth any motion or heareth any thing condemning his sinne it is of God that hee should repēt which he refusing casteth God off whatsoeuer he be he hid himselfe and then God asked Adam where art thou which God asked not as if he had not knowne where Adam was or sawe him not seeing there is no man that can hide himselfe from the sight of God but God therefore asketh that Adam should haue discended into himselfe and acknowledged his sinne and as after Dauid did should haue said Peccaui I haue sinned and should haue called vpon the mercy of God for grace and forgiuenesse Which because he did not but much more went about to hide excuse and extenuate his sinne God thrust him out of Paradise into the valley of miserie amongst all kinde of crosses sorrowe and trouble and yet that Adam might not altogether perish and dispaire vnder his crosse sufferings and sorrowes God doth forthwith vouchsafe him a most comfortable promise as namely that he would raise out of the woman a meanes and mediator which should helpe him and all his posteritie againe out of that miserie and breake the Serpents head The like occasion of bethinking himselfe gaue God to Caine Gens 4. whom also Satan had perswaded to murder for God notwithstanding dealt fauourablye with him to the end he might acknowledge his sinne and intreate for grace and pardon but in the end because he would not thus doe but onely say coldely his sinne was greater then might be forgiuen him he was through his owne fault temporally and eternally cast away and condemned God deliberateth much before he punisheth What a notable communication had God with Abraham before he ouerthrew the sinfull citties Sodom and Gomorrha Gen. 18. God accorded and yeelded so farre vnto Abraham that if they might haue found in those citties but ten righteous persons he would haue spared them What should I speake how God stood in contention deliberating with the holy man Moses concerning the stiffe-necked Iewes that he once said to Moses Exod. 32.10 Dimitte me Now let me alone that my wrath may waxe hote against them and consume them And what can with-holde God why he should not forthwith seuerely punish sinne but euen his mercy Examples whereof if the time would permit there might be manie alleadged But vnto any one euen of meane vnderstanding these alleadged may suffice where-hence he may aboundantlye learne how our good and mercifull God euen from the beginning vnto this present and will also hould and continue the same rule as long as the world indures according to his naturall mercie hath euer at all times so louingly and earnestly bethought him before he hath wholy ouerthrowne and destroyed any poore sinner As also the Lord Christ giues the same to vnderstand by the example of the vnfruitfull Figtree Luke the 13. Well and iustly therefore is it said by the Wiseman in the 11. chapter of his booke of Wisdome vers 20.21 Lord thou hast mercie vpon all for thou hast power of all things and makest as though thou sawest not the sinnes of men because they should amend For thou louest all the things that are and hatest none of them whome thou hast made And presently after in the last verse But thou sparest all for they are thine O Lord which art the louer of soules And againe Christ saith Math. 18.14 Man not repenting prouoketh God and procureth his assured wrath It is not the will of our Father which is in heauen that any of his little ones should perish And the holy Apostle S. Paul saith thus Rom. 2. ver 3.4.5 O thou man knowest thou not that the bountifulnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance But thou after thine hardnesse and heart that cannot repent heapest vp as a treasure vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath Consider it with thy selfe thou Christian hart and thinke vpon it well how oft hast thou giuen thy selfe lewdly and wilfully to any notorious sinne as to adultery All sinne seperateth vs from God or otherwise to any kinde of whoredome to theft murther blaspheming of God and to such other heauie sinnes which as the Scripture witnesse seperate vs from God so that God hath had iust cause euen in the dooing of that thy sinne to haue cast thee aliue into hell But now notwithstanding thou abidest yet and liuest yet Gods mercies for our preseruation are dayly renued and God hath not as yet reuenged himselfe vpon thee And wherefore not I pray thee where marke and obserue vpon what occasion the Prophet Ieremie saith in his Lamentations Lamen 3. ver 22.23 It is the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not but are renued euery morning It is much saide and nature also teacheth that parents loue their children exceedingly and therefore sometimes are very slowe and lothe to take the rodde although the children haue well deserued it Gods mercie in part set forth by the loue of parents to their children although indeed there be no comparison therein for their loue preuaileth herein But what
poore People with a better nourishment They compell them moreouer to confesse all their sinnes to the eare of a Priest Auricular confession which thing they would not vse if they had but penetrated into the knowledge of these wordes of Dauid Who can tell how oft he offendeth O cleanse thou me from my secret faults or if they had regarde vnto the example of the selfe same Dauid Psal 19. who saith that it was to God alone that hee confessed his sinnes The Church of Rome teacheth that saluation must bee sought for Iustificatiō by workes in mans merits and that our iustice commeth through workes but I shoulde bee too long in reciting all that which the Scripture saith to the contrarye For shee dooth acknowledge that there is not any sufficiencie or capacitie in man to do well we are not able to thinke any good thing of our selues 2. Cor. 3. Gen. 6. 8 Psalm 53. 1. Cor. 2. Gala. 3. 2. Tim. 1. Rom. 3.8 5. Act. 1.3 Phil. 3. as the Apostle saith she condemneth the thoughts of mans heart euen from his in fancie and saith that they are at strife with GOD and that they cannot be made obedient to the lawe of God she pronounceth that men are dead in sinne and affordes them no hope but in the mercy of GOD through the obedience of our Sauiour Iesus Christ and furder she declareth that we be iustified gratis by his exceeding great mercie through faith in Iesus Christ without the workes of the law And certainly we stand in great neede thereof for as Saint Ieromie saith Hierom in Pro. cap. 20 Et in Eccl. cap. 7. Lib. de orat what righteousnesse and what cleanenesse can be here in the life of the iust the workes which we minister through this body of ours are alwayes mingled with some errour we be taught saith Saint Gregorie of Nice in the holy Scripture that there is not one to be found among men which can passe one onely day without spot And therefore Saint Augustine was moued to say that which euery one of vs ought to say of ourselues after this example I presume not at all of my selfe In Psal 58. for what good haue I wrought to the end thou shouldest be mercifull vnto mee O my God and that thou shouldest iustifie me What hast thou found in me but onely synnes There is nothing in me of thee but bare nature which thou hast created all the rest is my synnes which thou hast defaced I haue not first risen vp to come vnto thee but thou didst come to awake me and before I brought any good thing to passe thy mercy O Lorde directed me And Saint Barnard asketh Serm. admilites tepli cap. 11. In his Manuel cap. 22. Why men should require againe at our handes that which Christ Iesus hath paide for vs He that hath borne the punishment of synne and giuen vnto vs his iustice the selfe same hath likewise payde the debt of death and hath receiued life for death being dead life returneth againe euen as sunne being in esse iustice commeth againe Now death hath been extinguished in the death of Christ and the iustice of Christ hath beene imparted vnto vs. To be short I say with S. Augustine All my hope is in the death of my Sauiour his death is my desert my refuge my saluatiō my life my resurectiō my merit is nothing else but the mercy of the lord I am not poore of merit so long as the Lord of mercies shall haue his being and if the mercies of the Lord are great then am I great in merits and looke how much the more he is mighty to saue so much the more am I assured The opinion of Purgatorie whereon are grounded so many Masses Obits and yearely seruices done to the dead is plainely ouerthrowne by infinite places of holy Scripture wherof some do testifie that there is no condemnation for those that are in Iesus Christ and that liue after the spirit and not after the flesh that he who beleeueth in Christ Iesus Rom. 8. Iohn 3.36 5.24 is gone from death to life and shall not enter into condemnation Other places there are that assure vs of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes in the bloud of Christ Iesus his blood cleanseth vs from all sinnes 1. Iohn 1. Ephes 1. Col. 1. Esay 5.3 Ephes 5. Apoc. 1. saith Saint Iohn by himselfe hee hath purged vs from our sinnes through his bloud we haue