performance of the same The Quenes most honourable counsaile with the residue of the noblitie The miserable state of both the Uniuersities all other schooles of learning the onely nurceries of this Realme The Byshops and preachers that the number of them may bee encreased and that they may haue grace to set foorth the trueth of Gods Gospell as their dutie is diligentlye soberly sincerely truely and faithfully And the whole commons of this Realme especially such as speake yll or thinke ill of Gods holy word that they may haue grace to regarde the saluation of their soules to laye afide all blinde affection to heare the woorde of God and so to come to the knowledge of the trueth Who so list to peruse either the whole course of the Scriptures or other stories and recordes of antiquitie shall finde that the messengers of God such as haue bene sent of purpose to giue knowledge of his holy wyll haue at all tymes bene vnkindely receiued of the more parte and sclaunderously reported of and whatsoeuer they haue sayde or done hath bene falsly depraued turned to the worst Moses that godly Captayne notwithstandynge hee were purposely called and sent from God and in his name wrought many strange wonders befor the people yet were there some that saide hee was a Sorcerer and whatsoeuer he did he did by way of coniuration The Religion of the Jewes was the true worship of the onely God Yet Plinie sayth it was contemptus omnium numinum The despising of all the goddes The Jewes suffered no images to be in their Churches because God had forbiddē them Yet Cornelius Tacitus saith They worship their god in forme of an asse Others said they worship a god whome they call Sobaoth in the shape and fashion of a hogge and that therfore they were forbidden to eate swines flesh Others that they worship Saturnus because they were commaunded to keepe holy the Saturday The wicked and cruell Aman to bringe the people of God into hatred with the king Assuerus made his complaint of them in this wise May it please your Maiestie sayth he to vnderstande you haue a people here in your realme that vseth a new kinde of religion and wyll not be ordered by your graces lawes When the godly prynce Cyrus had giuen Esdras and Nehemias leaue to builde vp againe the Church of God at Hierusalem there came diuers to him and had him take good heede for that the Jewes were his enemies and euer had hene traitours to his crowne Lykewise after that Christ our Sauiour had ascended into heauen and the holy Ghoste was powred downe vpon the Apostles and they began to speake diuers tongues that they neuer had learned the enemies disdainefully scorned at the giftes of God and sayde Musto pleni sunt isti These men be drunken and full of newe wine And therfore they talke they knowe not what When Paul and the other Apostles taught free remission of sinnes without any goodnesse or desert of our partes onely of Gods mercye and in the blood of Christ the enemies iested at that kinde of learning and said faciamus mala vt veniant bona then if Gods mercie bee declared by forgiuenes of sinnes Let vs doo euill that good may come therof Let vs continue in sinne that grace may abound Because the Christians in the ministration of the holy Communion vsed bread and wine some saide they worshipped not Christ but Bacchus and Ceres goddes of the heathens Wheras the Christian men soone after the Apostles time vsed to resorte together in the night time or in the morning before daye into some priuate house there to call vpon the name of God and to receiue the sacrament together for feare of the crueltie of tyrantes the enemies reported that beinge thus together they killed a childe amongst them and so deuoured vp his flesh and dranke his blood and after put out the lights and so committed incest and adulterie one with another But what needeth moe examples Because wee saye that iustification standeth onely vpon the free grace and mercy of God the aduersaries report that we forbid good workes And because we speake against superstition vsed in fasting as before vs did Esay Paul and Christe himselfe they report that wee woulde haue no fasting And because we reproue the errours and abuses in the maner of prayer they say we would not haue the people to pray And because we restore the sacraments to the first institution of our Sauiour Christe and the example of the primatiue Church they say wee take away the Sacraments This is Gods holy wyl that for our exercise whatsoeuer we say or doe be it neuer so well it shall bee ill taken Iulian the apostata founde fault with the simplicitie and rudenes of Gods word Tertullian saith the heathens in the time of the primatiue Church were wont to painte out in mockery the God of the Christians with an asses head and a booke in his hand in token that the Christians professed learnynge but indeede were Asses rude and ignorant And do not out aduersaries the lyke this day agaynst all those that professe the Gospell of Jesus Christ O saye they who are they that fauour this way none but Shoomakers Taylours Weauers Prentises such as neuer were in the vniuersity but bee altogether ignoraunt and voyde of learning Thus haue you bene borne in hande that you might bee broughte to mistruste the Gospell And as the Pharises vpbrayded those that hearde the doctrine of Christe Dooth any of the rulers or of the Pharises beleue in him But this people which knowe not the law are cursed Euen so this day they say by you they vnderstand not their pater noster