redemption wee haue deliuerance that is to say remission hee hath beene deliuered vp for our sanctification and to washe vs he hath also washed away our sinnes and defaced our iniquitie as a cloude and therefore he hath promised by his Prophet that men shall seeke for the iniquity of Israell Esai 44. and the sinne of Iuda but it shall no where bee found and addeth the reason because saith the Eternall J will pardon their iniquities Ier. 5. Yea were they redder then Scarlet they shall be made whiter than Snowe And likewise the ancient Fathers could neuer finde any other Purgatorie in the holy Scripture Iohn 1. then the bloud of the Lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the world Saint Augustine saith that the Catholique faith beleeueth according to the authoritie of God that there is the kingdome of Heauen Secondly Augu. contra Pelag. Hipp. lib. 5. that there is the lake of hell wherin euery Apostatate or strāger to the faith in Iesus Christ shall suffer torment of the third place saith he we know nothing at all do not finde in the holy Scriptures that there hath bin any such and also he saith in another place that there are but two wayes the one leadeth to condemnation and the other to saluation Serm. de temp 232. Euchir cap. 115. de verb D. and elswhere he disputeth against Purgatorie it selfe Bretheren saith he let no man deceiue you for there are two places and there is not a third for any he that shall not be worthy to raigne with Christ Iesus without doubt he shall perish with the diuell Here is all the forgiuenesse of sinnes Christ Iesus taking vpon him the punishment of our sinnes and not the fault hath wiped away both punishment and offence we are not here without sinne but we shall depart from hence voide of sinne Where is Purgatory then Serm. 37. de verb. D. Mary behold saith he in another place the purging of our sinnes is the bloud of the iust that is to say Christ Iesus Saint Cyprian saith Serm. 31. de trinit lib. 4. cap. 2. that when wee shall depart hence there shall be no other place allotted vnto vs for repentance nor to make satisfaction here life is either lost or gotten Saint Hierom likewise vpon Esai cha 65 saith Cypr. contra Demet. lib. 4. cap 4. that he who shall not haue obtained pardon for his sinnes whilst he liueth in this world shall depart in that
is the loue of Parents to their children to be compared to the loue of God towards vs Doth not God expreslie say by the Prophet Esay cap. 49. ver 15. Can a woman forget her children and not haue compassion on the sonne of her wombe though shee should forget yet will not forget thee Yea no father no mother no brother nor sister yea no friend whatsoeuer could so long beare with and indure thy wickednesse as God hath borne with it so that God may iustly complaine as in Esay 43. ver 24. Thou hast made me to serue with thy sinnes and wearied me with thy iniquities Yea whosoeuer will rightly indeede learne and knowe the mercy of God It is feareful to make God serue with our sinnes and thereby obserue how God bethinketh him before he punisheth sinners let him onely reade the 42.43 and 44. chapters of the Prophet Esay where he shall finde how God behaued himselfe towards the wicked stifnecked Iewes First he rebuketh them with wordes shewes them their disobedience calles them blinde and deafe By and by therevpon as in the 43. chapter he comforts them againe bids them not to feare and tels them he would giue people for them and nations for their ransome yet notwithstanding presently therevpon reprooueth them againe charging them to be hardned and abide in their sinnes And all that comes now from the alone mercy of God Then only man layeth holde on Gods mercie when he wholy anteÌ„deth his wicked life yet so indeede that the sinner confesse his sinne and laye holde on God his mercie Which he doth when he forsaketh his sinnes and wicked life for then will God not onely blot out and forgiue him all his sinnes but also therevnto bestowe vpon him all good things As it also is saide by the fore aledged Prophet Esa 44. ver 2.3 Feare not O Iacob my seruant and thou righteous whom I haue chosen For I will powre water vpon the thirsty and flouds vpon the drye ground I will powre my spirit vpon thy seede and my blessing vpon thy buds Behould this is now that vnspeakeable goodnesse of God wherevpon we stand All our prosperitie commeth from God alone are and liue Who would not 〈◊〉 then with ioye say and sing with the Prophet Dauid Psal 89. 〈…〉 I will lawde praise and sing the mercies of the Lord for euer And in another Psalme as namely the 59. ver 17. he saith God is my defence and my mercifull God Which is as if he had said All that euer I haue and whatsoeuer I am commeth wholye from Gods mercie Well then beloued in Christ I suppose I haue not herein done amisse in setting forth and praising the goodnesse of God Seeing that our God and mercifull God though I were a persecutor of his holy worde and of all true Christians a blasphemer of God and a superstitious Fryer hath of his free loue and mercy sought me found me and graciouslie deliuered me from those errors I had beene long time nusled in So that I may well and iustly say with Dauid Loqueus contritus est ego liberatus sum The snare is broken and I am deliuered Psal 124. v. 7. Let this suffice for the first part Now we will proceede 2. Part. The maner how God brings vs to his knowledge so to saluatioÌ„ and heere the second part how that God doth shew his mercie and bring vs first to his knowledge and then vnto saluation And this is not done vnto me alone but for the comfort of all sinners whereby they may learne to acknowledge Gods goodnesse and amend themselues Although Gods wayes are not as our wayes and his thoughts farre otherwise then our thoughts and besides God in the Scriptures hath reuealed so much of his will vnto vs as is needfull for vs to know his counsell is without searching out and also we cannot certainely know how God deales with man yet our louing God hath so farre forth reuealed his will vnto vs in the Scriptures his holy and diuine word that we may easily know how and wherewith God calleth and leadeth vs to his sheepefolde The worde of God is that sweete and notable voice through the which God hath from the beginning in the old Testament Gods word is his voice wherby he calleth vs to repentance brought many wilde straied sheepe to the true sheepefold which God did by Moses and all his true Prophets Lastly he sent his beloued sonne himselfe vnto vs as the right and true shepheard This is the true shepheard who saith by the Prophet Ieremie Ier. 23. ver 3. I will gather the remnant of my sheepe out of all countries whither I had driuen them and will bring them againe to their fouldes and they shall grow and increase In Ezech. 34 ver 11. saith this shepheard Beholde J will searche my sheepe and seeke them out which the sonne of God hath done by the preaching of his holy diuine worde After him did his Apostles and their successors the same and euen at this day all true shepheards and carers of soules doe which by the word of God call all straid sheepe It is Gods word and not force that must content men And there were euer at the beginning thereof many tyrannous Emperours and Kings Princes and Lordes yea and the whole world brought vnto the true sheepefold not with sword and armes nor with might and fier but by the word This is that word wherof the Lord speaketh by the Prophet Ieremie 23.2.29 that his word is euer like a fier and like a hammer that breaketh the stone Gods word is of nature like the Sunne euer hauing forcible effect either to mollifie the elect as the Sunne doth wax or to harden the wicked as the Sunne doth clay And in the Prophet Esai cap. 55. v. 10.11 God compareth his word vnto the Raine and Snow which come downe from heauen and water the earth and make it fruitefull So shall his word be that goeth out of his mouth it shall not retuâ—ne vnto him voyde This is that word mentioned in the Epistle to the Hebrues Heb. 4. v. 12. That it is sharper then any two edged sword it intreth through euen vnto the diuiding asunder of the soule and the spirite Paule reioyceth 1. Cor. 4. v. 15. that through this word he had begotten his Corinthians But some man may say or thinke in his hart that he hath indeed often and much heard Gods word yet hath not fouÌ„d any such change in himselfe nor perceiued any such powre To whom I answere I beleeue it very willingly for alas we see in this our time but little of that fruite which should come and arise out of the word of God The cause why men of all sorts profit no more by the word of God is for that they esteeme of it but basely therfore prepare not themselues aright vnto the hearing reading and meditating thereâ—f But the reason or fault must not
that they are thus hardely dealt withall contrary to all reason and equitye of conscience In some of them I haue found true simplicity ioyned with modesty the sweetenesse of their demeanure and manye other vertues which are the true notes and infallible effects of a right Christian by meanes wherof I am not nor ought to giue any credit to the detractions or vncharitable speeches of the world For my conscience hath brought me back to this point that the trueth of Religion depends not of mens conuersation but of the will of one onely God which by his word he hath made manifest vnto vs. I pray the brethren of my Order and also all other to consider all these reasons I haue not forsaken them to iniurye or wrong them in any point nor to bring any scandall vnto them If I coulde haue remained among them with tranquillity of conscience If I did not thinke to offend God by continuing in this profession wherein I haue beene norished so many yeares surely I had yet beene with them Brethren it is not my will nor intention to offend you I perswade my selfe likewise that there is none can iustly reproue me of my comportment and behauiour I was neuer culpable of drunkennesse of adultery or any other such misdemeanour I was no prophane person among you but haue shewed my selfe zealous in maintayning and aduancing your order You know that through my diligence and care two of your decayed and ruinated Monasteries haue beene reedified the one neere Troye in Campane the other in the country of Mayne I haue followed your businesses and affaires in all trauaile and vigilancie and I know you are not ignorant how that I haue had issue to your contentment I haue so well demeaned my selfe among you that I purchased vnto you many rents yea and forgiuen you some Wherefore I beseech you and exhort you in Gods name and with all the affection of my will that with a spirite of meekenesse and feare of God you doe examine if I haue not done holyly and religiously to laye holde vpon the true word of God directed thereunto by his spirite And if you finde that it was not my duetie to haue done otherwise then that you would rather take the selfe same resolution in hand and following my steps direct your course to the hauen of eternall life whereunto I hope to come with all the true faithfull and elect then to be moued against me and to slaunder Before my departure I would gladly haue laide open my deliberation and the reasons whereon I grounded my selfe I would haue exhorted you to take in hand the same resolution with me I would haue imbraced you and witnessed that I desire all manner of good vnto you but the most part may then imagin to what great daunger I had exposed my selfe and the small hope left me to haue profit therein O my Lord Iesus confirme in me this resolution suffer me not to yeeld vnto the assaults combats which are or may be made against me helpe my vnbeliefe increase the faith within me make me conceiue that assurance of Abraham who beleeued in hope against hope arme me with thy promises deliuer me from the snares of my cruel enimies make me good Lord in effect to feele that thou art with me wilt be as thou hast assured Abraham my most liberall guerdon I seeke my saluation giue me Lord Iesus an assured place of retrait in the holy Ierusalem spare me in the temptations of the worlde but if it shall please thee to exercise me therein fill me I beseech thee with the spirit of constancy to the end that finally hauing carried away the victory I may enter into Paradice with thy most happy seruants Amen He forsaketh not the church that with his body goeth out from her Chrisost in Math. hoâ—â— 46. but he that with his spirit and minde renounceth the foundations of Ecclesiastical truth leaueth her We be gone out froÌ„ her with our body but they from vs with their spirit we haue left with them the foundations of the walles but they with vs the foundations of the Scriptures we haue left and gone away from them according to the apparances of men they froÌ„ vs according to the iudgemeÌ„t of God therfore the ChristiaÌ„s corporal do persecute trouble vs that are spirituall But to theÌ„ is properly addressed that which the lord saith O Hierusalem Hierusalem thou that killest the Prophets c. Reade saith S. Ierome the Apocalips Hieron ad Marcel viduam and consider that which is there written of the womaÌ„ clothed in Scarlet with blasphemy written vpon her forehead of the seauen Mountaines or hils of the great waters of the miserable end of Babilon This is that rocke of Trapeius so many times beaten with thunder from God for that it was displeasyng in his eyes Come out from among them my people sayth the Lord that you be not partakers of her sinnes and wounds flye from Babilon let euery one saue his soule for shee is fallen shee is fallen and is becme the hachitation of Diuelles and a refuge of vncleane spirits The declaration and conuersion of Maister Iohn Colleij sometimes a Preacher a Caputchin and a Gardian of the Couent of Saint Omer publikly by him made in the Church of Sedan on Sunday the 4. of March 1601. THE Kingly Prophet or rather our Sauiour Iesus Christ vnder the figure of Dauid most deare brethren in the 22. Psal hauing prayed the almighty to deliuer his life from the sworde his desolate soule from the power of the dogge from the Lyons mouth from among the hornes of Vnicornes doth promise if he heare him to declare his holy name to the brethren to praise him in the middest of the great congregation and to make his vowes vnto him in the presence of those that feare him If the sonne of God himselfe hath vouchsafed to make this vowe how much more am I bound being a miserable sinner and hauing obtayned of Gods eternall bounty my spirituall deliuerance to declare and exalt the name of the euer-liuing God among you my brethren to render vnto him my vowes in this great congregation and assembly of you which feare the Lord to the end that those who heretofore haue receiued the like grace as my selfe hauing beene drawne out of darkenesse and brought into the true light may haue matter and occasion to remember the benefit by them receiued from God and therefore yeeld vnto him innumerable thankes alwayes laying before themselues that as God is a most liberall bestower of his benefits so hee is a most seuere exactour in expecting thankes for the same which doubtlesse is the true meane to obtaine the continuance and encrease ingratitude being nothing else but an obstacle that hindreth the streames of his flowing mercie And deare brethreÌ„ in the Lord I make no doubt but that many of you are throughly acquainted with my former conuersation profession and likwise with my
become fountaines our harts to yeld forth vnspeakable sighes considering in the theater of the world the great multitude which through the whirlewinde of sedition is rauished drawne and caried headlong into the gulfe of perdition But O father of light seeing it is thy maner rather to vse mercy then iustice that thy will and pleasure is to vse fauour not fury and that thou doest not desire the death of a sinner but that rather he turne to thee and liue stretch forth thy hand ouer them drawe them to thee teach them sith thy good pleasure is that all shoulde come to the knowledge of saluation Imprint in their soules a desire to founde thy holy Scriptures and let the discretion of thy holy spirite leade them togather in these gardens fit and necessarye hearbs for the physick of their spirituall infirmities the foode of their soules the sacrament of eternity the certayne pledge of felicity But as for me O father and most good God what shall I render vnto thee for those thy exceeding blessings bestowed vppon mee for like a good sheepeheard thou hast sought after my soule beeing a poore wandering sheepe and hauing layde her vpon thy shoulders hast brought her backe to thy euangelicall sheepefould to ioyne her to the flocke of thy true faithfull thou hast vnmasked her eyes layd open to her the abuses of Papistry made knowne to her where she should finde her rest and tranquillity the trueth of her saluation thou hast forgiuen me all my sinnes and healed me of all my infirmities thou hast saued my life from the pit thou hast crowned me with mercy and pitty and satisfied me with all good things Psal 130. so that through this my conuersion and this change by the power of my Creator I am made young and lusty as an Eagle what shall I then giue vnto the Lord for al the good which he hath done me Surely my deare brethren euen as I esteeme and holde this to be the chiefest most excellent benefit among all those wherwith it hath pleased God of his vncomparable bounty and heauenly mercy to make me pertaker so willingly I do acknowledge confesse my selfe vnable to render any thing comparable to so great a good yet notwithstanding among all those that are bound to yeilde harty thankes to God I do acknowledge my selfe at this time most of all indebted For alas without this benefit what profit should I haue receiued of all the fauours which came from him but condemnation ruine confusion What would it haue auailed me that the welbeloued son of God Christ Iesus who became obedient to his father endured the ignominious death of the Crosse for my reconcilation to God his father if I had beene depriued of so great a benefit if I had continued stil in that spirituall fornication