they knowe not their Creede yee bee ignorant O miserable men doe they aduance themselues of your ignoraunce If you knowe not your beleefe if you vnderstand not your Pater noster if you be so ignoraunt through whose fault are you so ignorant why were they your pastors why did they not teache you why take they from you the holy Scriptures why wyll they haue you be ignorant and vnlearned still This doe they that they may the more discredit and deface the Gospell which GOD of his mercie hath in our dayes restored vnto vs and caused the beames thereof to shine ouer all Countries in such sort that nowe the simple and vnlearned the rich the learned the worshipfull the honourable the states and Princes of the worlde be become professours and mainteyners of it as our eyes do see this day Blessed be his holy name therfore They say that the preachers of the same are vnlearned as men that read nothing but a fewe English books and neuer studied or saw the old Doctors Wee finde not such fault in their learninge neither do we speake those thinges by them that the most parte of you doeth knowe wee might iustly and truely speake For wee seeke not to confound them by such meanes it is not our profession
wonne Therefore we ought as our heartes were careful and desirous to see these dayes so by our thankefulnes to God for so great blessinge and by Christian and Godlye prouidence foresee such meanes whereby wee may longe hereafter enioye the same WheÌ„ Phydias had made the pourtraiture of Iupiter Pisanus he ouerlayed it with oyle y t it might continue fresh and greene and neuer putrifie When God gaue order to Noah for making the Arke he saide Thou shalt pitch it within and without with pitche that it might be sound and sure abide the waues He which chalengeth to himselfe that proude and wanton name to be called the head of y e vniuersal church after by litle litle he was gotten into possessioÌ„ was not behind hand by al meanes to maintaine keepe the same In this policie he tooke away the reading of the scriptures froÌ„ the people he made noble men princes his Cardinals He threw downe set vp changed whom what he would The kings states of the world y e bishops professors schollers in vniuersities preachers were brought to swere allegeaÌ„ce obedience vnto him I deuise not this the stories hereof are abrode y e oth which they tooke is known His authorite grew greater theÌ„ the authoritie of general councilles Nothing might be decreed in councels but what pleased him none might be admitted to speak in couÌ„cils but such as were sworne to him He had al law in his breast There was sometimes a proclamation made in Rome y t for considerations no man should erect or builde vp any theater that if any were set vp it shold be rased pulled down Pompeius a gentleman of great wealth noble courage did build a theater such a one as before had not bene seene which would receaue 2500. men contrary to y e proclamation order taken But dubtinge least the next maiestrates should destroy it he caused a place of religion to bee set vpon it called it the teÌ„ple of Venus Whereby he prouided y t if any wold ouerthrow it because it was a Theater they might yet spare it for the temples sake for to pul down a teÌ„ple was sacrilege Euen so there haue bene proclamations cannons y t no man shoulde be called y e chiefe or y e head of al Churches or vsurpe such authoritie ouer others but when y e Pope built vp his supremacie against the meaning of suche canons hee preteÌ„ded religioÌ„ for his doing he sayde it was de iure diuino y t no man should presume or atteÌ„pt agaiÌ„st it y t so his power might coÌ„tinue for euer If they haue bene thus carefull to mainteine falshod how much more careful should we be to maintaine y e truth If they to aduaÌ„ce their owne kingdome how much more wee to set forth the kingdom of God to builde vp the Church of Christ And if they sought to do y t by lies by false meanes why should we bee slack to vse the right true good meanes wherby that good thing which God hath wrought for vs may bee established And albeit there be many wayes by which the kingdome of God may be mainteined as the fauour countenance of y e prince whiche so coÌ„forteth cherisheth y e Church as the sunne beames coÌ„fort cherish the earth knowledge learning discipline which are as the life the sinues without which the Church must needes fall asunder at this time I wil leaue to speak of the rest only stay vpon learninge which may truly be called y e life or y e soule of y e Church of christian religien How necessarie a thinge they haue counted learninge to the settinge foorth of Religion the stories of our old fathers of heathens and Christians in al ages doe witnesse They thought that neither Religion might stande without knowledge nor knowledge were to bee esteemed without Religion Charles the great that hee might the better plant Religion in Saxonie and Heluetia did erect many places for encrease of learning He knewe well that there was no other way better to establish Religion The Cathedral Churches before such times as ignoraunce and blindenesse grewe ouer all the worlde and brought in an vniuersal corruption maintayned schooles of learning that the doctrine which was taught in those places might bee defended agaynst the gaynesayers by suche learned men as were there bred vp The Princes of Germanie and the free Cities after they had receyued the Gospell they dissolued theyr monasteries which had bene harbourers for such as liued in