wherin I was altogether ignorant of the pure trueth of the Gospel What vtility I pray you to see my selfe created after Gods Image and yet to haue borne the portrature character of beast What profit to haue had the eyes of my bodie open to the outward light and those of my soule debarred of the inward brightnesse and besieged with the darkenesse of infidelitie Arise then my soule and praise the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy name praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits let his praise be alwayes in thy mouth to the end the meeke and gentle may here it and reioyce Psal 103. O praise the Lorde with me and let vs magnifie his name together I sought the Lord and he hard me ye he deliuered me out of all my feare Psal 34. Iob did curse the day of his temporall birth in this miserable world but I ought to blesse the day of my spirituall regeneration to eternall life for that the God of all mercy and consolation hath caused to appeare in me the effects of his eternall election acknowledging me for his child of adoption and for a lawfull heire of that great and eternall kingdome purchased for the elect through the perfect obedience of Christ Iesus their brother And as at this time I haue abiured that strumpet and her fornication so now I promise and protest before God and his Church hence forth with all my power to liue and dye in the faith of the Churches reformed where I see the Gospell purely preached and the Sacraments faithfully administred the confessiō of whose faith I wil seale not only with pen and Inke vpon paper but also through the effusion of my owne bloud if need be and this I fully purpose to do through the grace of almighty God who hath called me to this resolution and whome with all the powers of my soule I do entirely beseech to ratifie his vocation in me finally to make me feele the full effects of his election that he would likewise fortifie and assist me against all assaults and attempts that may be presented against me seruing me insteede of a strong and inuincible buckler in all dangers both spirituall and corporall I earnestly beseech the present congregatiō of the faithfull to receiue me into their number to the ende that after I haue fought a good fight with them in this church militant I may after my departure hence raigne with them in the triumphant So be it Amen Iohn Colleij The Conuersion of Signeur Melchior Roman a Spaniard sometimes Proctor of the order of Iacobins at Rome for the prouince of Thoulouse which he hath publickly protested in the reformed Church of Bragerak the 27. of August 1600. being Sunday THE holy Scripture telleth vs that the good Jacob seeing himselfe deceiued by Laban who the more he serued him the lesse was recompensed receiuing nought else but ingratitude and iniuries went into the lande of promise carrying away with him all his riches which so soone as Laban vnderstood he came to seeke him in the Mount Galaad and searched or visited all that which Iacob had caryed away where he found nothing that was his And afterwardes they made an agreement betweene them that from thence foorth the one should not come towardes the other to doe him hurt and for a token heere of they named this Mountaine Galaad which is to say the hill of Testimonie Saint Ierome saith and also Pagnine that Laban signifieth whitenesse and Philo the Hebrew that this word Laban signifieth colour so that whether it be in the one or other signification it representeth an accidentall and inconstant thing Who is this Laban A deceiuer a traitor and an vngratefull person who hath so oftentimes deceiued Iacob What is this cursed wretch who hath onely the apparance of good but no solide nor constant good indeed It is euen this papistrie and Sophistrie which we see in these tromperies and deceipts of riches and vnder the title of holinesse of obedience of pouerty of fastings and fained disciplines leadeth many to despaire Surely it is a worke of great pietie to flye
of the minde in the elect as through the efficacie of faith which is a presence of things absent a vision of things inuisible an hypostasis of the misteries of eternall saluation Loe this is the truth of this sacrament contrary to mans tradition But time will no more suffer me to repeate the erronious absurdities of this tradition Purgatory Now of Purgatory which they dote vpon it is contrary to the washing and purging of Christ his precious bloud shed vpon the crosse applyed through vertue and secret operation of the spirit and receiued through a liuely faith But these are but Monkish absurdities to imagyne that the vnspeakable dignity of the Sacrifice of Christ is not perfectly able to blot out our offences to reconcile soules vnto God and to iustyfie before the throne of iustice it is surely a great deminyshing of his mercy grace vnspeakeable fauour a too much eclypsing of the inmatchable glory of the Ocean of his compassions I leaue behinde for breuity sake a Chaos of like errours most humbly beseeching the Lord to haue mercy vpon the ignorant to enlighten thē in his knowledge and to confound those that maliciously warre against the truth I will be no longer a captiue in Babilon thus to haue no remembrance of Sion nor remember my selfe And for that I cannot sing the Lords song in a strange land in this pernicious Babilon nor vpon her bankes which do ouerflow with abhominations I will make riuers of mine eyes with a sweete remembrance and contemplation of the spirytuall Ierusalem notwithstandyng all aduersityes which clense vs from vitious imaginations from all superstitions and idolatryes and to the ende I may worship one onely GOD and beleeue in his gospell renouncing all humane inuentions which faith is gyuen vnto vs by the holy ghost through the preaching of the holy Gospell as it is witten in Saint Iohn 3. Mathew Chap. 16. To the Romans Chap. 10. and in the Actes Chap. 16. and in many other places which to shun prolixity wee will not now name This profit therefore commeth of tribulations And surely I may well say that which I my selfe haue experimented a few dayes past wherein I was tormented with an infinite number of imaginations caused in respect of the absence of my parents to see my selfe in a strange countrey to here the Papistes murmure and ordinarily speake against me with threats and slaunders but howsoeuer I did pray vnto the Lord for those that persecuted me and for mine owne comfort and consolation for it was the true meane to fortifie me the more in the trueth of the Gospell as at this present I do with my eyes behold fresh comforts and new effects of the holy ghost in my soule bidding me perseuer in the obedience of the worde of life This was the purpose of Esay who saide O Lord in tribulations we will seeke thee and of the Prophet Dauid Fill their faces with shame and reproch then they will seeke thy mercifull name By the mouth of the Prophet Osee saith GOD himselfe In their troubles and anguishes they shall rise vp and acknowledge me By Ezechiell My Zeale shall be taken from thee and J will cease and will no more be angry with thee God giueth vs manifestly to vnderstand in this place that hee is angrye the more with vs when hee doth not punish and chastice vs with tribulations for then he sheweth not the loue he beareth vnto vs. Saint Iohn saith in the Apocal chap. 3. that those whom he loueth he chastiseth a great consolation doubtlesse Esay Chap. 43. When thou shalt passe through the waters the riuers shall not couer thee and when thou shalt tread vpon the fier it shall not burne thee This is represented vnto vs in Exodus 14. when the Hebrewes passed through the red sea in Daniel 3. when the young men of Babilon were cast into the burning flames God could well haue hindred them from casting the three innocent young men into the fire but he the more to shew his mighty glory and for the saluation of his own people suffered them to be throwne into the fier without receiuing any dammage or hurt In like maner the Lord doth shew greater mercy vnto me in chastising me with tribulations giuing me patience and spirituall strength then if he had deliuered me from the outragious ignominies and aduersities aboue said For I well knew that when I was in tranquillity and rest he had as it were forgotten me but so soone as hee laide his crosse vpon me I knew that I was his creature bought with the inestimable price of his owne bloud who hath iustified me through his vnmeasurable mercy and heauenly grace Thus much dooth the scripture teach vs when it saith that the King of Babilon saw three young men walke in the middest of the fiery flames singing praises vnto God that they were accompanied with an other resembling the sonne of God For tribulation taken with patience procureth God to come to vs and be our defender being free and loose from papisticall dignities and ambitions who with inuentions of rich Altars beautified with idolles of golde and siluer with many thousands of other superstitions doe hinder men from attaining to the true knowledge of the Gospell or grace The imitation of the Apostles Actes 5. causeth wise men to reioyce in their afflictions standing in great feare of prosperity Saint Ierome compareth tribulation to Jonas his whale when others thought she swallowed him vp to kill him she swallowed him vp to saue him Saint Gregory saith that like as perfumes layd vpon coles declare their force and good smell so men doe shew the fortitude of their vertues passing through the flouds of aduersity Saint Barnard saith that as woll is to be carded wherwith fine and pure cloth is to be made so must the life of the iust bee tormented to the end their knowledge prooue more excellent Saint Chrisostome saith that vertue surmounteth in patiently abiding that affection is the true hauen of heauen Saint Gregory prooues it God himselfe in Saint Mat. Chap. 7. saith that the way that leadeth to life is straight narrow but that which leadeth to death is very large thereby meaning to inferre that those who would obtaine glory must first passe through many tempests difficulties And surely it will be an vnspeakable contentment vnto vs if wee consider that those passages are by Iesus Christ who is the way of glory and let vs not wonder if they be set with thornes but rather thinke and consider of him who hath first passed them and whither hee at last resorted In the booke of Wisdome it is written that the Lorde had made knowne the right way together with his kingdome vnto the iust O Lorde I beseech thee at this present to shewe me the right way that I erre not For I doe stedfastly beleeue that Iesus Christe liuing in mee abolisheth the curse of the lawe condemneth sinne mortifieth death he alone is peace
comfort iustice and life euerlasting in my hope Now must feare and amazement giue place vnto all these now must pensiuenes and hell it selfe depart from mee Christ Iesus abiding and liuing in mee dooth consume and banish all euils that afflicted mee Hence it comes that this vnion and coniunction is the cause that I am deliuered from the terrours seperated from the flesh transformed into Iesus Christ and into his kingdom which is the kingdom of grace iustice peace ioy life health and euerlasting glory so that liuing in him there is no hurt can chaunce vnto mee God promised that there should no more come an vniuersall deluge and in signe of a peaceable loue he gaue the rainbowe a pledge of his mercye which the Gentiles called Ianus as saith Berosus the Chaldean This is that bowe whereof S. Iohn speaketh in the Apocalips to be ouer the head of Iesus Christ signifying Christ crucified with his armes spread abroad The redde coulour of which celestiall bow representeth the bloud of Iesus Christ and his greene colour betokeneth hope for that in his wounds and bloud remaine all the hope of our good being and the seuerall colours declare vnto vs the multitude of his mercies This is that token which God the Father promised in redemption of the world whereof Saint Paule to Titus Chap. 3. saith That the bountifulnesse and loue of God appeared not in regarde of any workes of iustice by vs performed but he saueth vs according to his great mercy When there shall be presented before mine eyes the darke clouds of sinne when sorrowes and terrours shall with huge violence threaten me when dangers persecutions iniuries and other torments shall come vppon me then will I beholde the celestiall couenant I will cast my eyes vppon Iesus Christ crucified in whom I shall finde plenty of hope For he is our only refuge and such a one as Saint Paule 2. Corinths calleth the Father of mercie and God of all consolation comforting vs in all our calamities Wherefore I will alwayes be running to him arming my selfe with inuincible patience For the good Chirurgeon sheweth his experience in dangerous wounds the physition his skil in great maladies in perilous battels the prudent couragious valiant captaine declareth his strength policy in great tempests and stormes the expert pilot exerciseth his diligence Affliction is no new thing neither am I alone he that endures it S. Gregorie saith that if we would consider that which the Saints haue endured wee should see all our tribulations to be of very small importance particularly if we looke vpon and contemplate Iesus Christ the true God tormented vpon the crosse wee should perceiue our miseries in comparison of his to be but a drop of water in respect of the whole Sea And S. Barnard saith that Christ Iesus is not onely the mirrour of patience but the recompence and rewarde thereof To this ende therefore will I contemplate his crosse whereby I shall reape great comfort and rewarde But what recompence say the worldlings wilte thou haue seeing thou hast forsaken thy countrie thy parents thy meanes whereby thou mightest haue liued pleasantly thou hast left thy vocation and all these hast thou abandoned in the pride of thy dayes Then will I answer them according to the saying of Saint Bernard in his meditations that if it be a difficult thing for one of the most iust vnder the law to be saued at the point of death it will be more hard and as it were impossible for him to be saued that at his death presents vnto God nothing else but his bones which dogges refuse hauing giuen their flesh to Sathan as dayly they doe employing the time in vaine-glory in proud ambition onely delighting in the flesh as they are guided by the diuel But then they wil tell me that at the houre of death through vertue of the Popes Bull saying S. Peter S. John S. Paul S. Caphas Popes pardons and S. Macharus helpe me they shall be saued But if they waite til that time in that beleefe they shall manifestly see how God will heare thē sith they attribute to a mortall creature Gods eternall glory and place their hope in the Bul of a Croisade which is highly esteemed in Spain where euery yere it is bought at ten shillings price by vertue wherof they are tolerated in Lēt time to eate Egs Milke Butter Cheese and besides to be absolued as they fondly imagine from their sinnes and aswell à culpa as à poena that is to say aswell from their faulte as from the punishment once in this life and another time through Purgatorie at the houre of death Besides this there is another Bull named de los finados that is to say of the dead through which first hauing yearly well paide for the same the party liuing may for euery Bul fetch a soule of his friend or parent out of paine To be short great store of siluer and reuenews is gotten in respect of pardons or the Popes indulgences who vaunteth that he detaineth and keepeth treasure of the bloud of Christ and of Martirs An intollerable and auaritious abuse doubtlesse contrary to holy writ which certifieth that the mercy of the father of compassions presenteth to the faithfull forgiuenesse of their sinnes to saluation through the vertue of his Holyghost applyed and receiued by a liuely and iustifying faith of euery one beleeuing in Christ who was giuen for our iustice sanctification and redemtion dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification This is all my hope the foundation of my faith whereby I may ouercome the terrours of sinne and death and enioy eternall life And againe of the like corrupted stuffe as the Bulles before mentioned is the Canonizing of Saints and deifying them with whome the seelie ignorant people commit idolatrie and spirituall fornication very impiously and incredulously against GOD who is onely able to saue and restore to life those that are dead Pilgrimages Hence proceede so many pilgrimages into strange countries vnder pretence wherof many adulteries fornications Sodomies incests much drunkennesse and other execrable wicked actes are daily committed and their bodies are adored and superstitiously worshipped vpon earth whose soules oftentimes are tormented in hell The manner of the Popes proceeding in canonizing many Saints for the most pretended is very notorious For many times since the raigne of Poperie Canonasing saints those are placed in this ranke of whome there remaines no memorie or testimonie of their life and conuersation to the end that through processe of time and running on of the worlde there might be conceiued and brought forth a forgetfulnesse of their vices and enormious crimes which they might haue perpetrated And if any dare speake against such persons endeuouring to bee any hinderance that vnder such a false title holinesse and sanctitie be not attributed vnto them the Inquisition knoweth very well how to stop his mouth and remedie it by cruell torments and