idlenes and set vp Schooles and colledges which should be nourceries to breede vp learned men that might bee able to teache the people and to maintaine religion Whereby it came to passe that in shorte time they had great store of worthy and learned men This did they wel see that haue bene the enemies of religion therefore vsed all meanes to hinder the encrease of learninge that they might haue the better way to ouerthrow Religion For if learning decay it is likely that Religion can not abide Beare with me if I speake that whiche may seeme more fitt for some other place then for this audience the best here vnderstandeth me wel In other countries the receiuing of the Gospell hath alwayes bene cause that learning was more set by and learninge hath euer bene the furtherance of the Gospell In England I knowe not how it commethe otherwise to passe For since the Gospell hath bene receiued the maintenaunce for learninge hath bene decayed And the lacke of learninge will be the decay of the Gospel Would God it were not so or that yet before the faulte be incurable there may be some redresse Loth I am to speake yet the case so requireth that it is needefull to be spoken I truste I shall speak in the hearing of them that wyll confider it Maintenance of learninge whereby an able and sufficient ministerie may growe and be established in al the Churches of this realme is to be wished for The good estate of this noble kingdome y â— comfort of posterytie y â— staye of Religion the continuing of the Gospell the remouing of darknes hangeth vpon it One asked sometimes howe it was that in Athens so goodly and great a citie there were no Phisitians To whom this answere was made because there are rewardes appointed for them that practise Phisicke The same answere may be made for our times the cause why y â— Church of God is so forsaken is the want of zeale in theÌ„ that should either for their curtesie or for their ability be fosterers of learning encrease the liuings where occasion is and giue hope confort to learned men What said I increaseâ—nay the liuings and prouision which hertofore were giuen to this vse are taken away Haue patience if any such be here as I well know there are whom these things touch Suffer me to speake the truth
lande whereof I sware to their fathers but their carcases shall fall in this wildernes they shal not enter into my rest with this blindnes god doth punish those which obey not his word The Lord shal smite thee sayth Moses with madnes blindnes w t astonyinge of heart thou shalt grope at noone daies as the blinde gropeth in darknesse I wil take my spirit frō thee I wyl command the cloudes that they shal not giue thee raine thou hast forsaken me I wyl forsake thee I wyll cause the sunne to go downe at noone I wyll darken the earth at cleare day saith the Lorde I will send a famine vpon the lande not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the word of the Lord thei shal seek the word of the Lord and shal not finde it Saint Paul tolde the Iewes at Antiochia Seeing you put the word from you and iudge your selues vnworththy of euerlasting life loe we turne to the Gentiles you shal be left in your filthines Now what shal be done to these hard hearted blind builders of y e spiritual Hiericho Christ telleth vs it shalbe easier in that day for thē of Sodom then for that citie which wil not receaue the Disciples And againe Except ye beleeue that I am hee you shall die in your sinnes The ende of such is worse then the beginning Al those plagues vtter destruction came vpon Hierusalem because shee knew not the time of her visitation euen the daye of Gods mercy as they were foretolde by the Prophet Ieremy Behold that which I haue built will I destroy that which I haue planted wyll I pluck vp euen this whole lande So dooth god plague one sinne with another letteth thē whiche are filthy grow in filthinesse because of the hardenes of their hart which can not repent wherby they heape vnto themselues vengeance against the day of the Lords wrath such are not worthy to see Hierusalem therefore are they left to perish in Hiericho As for the eloquence and deceitefull persuasion of the learned I wyll say nothing Notwithstanding it hath bene and is so vsed to the restoringe of Hierico that a blinde man may perceiue it and all the world may rue it One saide sometimes that were the matter neuer so false hee woulde prooue it by eloquence to bee true Another sayde the sunne and moone stand stil and the earth goeth about Another sayde that snow is blacke and that hee was able well to proue it and there were many whiche beleeued them Such were they of whom it is written in the Prophet Esay that spake good of euill euil of good which put darkenes for light and light for darkenesse and put bitter for sweete and sweet for sowre So they mocked the eyes of the ignoraunt and abused the giftes of God Thy wysedome and thy knowledge saith the Prophet they haue caused thee to rebel and thou hast sayde in thine heart I am and none els thou art wearyed in the multitude of thy Counsels let now the Astrologers the Starre gasers and Prognosticatours stande vp and saue thee from these thinges that shall come vpon thee We may answere such learned disputers as Dauid answered the proud Goliah thou com mest to me with a sword and with a speare and with a shield that is with great eloquence shew of learning but I come to thee in the Name of the Lord of hostes the god of the host of Israel whom thou hast rayled vpon By the Prophet Ieremie thus sayeth the Lord. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdome nor the strong mā glorie in his strength neither the rich mā glorie in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me Agayne it is written sayth the Apostle I wyll destroy the wisedome of the wise will cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent And Eliphaz saith He taketh the wise in their craftines the counsel of the wicked is made foolish he wyl open their errors he will bewray theyr craftinesse he will ouerthrow the cunning deuises of their wit these helps shal not suffice to builde vp cursed Hiericho Now to speak of the third help of the power of Princes whom the wicked builders of this spirituall Hiericho haue in all ages deceiued The authoritie of a prince is great he is the seruant of God he carieth y e sword for God to take vengeance on hym that dooth euill Salomon saith The wrath of a king is as messēgers of death Unto thē these builders haue recourse accuse the seruants of the lord which haue waited vpon Iosuah and haue done y e Lords wyll vpon this wilfull and rebellious citie The Heathen and Infidels vsed this helpe against the Christians they accused thē before Kinges that they were wicked that they worshipped strange gods that they liued in adulterie and incest that they killed theyr Children and dyd feede vpon mans flesh Before them they charged the Christians with diuisions and schismes sayinge You Christians agree not among your selues you haue so many sects and one sect is at defiance with another and condemneth one another therefore your religion is not true it is not of God Since the time wee forsooke our Gods these and these euils are come vpon vs. They charged Christians that they were stirrers vp of rebellion and that they disquieted the mindes of the people Let these Christians said they be cast to the Iyons Such complayntes were brought before Kinges and Princes againste the Christians of the Primitiue Church and these false charges haue bene thoughte true therefore were there sharpe lawes made agaynst them It was comaunded that no man shoulde speake in the Name of Christ and who did not obey this shoulde dye the death Who is able to expresse the miseries whiche followed in the execution of those Lawes There was no sworde nor weapen no racke nor torment no fire nor water but they were prepared for and stayned with Christian blood Souldiers were kept in whole garisons princes made Leagues kepte Councils deuised new and cruell lawes vsed conspiracies practised al kindes of strange and terrible deathes for the defence of Hiericho they kylled Christians by thousandes Maximianus burnt in one Temple twentie thousande assembled together to celebrate the memorie of the Natiuity of Christ Dioclesian made proclamation for the ouerthrowinge of the Christian Churches throughout all the Romane Empyre hee caused the Bookes of holy Scripture to bee burned in the open Market place and displaced with great ignomie suche Christians as were Magistrates and all other that bare any office These thought that heerby the gospel of Christ should be abolished and quite ouerthrowne But the Lorde which was mightie to saue Daniel in the middes of the lyons and Ionas in the whales bellye and his three seruantes in the flaming fire and Israel in the redde Seat whose
obedience But as touching our spiritual Hiericho Iosuah suffered nothing to stand he burnt houses and palaces and killed man woman child cattel without mercy altogether For so God had giuen him in commandement and so is it often written of him that where the Lord gaue any people into his hands he left nothing remayning no were it neuer so little Of this pollicie Moses speaketh If you wil not driue out the inhabitaÌ„ts of the land before you theÌ„ those which ye let remaine of them shalbe pricks in your eies thornes in your sides shall vexe you in the land wherein ye dwell Destroy not some onely to leaue some you shall leaue nothing no not a little If you doe leaue you breake the commandement of God In religion no part is to be called little A heare is but little yet it hath a shadowe In the bodie a little disquiet is oftentimes cause of death The Ciniphes were but litle yet are thei reckoned among the great plagues of God Metellus a noble man of Rome by receiuing a haere in his milke was choked with it died thereof Some thinges are smal and do no hurt some things though they be smal do great hurt Therefore doth God straightly charge his people to keepe the law saying Thou shalte not turne awaye from it neither to the right hand nor to the left And S. Paul saith A litle leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe I speake not this because I thinke nothing at al may be left to any special purpose For eueÌ„ in Hiericho where was made a general destruction God himselfe commanded that all siluer gold and vessels of brasse iron should be saued not saued only but be brought into the Lords treasurie How be it the things that may bee reserued must not be dust or chaffe or hay or stubble but gold and siluer yron and brasse I meane they may not be things meet to furnish and mainteine superstition but such thinges as be strong and may serue either directly to serue God or els for comelines and good order Such thinges may be reserued notwithstanding they came out of the spoyle of Hiericho Now to stay the restoring of Hiericho many good wayes may be deuised For our consideration at this present and because the time is farre spent I will name onely foure vnto you The first Maintenaunce of schooles learning Secondly vnderstanding of the cause that is that euery man may consider what hee hath left what he hath receyued out of what darknes into what light he is come Thirdly kindnes towards God thaÌ„kfulnes Fourthly the discipline of y e church With these 4. by gods grace we may keepe Hiericho from restoring Of eche of these a few words so I wil end That learning and knowledge is able to hinder the builders of Hiericho it is so playne that it needeth no speech In the time of Moses Law Aaron the great Bishop and high Priest had writteÌ„ in a tablet before his brest doctrine and truth not onely learning but also trueth wherby was meant that neither might be without other For as learning is daungerous and hurtfull without religion so is religion vnable to defend it selfe and to conuince the gaine sayers without learning For this cause the Heathen when they erected temples in the honour of their gods did also builde libraries that is places to keepe bookes that by such meanes their priests might grow in knowledge be better able to perswade others to their religion Strabo writeth of the Smyrnians that they builte a temple in the honour of Homer and ioyned therto a library Augustus the Emperour built a temple and also a library in the honour of Apollo Traianus in like maner built a library and called it Ulpia after his own name At Rome in the Capitol where al y t gods â—ad a solemn place for to be worshipped in there was also placed a library Athens was a famous Uniuersitie had many colledges and schooles â—f learning Academia Sâ—oa Lycâ—um Canopus Pritanneum Tempe Cynosura in whiche places were diuers sects of Philosophers Such were â—n Persia the wise men whom they called Maâ—i in Babylon the Chaldees in India Brachmaâ—es in Aethiopia Gimnosophistae in Fraunce and England Druides others in other countries In al times y t kings princes which did set forth religion were also builders of schooles and colleges auaÌ„cers of learning The people of Israel were neuer in better state as P. Phagius a â—earned man noteth out of their story then wheÌ„ they had in euery towne village Bathe chenesioth and Bathe medraschoth that is Synagogues wherein they assembled together and places to preach in The same Phagius reporteth of Hierusalem that there were in it more then 4. hundred common schooles Synagogues in which y â— Law of God was taught The Patriarke Iacob was called Minister domus doctrinae a Minister of the house of learning because he applied himself to the knowledge of y e law of god to godlines The Prophets of God had their schooles to breed vp vnder them such as might after their death draw y e people from idolatrye and resist the false Prophets They which were so taught by them were called Filij Prophetarum The sonnes of the Prophetes Samuel taught in such sort at Rama Elias and Elizeus the Prophetes in suche sorte taught the Law of God besides Hiericho Saint Iohn the Euangelist taught at Ephesus and Eusebius reporteth out of Philo that S. Marke had at Alexandria sundrye schollers which gaue themselues to reading and reasoning and expounding of the Scriptures Others did the like at Antioche and at other places Out of such schooles it pleased God to take many excellent men and place them in his Church as Origen Tertullian Cyprian Lactantius Arnobius Basilius Nazianzenus Chrysostomus Hieronimus Ambrosius Augustinus who were brought vp in al kind of learning and became shyning starres bright lightes in the house of God notable defenders of religion ouerthrowers of idols and confounders of Heretikes ChristiaÌ„ princes herein haue witnessed their zeale in setting foorth the glory of God After Charles y e great had made his notable conquests he erected fiue famous Uniuersities one at Paris another at Tolouse another at Papia another at Padua another at Prage Suidas reporteth of Leo the Emperour Cum aliquaÌ„do Eulogio PhiloÌ„sopho stipendium dari iussisset c. WheÌ„ Leo on a time coÌ„manded that Eâ—logius a Philosopher shold haue his princely reward a noble maÌ„ of his court saide that that money would be better employed for maintenance of souldiers Nay saith hee I would rather it might be brought to passe in my time that the wages whiche are nowe bestowed vpon souldiers might bee giuen to mainteyne Philosophers Alexander Seuerus so highly esteemed that famous and notable Lawyer Vlpian that when certain of his souldiers ran fiercely vpon Vlpian purposing to slay him the Emperor stept
We malice them not wee are not enemies vnto them And that thou O Lorde that knowest al things knowest best Let them haue the commendation of learning God giue them grace to ioyne it with trueth and to vse it to his glory and not to their owne Yet they must needes be very well learned that wyll charge all their aduersaries with ignorance Albeit in contention of learning I may bee worst heard to speake being the vnworthyest of all my brethren yet this dare I be bolde to say because it is true we are not so farre to seeke in learninge as they woulde haue vs appeare to be S. Paul being driuen to answere in his owne defence in a lyke matter in cōparison betweene him and the false prophets writeth on this sort Hebraei sunt ego Israelitae sunt ego Semen Abrahae sunt ego ministri Christi sunt ego They are Hebrewes so am I they are Israelits so am I they are the seede of Abraham so am I they are the ministers of Christ so am I. So