thy good pleasure alwaies rather to vse mercy then iustice to be gratious in shewing fauour not furye stretch forth thy hand draw them vnto thee teach them sith it is thy will that all may come to the knowledge of saluation Imprint in their mindes a desire to sound the depth of thy holy Scriptures Let the discretion of thy alsearching spirit guide them to gather in these gardens the flowers of that Soueraigne good the foode of their soules the fit and effectual hearbs for the phisicke of their spirituall infirmities the plants that are a Soueraigne Antidote against death the Sacrament of eternitie the certaine pledge of felicity Let them touch no more the tree of knowing good and euill although his outwarde beautie doth cloake his inwarde poyson And as thy sacred word diuinely inspired shall be an assured guide to all people desirous to reiect an vntruth beeing the Organe of perdition for to receiue the Euangelicall truth the power of God for the saluation of all beleeuers manifesting in her brightnesse the splendour of thy incorruptible heritage by the selfe same reason let it make known vnto theÌ„ that there is essentiall conformitie between the doctrine of the Church reformed and thy true church a substantiall discord betweene thine and that which is announced by the Roman Bishoppe or his adherents and consequently that this leadeth to damnation and the other to permanent happynesse And certainely as the glory of our Sauiour is vnseparably conioyned with the saluation of his elected and chosen creatures honouring and crowning with inesteemable benefits those that honour him So likewise that is the true and sincere Religion opening the waye to saluation which addresseth all her documents and exercises purely and simply to the glory of the almighty and contrarywise that religion is false and ruinous which seeketh the glory of creatures honoring them with that which onely belongeth to the liuing God who giues not his glory to any other By this rule the knowledge of the wise on earth is condemned and accused of vanity Rom. 1.21.25 for that hauing knowne God they haue not glorified him as God and haue not yeelded him due thankes but are become vaine in their discourses and their hart voyde of vnderstanding hath beene filled with darkenesse and tearming themselues wise are become fooles and haue changed the glory of God immortall into the likenesse and image of man By reason whereof they haue beene giuen vp to their owne harts lustes to filthinesse and the defyling of their owne bodies as hauing changed the truth of God into falshoode worshipped and serued the creature and haue forsaken the Creator who is blessed and praysed both now and for euer Amen By this rule and generall Maxime our Sauiour in Saint Iohn Chap. 5. vers 39. and after confirmes the will of his act wherof see vers 16.17.30 against the deceipts fallacies of the Iewes Search the Scriptures diligently for in them yee thinke to haue eternall life and they are they which testifie of me But yee will not come to me that yee may haue life I seeke not glory of men I am come in my fathers name and yee receiue me not if another shall come in his owne name him wil yee receiue How can yee beleeue which receiue honour one of another and seeke not the honour that commeth from God alone And againe in the 12. Chap. vers 43. They haue loued the glory of men more then the praise of God By this rule the Apostle Gal. 1. vers 10. proueth that his preaching came down froÌ„ heaueÌ„ to the confusioÌ„ of vaine discourses and false Apostles Doe I preach mans doctrine or Gods For if I should yet please men I were not the seruant of Christ To bee short this principle is so cleere so true so authorised that it needeth not any more witnesses out of the scriptures it being more cleare and transparent then the Noone-day that the true and perfect religion is marked and knowne by this that shee seeketh absolutelie the glory of the creator of heauen and earth and that religion is false and abhominable that doth the contrarie And that the religion reformed is of the first degree and that of the Roman Church of the second the conference ensuing doth briefely set down And to tell the truth who is so blind that seeth not that the true Christians doe professe that first one onely God must bee called vpon Secondly that from him alone all maner of saluation and deliuerance must be expected Thirdly that his mercy defaceth all our sinnes Fourthly that the sacrifice of the vndefiled Lambe offered vpon the crosse taketh away condemnation Fiftly that his iustice redeemeth vs from the second death and his resurrection leadeth his Saintes into the right waye of eternall life Sixtly that his most blessed worde contayneth all manner of secrets necessarye for our welfare and happinesse Seauenthlye that workes cannot merrite euerlasting felicitye Eightlie that the most righteous and perfectest men cannot produce workes of supererogation as if it were in their power not onely to accomplish all iustice commaunded but also more than is required Ninthly that God must be worshipped in spirite and trueth Tenthly that the glorious body of Christ sits at the right hand of his father Brieflie all those that stedfastly beleeue this doctrine do they not rightly attribute all glorie to his Soueraigne maiestie Prayer to â—aiâ—â— And contrariwise the Papists dishonour him who first call vpon Angels Saints and Ladies Secondly they hope from them succours and helpe in their perils and necessities Thirdlie they promise to themselues remission of sinnes through the indulgences from the Bishop of Rome Fourthly they mingle the bloud of Martires with the bloud of Christ thinking his not sufficient Fiftlie they trust more in the merits of Saints or mortall creatures then in the obedience of the sonne of the eternall Sixtly they are not contented with the sacred letters of reconcilation but to supplie their want as they fondly imagine they adde the vaine sufficiencie of their vnwritten traditions Vnwritten Traditions IustificatioÌ„ by workes Seauenthly they presume of their workes for their iustification before the throane of Gods supreame iustice and doe further commit manie things repugnant to Gods heauenly will which notwithstanding is the onely rule of righteousnesse Eightly Workes of supererogation they thinke to be more wise than the Master of Masters when they doe more and aboue his commandements in their actions of supererogation Ninthly Worshiping of Images they encline and bowe themselues to the images of Creatures contrary to the lawe and they serue God after a sensuall and carnall manner prohibited by his worde without whose warrant euery worke is done without faith by consequence a most abhominable sinne Tenthly Transubstantiation they fasten the pretious body of Christ to bread and wine subiect after their consecration to a thousand corruptions and abuses and altogether farre from his excellencie We omit
then is the Creator of Priests viz. the Pope Oh shamelesse vanity Non Stygius tentaret Orcus quod audent effrenes monachi Againe euery one may easilye know what authority he taketh in the Church Militant excommunicating some anathematizing others he taketh the temporall sword hee pulleth downe kinges and Monarches from their thrones he setteth his foote vpon their necks and commonlye makes them kisse his pantable I omit to speake of the excessiue dignities attributed vnto him by his owne Canons Decrees Decretals Clementines being truely extrauagant from all truth as likewise a thousand more points of doctrine issuing out of these three principals That Christ Iesus is deuested of his office of Sacrificer in the Roman Church that his office of Doctorship is taken frō him that his gouernement in heauen and earth is vsurped from him Now seeing these offices are necessary adiacents to the Soueraigne good that the Church of Rome diuorceth them from the Mediator it must needes be that she doth not seeke the Soueraigne good but rather shuns and flyes from it Hence therfore it comes brethren that I haue renounced Papistry and doe purpose carefully and with labour to seeke the right pathes leading to the Soueraigne good wherwith the Church of Rome is not acquainted And for this purpose I haue abiured and do now abiure al her doctrine as blasphemous Apostaticall superstitious and as farre from Christianity as she is from the true ende and scope of mans creation which is the Soueraigne good And finally aboue all other graces wherewith God of his mercy hath made me pertaker I yeelde him most humble thankes for these two which are farre beyond compare of all others videlicet that hee hath shewed vnto mee through the light of the holye Ghost the natural brightnesse of his holy truth that the clearenesse thereof causeth his beames to shine in the Churches of this kingdome reformed both in faith and doctrine according to the purenesse and sincerity of his holy Gospell The confession of whose faith I will not onely seale with pen and inke vpon paper but also if neede be against tyrants with my bloud vpon this base Territority In which reformed Church I protest to dye and finish my dayes praying the Lord Almighty and onely wise who hath called me to the knowledge of his truth that he will establish ratifie this vocation of me and make me to feele and perceiue the full effects of his eternall election and further that of his mercye he will strengthen and assist me against all assaults and temptations that may present themselues before me And to conclude I hartily beseech this Church to make mee pertaker of her holy praiers as I will in like sort be euer mindefull as well to powre forth prayers to the eternall for her long prosperous continuance as also for those that are of the like faith in Iesus Christ To whom with the father and holy Ghost bee giuen all honour and glory both now and for euer Amen So Signed De Beauvall We the Pastoures and Elders of the reformed Church of Saint Amand L' Alher in Bourbony doe certifie that this day being the 16. of Iuly 1600. Maister Edmond de Beauval heretofore a Iesuite hath made a publicke abiuration of all the Papisticall Idolatries wherin he had bin norished and instructed protesting to liue euer hereafter as the reformed Churches of this kingdom do require according to a solemne promise by him made in an assembly of some Pastours Elders aswell of this said Church as others hereabout held at Belt in the house of the Lord of the said place the fourth day of this month and hath signed his confession of the faith of the reformed Churches of this kingdome In witnesse whereof we whose names are here vnder written haue giuen him this present Testimony to the end that he may be knowne in those places where he shall come for a mēber of the true Church Yeouen at S. Amand the day and yeare aboue written Signed Iamet Pastor of the said Church Perrinet an Elder Maget an Elder Perrimet Iudge in the said place Deueras De Foulenay Daniard Limosin Ieneueau Gaillard The declaration of Leonard Theuenot heretofore Priest and Curat of the Parish of S. Sauin in the Citie of Poitiers publickly pronounced in the Church of Poitiers aforesaid at the end of the exhortation on Sunday the 26. of Nouemb. 1600. I Am heere before God the Father the Sonne and the Holy-ghost and the elect Angels this Christiā assembly summarily to declare what I haue been in time past in what minde I am at this present wherto by the meanes of my God I aspire in time to come I am borne and was bred vp vntill this present in the Church which is called Romane where I sucked from the vncleane dugs of the impudent Babel and was one of her fauoured Nurse children euen to the obteyning the marke of the beast to be aduanced to the Priest-hood and sacrifizing of humane inuētion which I haue vsed for the space of fiue yeares I was soothed vp and I beleeued it that I was in Bethell that is to say in the house of God which is the Church the which he which hath not for his Mother cannot haue God for his Father as S. Cyprian and S. Augustin apostolically doe teach But some dayes since that it hath pleased God by his holy Spirit to awaken and with-drawe my soule from the letarge wherewith it was possessed working inwardly in me and there stirring vp and executing a great desire to reade the holy Scriptures to conferre of that which concerneth eternall saluation especially with the pastour of this church I perceiued and acknowledged that I was in Bethauen that is to say in the house of Iniquitie of corruption and of abhomination where the puritie of the word of God is defiled the sinceritie and truth of the Sacraments corrupted and the holy commandements of God by mens traditions are brought to nothing and haue euer since continually heard a voyce soūding in the eares of my conscience saying vnto me Depart frō Babilon get thee out of the middest of her for feare that continuing in participating in her sinnes thou receiue of her punishment Now to obey this voyce which the holy scriptures teach me to be of the Spirit of God I am retired into this place to you which I acknowledge to be of the sheepfolde of our Lord Iesus Christ for as you heare his voyce and will not giue eare to strangers and mercenaries I protest that I do abhorre and detest the Romish Idolatries and Superstitions and do renounce the Pope whome I acknowledge to be the sonne of perdition the man of sinne described by Saint Paul 2. to the Thessaloni 2. and the papacie Pope is Antichrist which is the great whore described in the Apocalips And that I desire to liue and to dye in the confession and profession of the faith of the reformed churches of
consolation which they can get by the considering of their merits and good workes in the last breath of this life By and by followeth the last saluing or vnction as they call it done by a Priest who washeth and purgeth with an holyed and consecrated Oyle the poore sick man of his sinnes then come the waxen Candels which burne day and night before the graue the ringing of Bels Masses Vigiles De prefundis Requiescant in pace and such like Ape-play These things are rather vnto them Needels to prick their consciences seeking consolation in things which are of no valour in steede of taking their refuge to the blood of Christ which purgeth vs of all our sinnes as S. Peter saith 1. Epist 1. verse 18. And thus is the common people seduced and brought to their euerlasting perdition by these deceiuers and seducers of soules beholde this is the sweete consolation which they haue to weapon themselues against the battle of death and Sathan Beholde this is the rest and peace of their consciences in the end of their liues Besides this vnbeleefe and diffidence wherwith they are tormented being vncertaine of their owne saluation they see nothing but paine and torments prepared for them being transmitted soone after death to a Purgatorie which is the more rediculous because it can be found no where for to doe their penance and repent to the end that the poore soules which haue not merited enough in this worlde should suffer there for a certaine time the paines of Purgatorie being roasted in a fire the one more the other lesse for to come at last to heauen and deserue eternall saluation But for to discouer somewhat better their errors and abuses The sinne of Romish Doctors how shall the Doctors of the Romish Church be able to excuse themselues before God seeing they turne not onely the people from the true worshipping of God but commaund them also to worship creatures and take their recourse to Saints and Saintesses to be mediators betweene God and them in all their necessities and defects A doctrine flatte contrarie to the holy Scriptures for examine the holy Scripture from lease to lease from the beginning to the end you shall finde no commaundement to do it nor promise nor example of any that haue done it neither in the olde nor new Testament as those of the Romish Church do who being infected with plague take their recourse with prayer to Saint Andrew or to Saint Rocquis being in tempest in feare of Shipwracke they take recourse to Saint Nicholas or Saint Clemens and so foorth according to the diseases or euils which come vpon them And is not this it that the Scripture condemns showing as though it were with a finger we must inuocate and worship The Prophet Dauid in his 18. Psalme verse 2. saith The Lord is my rocke and my fortresse and he that deliuereth me my God and my strength in him will I trust my shielde the horne also of my saluation and my refuge And in the 3. Psalme verse 5. I layde me downe and slept and rose vp againe for the Lord sustained me I will not be afraide for ten thousand of the people Besides these are yet innumerable places of Scripture propounded vnto vs to demonstrate that we must not trust vpon the might and arme of man nor looke for any helpe of creatures but that we must take our course vnto God onely who can doth and will deliuer vs from all euils But is not this an impudencie say they and too great a boldnesse to appeare so before God without crauing first the meanes or intercession of some Saint I would faine that they should answer me whether it be presumption or boldnesse to obey vnto God and to follow his commaundement I thinke not that they be so impudent but they must confesse so much Considering then that we haue this commaundement in the holy Scripture that in all necessities we must take our refuge to God with a true and liuely faith and with a sure and vndoubted assurance to obtaine that which we pray for at his hands as clearely is written in the 50. Psalme of the Prophet Dauid verse 15. Call vpon me in the day of trouble so will I deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me And the Apostle Hebrew 4. verse 16. Let vs goe boldly therefore vnto the throne of grace that we may receiue mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of neede And if we seeke a mediator betweene vs and the Father we must not runne to Saints for Christ dyed for vs yea more he is risen and sitteth at the right hand of God and prayes for vs which the Apostle explicates in the 8. to the Roma 24. ver For we are saued by hope but hope that is seene is not hope for how can a man hope for that which he seeth and in Hebrew 9. vers 24. For Christ is not entred into the holy places that are made with hands which are similitudes of the true Sanctuarie but is entred into very heauen to appeare now in the sight of God for vs. We must therefore goe to him in all our necessities by him shall we obtaine mercy he is to be breefe our aduocate by the father offering vnto him our prayers Let vs therefore not runne to creatures and call vpon them in our neede Let vs not robbe God of his honour onely due vnto him to deferre the same to anye other but let vs follow that rule of well praying which Christ teacheth vs Matth. 