wyll I saye and truely saye betweene vs and them They are seene in the tongues Latine Greeke and Hebrewe so are wee They haue studied the artes so haue wee they haue read the Doctours the generall Councels and the scriptures so haue wee If they can be learned doing this O what vnfortunate vnhappy men are we that are so vnlearned yet doe the same This lucke commonly foloweth al them that be professours of the trueth S Paul was counted and called a rebell and accused that he was an Egiptian and had gathered a number of men of warre to disquiet and trouble the Countrie Wee haue founde saith Tertullus This man a pestilent fellow a mouer of sedition amongest all the Iewes throughout the world So saieth Tertullian that in his time the Christians were called hostes public◠that is enemies destroyers of all common states And those reportes the enemies not only scattred amonge the common people but also dropped them into the magistrats princes eares that they might haue an il opinion of Christian religion and suppresse the Ministers and preachers of it so vnkinde commonly many haue bene towardes the messengers of Gods word When Christ hymselfe came downe from Heauen from the bosome of his father and began to vtter to teache the Gospell of euerlasting life and to confirme the same with manie a straunge myracle the poore people gaue eare vnto hym and beleeued his doctrine and by his wonderous workes knew him to be the sonne of Dauid the very Messias y t was promised them But the Scribes Pharises that bare the name of Doctours and had bene euermore brought vp in learnynge were the instructors of the people made light of Christes miracles said to y e people he casteth out deuils thorow Beelzebub the chiefe of the deuils The miracle was such that no reasonable man would haue thought it to be wrought by y e deuil The poore man that before had ben deafe was now able to heare that before was possessed of the deuill was now deliuered that before was sicke was now restored to his health The poore people marueiled at the doing and glorified God But the Pharisies cryed out against him In Beelzebub principe daemoniorum eiicit daemonia He casteth out deuils through Beel zebub the chiefe of y e deuils Not because it was true nor because it was likely to be true nor because they in their conscience thought it to bee true but onely to bring Christ in hatred w t the people to deface his doctrin And therfore they blasphemed that y e indeede they coulde not deny that they knew to be the workmanship of God they said it proceeded from y e deuil Christe our Sauiour putteth backe these slaunders with diuers reasons whereof at this time for shortnes sake I wyll touche but two The first reason is Euery kingdome that is diuided in it selfe shal be brought to desolation if Satan be deuided against him selfe then must his kingdome needes be dissolued that by his owne workyng But that is not likely For al y e Angels of Satan agree and conspire together to y e vpholding of their kingdome therfore must you needes confesse that I haue remoued this deuil by some other greater power not by the power of Beelzebub the chiefest of the deuils Here perhaps some man wil replie that witches coniurers oftentimes chase away one deuil by y e meane of an other Possible it is so but that is wroughte not by power but by collusion of y e deuils For one deuil y e better to attain his purpose will giue place make as though he stood in awe of another deuil And by y e way to touch but a worde or two of this matter for y t the horrible vsing of your poore subiectes inforceth therunto It may please your grace to vnderstād y t this kind of people I meane witches sorcerers w tin these fewe last yeres are marueilously increased w tin this your graces realm These eyes haue seene most euident and manifest markes of their wickednesse Your graces subtectes pine away euen vnto the death their colour fadeth their flesh rotteth their speach is benummed their sences are bereft Wherefore your poore subiects most humble petitiō vnto your highnes is that the lawes touching such malefactours may bee put in due execution For the schole of them is great their doinges horible their malice intollerable the examples most miserable And I pray GOD they neuer practise further then vpon y e subiect But this onely by the way these be the scholers of Beelzebub the chiefe captaine of the deuils This first reason that Christ vseth is taken of common experiēce For natwithstanding there be nothing so puissant as y e force of a kingdom yet if it be deuided in it self it wyl perish come to confusion For concord and agreement is the strength and maintenāce of al states Break the hoopes of a vessel al the boordes wil fal asunder The exāples hereof are too rife The mightiest kingdomes that euer were by such meanes haue bene conquered fallen into the power of their enemies Therfore Esay prophecying the destruction of the kingdome of the Jewes sayeth firste the people shal fal at dissention within themselues and then should folow their confusion When Vespasian the Emperour his sonne Titus came with an armie against Hierusalem the whole natiō of the Jewes was deuided into three factions eche of them ready to vndo the other Then folowed the ouerthrow of that kingdome Then was Hierusalem rased to y e groūd Then were there slayne of the Jewes to the nūber of 1100000. Once agayne I wil say it because it is marueilous and most true as Iosephus who was thē a capitain there in y e field writeth there were then slayne of the Jewes of men women and children no lesse then 1100000. Of late yeeres the
dissention betweene two brothers brought all Graecia Asia al y e Easte parts of Christendome into the possession of the Turke But what needeth vs to goe to Hierusalem or to Turkie for examples This kingdome of ours the mightiest y e noblest the richest y e blessedest lande that is or euer was vnder heauen coulde neuer yet be conquered by any enemie but onely at such time as the people were at variaÌ„ce within theÌ„mselues TheÌ„ was Iulius Caesar with a smal number then were the English Saxons then were the Danes then was y e Duke of Normandie able to ouerrunne vs and to possesse our countrie Therefore the prince that desireth to be a conquerour laboureth not so muche to furnishe his owne men and to make himselfe strong as to set discord among his enemies For that is a manifest token of their vndoing that Gods vengeance is at hand And for that cause Herodian an old writer pronounceth y â— as much as warre is worse then peace so much is ciuill sedition worse then warre And Titus Liuius in his storie saieth haec res sola facit vt magna imperia sint mortalia DissensioÌ„ only saith he causeth that great Empires can not continue but haue an end For if the one part conquere and haue the victory it is euen as if a man with his right hand would maime himselfe and chop off the left This example Christ vseth to confound the malice of the Pharisies The secoÌ„d reason is this If I cast out deuils by the power of Beelzebub by what power doe your children my disciples Iohn Iames Peter Andrew the rest cast them out They graunted that Christes disciples wrought miracles onely by the name of God And yet that they allowed in the scholers euen of malice hatred and contrarie to their conscience they repoued and blasphemed in y e master Hereof Christ concludeth if I cast out deuils in the power of god then doubtlesse the kingdome of God is among you your own childreÌ„ shalbe iudges ouer you Now to applie these wordes vnto this our present time wherein vnder a most godly and gracious prince the trueth of Christes Gospell is freely preached Gods holy name therfore be praysed for euer As Moses in his time was counted a sorcerrer as the Jewes were called despisers of al religion seditious and heady agaynst their Princes as the Apostles were counted dronken and full of new wine as al Christians were called idolaters worshippers of Bacchus Ceres murtherers incestious adulterers as S. Paul for his preaching was iudged a Rebel and al Christians were taken for enemies of all common estates euen so in these latter daies all these or other y â— like crimes haue bene laid to y â— preachers professors of Christes Gospel y â— thei haue bene godlesse seditious rebelles despisers of good orders incestious adulterers masters of al sinne and wickednesse But this is our comfort that nothing can be deuised to be spokeÌ„ against vs but y â— same aforetime hath bene deuised spoken against Christ hymselfe For he himself was called a Samaritan a coÌ„panion of publicans harlotes a glucton a lyar a blasphemer a subuerter of y â— whole nation a seducer of the people a rebell against Caesar a sorcerer a worker by the deuill and a breaker of the Sabboth day We are set vp saith Paul as a marke for meÌ„ to speake against whatsoeuer be spoken of vs be it neuer so vntrue or vnlikely yet are there some that wyll beleeue it Yea such thinges as woulde not bee beleeued spoken of a theefe or a murtherer wyl soone be beleeued of hym that professeth the name and Gospell of Jesus Christ Woe is mee my mother sayth Ierimy that thou hast borne me a contentious maÌ„ a man that striueth with y e whole earth I haue neither lent on vsury nor men haue leÌ„t vnto me on vsurie yet euery one doth curse mee The vntrue report of these things caused such extremitie as this day you may heare of in other countries and some times haue seene presently before your eyes Princes noble men hated the doctrine of the Gospel before they knew it They hated it and thought ill of it not of malice nor against their conscience nor against y e testimony of the holye ghost but only of ignorance because they lacked instruction They had a zeale a feeling of god but not according to knowledge And therefore doinge as they did they thought they dyd God high seruice This curtesie had christ our sauieur shewed him when he was in the worlde The same curtesie must they looke for that wil become christs disciples They sayd of Christ that whatsoeuer he did he did it in the name of Beelzebub y e chief of the deuils Euen so whereas it hath pleased almightie God to blesse vs with the true Preachinge and light of his holy Gospell yet there are some that condemne it and call it heresie beare the people in hand that all this doctrine is nothing els but a renuing of old heresies It is a greeuous matter for a Christian man iustly to be accused of heresie For whosoeuer is an heretique is an enemie of god and a waster and destroyer of all true Religion And therefore vnlesse the crime bee marueilous euident he doeth great wrong that calleth any man heretique and though a man be falsely charged yet may he not dissemble it Ruffinus would say that maÌ„ were not a Christian whosoeuer would abide to be called an heretique All other iniuries may be borne withall but this is suche and so hainous a crime that vnlesse it be manifestly euident no man may suffer to be so iudged and it should not