6. Let vs in all suretie by the vertue of the Mediation of our Sauiour Iesus Christ go to God our Father trusting assuredly that nothing shall faile vs if we faile not in our dutie God is true in his promises to whome I will take my refuge Concluding therefore my rehearse I will giue him praise and thankes for all his exceeding great benefites which I confesse to haue receiued from his gracious mercie that he hath brought me that was gone astray from the right way of saluation was departed from his tabernacle to his Church clearing the eyes of my vnderstanding for to enioy the light of his holy Gospell and the trueth of his holy worde and to renounce to all errors and superstitions of the children of darkenesse in the which hetherto I haue beene smothered I confesse heere before God and his holy congregation that with a sincere vpright mind and hart I forsake from henceforward all Popery and their superstitious Apostaticall blasphemous doctrine and abhominable damnable errors which they exercise yet daily in the which I haue liued too long a time feeling my selfe now inuited to the salutary knowledge of the trueth Therefore I promise and protest before God and his whole congregation to desire to liue and to dye in the faith of the reformed Churches where the trueth of Gods word is purely preached and the Sacraments faithfully administerd praying all thirsting soules according to my example to their good wel-fare and saluation to gather themselues in all humility of hart to the true flocke of that great sheepheard whosoeuer feele a sparke of truth let him no longer be transported by all windes of humane traditions to the end that the kingdome of God and of our Lord Iesus Christ more and more increasing we also altogether at last may be congregated to the ioyes of eternal life through Iesus Christ our lord to whome with the father and the holy Ghost bee praise and thanksgiuing for euermore Amen We subscribed testifie this declaration to haue beene done publickly the 3. of Iune 1601. after the sermon in the French Church within the Citty of Leyden by Lowys du Bois of late Priest and preacher of the order of S. Francis in the citty of Dunkerke Lucas Tulcat the Father Lucas Tulcat the Sonne
intention For certainly I may well say with S. Paul to the glory of God and my great conuersion that though heretofore I haue beene one of the greatest embracers of the foolish traditions of my fathers being of that Sect the most superstitious of the Scribes and Pharisies of the Romane church when that my heart was in darkenesse my vnderstanding hardened and her waies and doctrine wholy tending to death Prou. 14. seemed to me pure and right yet now my heart is enlightened and I may contemplate in the bright mirrour of the Gospell the glory of the Lord plainly 2. Cor. 3. And my most mercifull father who hath conuerted me vnto himselfe through the influence of his holy spirit who a long time and that very often hath summoned and warned me sounding in the inward eares of my minde that which before hee spake to the rebellious children of Israel Walke yee not in the ordinances of your fathers neither obserue their maners nor defile your selues with their Idols I am the lord your God walke in my statutes keep my iudgemēts and do them which if a mā do he shall liue in them Ezec. 20 And in another place he willeth his people to come out of Babilon that they be not partakers of her syns receiue her plagues Apo. 18 depart depart ye go out frō thence touch no vncleane thing Jsai 52. Hearing I say so many times such and the like words of Gods diuine spirit soūd in the ears of my soule it being a hard thing for me to kick against the prick Gods clemency bounty through his patient pursuite surmounting my too great malice blindnesse hath now in the end forced me to obey his voice and follow his vocation Hence it comes therfore deare brethren that I haue forsaken the vaine and superstitious traditions of men and disposed my hart to receiue at large the diuine beames of the eternall sunne of iustice the influences of his supreame grace the most sweet ioyes of Gods face to wit through the participation of the word of life of the excellencie of the Sacraments of the efficacie of the exercies of pietie of the perfections of a liuely faith and other infinite blessings and benefits inspired from heauen into the elect in the mysticall societie of the body of Christ O thrice and foure times blessed be that so great power of the spirite of GOD which leadeth mee to such good high and heauenly things Behold me now through the grace of God to haue forsaken abandoned these seminary abuses of papistry to become forth from the dungeon and sinke of all filthinesse malice Behold me loose and freed frō the embracings of that strumpet Babel the nurserie of all impietie by whom the holy name of God is so villanously prophaned and the honor of the soueraigne God infinitely iealous of his glory so impudently prostrated of Idols of gold siluer stone wood and clay behold I say how that I am come forth from that dangerous labyrinth of errors so abhominable as that there is not any man hauing neuer so little feeling of faith but doth detest and abhorre them My conscience also which before had so many times grieued and tormented me for that she found her selfe so far wandring out of the way of the true and liuely spirit of God which secretly drew her to himselfe affoording her no assurance in the false grounds which before she sought now giues me a true repose and consolation hauing found that vnknowne good which she thirsted after the which is now happened to her when according to the counsell of the wise Prou. 14. and through the fauour of my GOD I am departed from that foolishe man from the sonne of iniquitie from Antichrist in whome I haue found no lips of knowledge but rather of falshood and deceipt This is the onely fruite that lyes hidden vnder the leaues of this fained holinesse iustice obedience pouertie fastings and disciplines instituted without and contrarie to the word of God All these fooleries these proud habilliments and haughty pompe of the Hierarchie of Antichriste tende to no other ende or vse but to busie amaze and abuse the sence of those who do not know the true celestiall ornaments of the citie of the liuing God which cannot discerne the manifest difference which the faithfull see betweene the crowne of thornes of their Redeemer and Sauiour Christ Iesus and the glittering crowne of the sonne of perdition sending men to men and humaine workes which are in parte the causes of their eternall saluation which to vs and for vs is purchased by the onely sonne of God to whome he dooth exceeding iniury thus to diminish through his false doctrine his merites and rendring them insufficient But if these poore soules which he amazeth would but enter how little soeuer into the bottome of their consciences to iudge of this his doctrine according to the vnderstanding which God worketh in them I doe assure my selfe they would soone discouer and condemne the vanitie and falshood of this deceiuer For GOD dooth suffer by his secret but most iust prouidence that the more they haue their eyes open to their workes as expecting by them saluation so much the more are they doubtfull fearefull and in despaire what shew or apparance soeuer the bountie and greatnesse of their workes carrye with them which doubtlesse is a worke which God worketh in them for good if they would not wilfully resist the holy Ghost I speake this by experience which I haue in my selfe and in a great number of others whose inward disposition hath beene very well knowne to me And surely this cursed teacher of lyes inuenter of fooleries dooth dishonour and outrage to the blessed sonne of God not onely in this which hath beene said but also most vnworthily and outragiously deuesteth him of all his other dignities and excellencies wherewith he hath beene honoured by his eternall father though in apparance hee qualifieth him the Sauiour and redeemer of the world but it is in such sort as that in effect and as much as in him lyeth hee depriueth and robbeth him of all that which is necessarie for such an office And first what is he so blinde that seeth not plainely how he dispossesseth him of his Soueraigne and perpetuall office of Sacrificer seeing he giues him coadiutors and successors in this kinde of office which are the Priestes Christ daily Sacrificed who according as he vainely conceiues doe againe daylie sacrifice the sonne of GOD offering him to the eternall father for the expiation of the sinnes of the worlde And what I pray you meanes he by this but that hee reputeth the onely sacrifice of the sonne of GOD the true defacer of all our offences to be of so small power and vertue that it is incapeable and vnsufficent to deface them for euer And againe is not this preferring of the Priest saying Masse or sacrificing a mortall and sinnefull creature whose lippes are defiled