be beleeued when it is layde to the charge of any Christians Wherefore for as much as the cause is gods and pertaineth to the conscience of a great many let it be as lawfull for the poore man that is vniustly hurt to make his salue as others think it lawfull for them to giue the wound Christ our Sauiour when he was thus charged made answer Si ego in Beelzebub eiicio daemonia filii vestri in quo eâ—iciunt If I through Beelzebub cast out deuils by whoÌ„ doe your children cast theÌ„ out So may we say to such as this daye bee aduersaries to this cause and speake agaynst vs. If we be heretikes that teach this doctrine what are the ancient Fathers the Doctours and the Apostles that haue taught the same If they were Catholiques and haue bene euermore so taken writinge as they dyd howe is it that onely wee are not Catholiques writing saying as they did they shal iudge on our side against you And would God in y â— greatest specialest poynts of our controuersies all parts would be contented to stand to their iudgment so should al contention be soone at anend For I call Heauen and Earth to witnesse and speake it before God and his holy Angels and before the consciences
torments no fire no fagot haue euer weakened the cause of the Gospel Tertullian saith Plures effiâ—imur quoties metimur the more we be cut downe the more we encrease These be their arguments this is their logique they haue no liking to trie the matter by Scripture by doctours by Councel or by the practise of the most ancient Churches and if they make any pretense of likinge such tryall they doe it for some other hidden purpose to moue mutinies and disquiet that they may woorke their practises whiles mens heades are occupied and busied with talke of such matters Pirrhus a lustie gentleman and Kinge of Epyrus when he first tooke Counsell with hys Nobles to wage warre against the Romanes heard saye hee might soone conquere them for that they were nothinge else but a sorte of wilde and harbarours people but afterward when he came to the view of the Romanes army indeed and sawe their Captaines and Souldiers wel appoynted and their flagges and standardes in good order mary quoth he whether these men be barbarous or no I cannot tel but wel I wot their behauiour and the order of their campe is not barbarous So what accompt soeuer men make of this doctrine that god be thanked is taught this day yet whosoeuer shall come neere view it well and try it to the vttermost and shall finde that al thinges are done seemely and orderly according to the olde doctours to the Apostles and to the primatiue Church of Christ shall fall downe to the grounde and confesse that the order and maner therof or any thing that is taught therein is not hereticall Saint Iohn Baptist sent his disciples to Christ to knowe whether hee were the true Messias or no or els whether they should looke for another Christ made them answer Go and shewe Iohn what thinges ye haue hard and seene the blinde receiue sight the halte goe the lepers are clensed the deafe heare y e dead are raised vp y e poore receiue the Gospel For these tokens were sufficient to make Iohn vnderstande that Christ was the true Messias Euen so if a man stande in doubte of this Religion whether it bee of God or no let hym but consider think with himselfe thus a great number of errours are now reuealed superstition is remoued idolatrie is taken away the Sacramentes are rightlye and duly vsed the dombe speake the blinde see the poore afflicted mindes receiue the Gospell the prayers are in such sort as the people may take profit and comfort by them God giue vs grace to know how great neede we haue to pray that in all places we may lift vp cleane handes and heartes vnto God and cal vpon him in spirit and truth If this be heresie then alas what is true religion Can these bee done by the power of Beelzebub Can the deuil reforme errours remoue superstion take away idolatrie cause the Sacramentes to be directly vsed the dombe to speake the blinde to see the poore to receiue the Gospel the people to take fruite and comfort by their prayers O good brethen this is the worke of Gods right hande the kingdome of God doubtlesse is come vppon vs the prince of errour is put to silence the readinesse of the people vniuersally in al places is marueilous kinges and princes suffer themselues to be led captiues to the obedience of Christ They that before were enemies and persecutours of this doctrine are nowe contented to yeeld their bodies liues for y t defence of the same and to be short al the world this day cryeth and groneth after the Gospel And al these things are come to passe at such time as to any mans reason it might seeme impossible when al the world the people priests princes were ouerwhelmed with ignoraÌ„ce wheÌ„ the word of God was put out of sight when he that tooke vpon him the generall rule of altogether was crept into y e holy place had possessed the coÌ„science of man as if he had bene God and had set himselfe aboue the scriptures of God gaue out decrees that whatsoeuer he should do no man shoulde finde fault with him when all schooles priests bishops kings of the worlde were sworne to hym that whatsoeuer he tooke in hand they should vphold it when he had chosen kings sonnes brothers to be his Cardinales when his Legats espies were in euery kings councel when nothing could be attempted any where but he by by must haue knowledge of it wheÌ„ whosoeuer had but muttered against his doinges must straight waies haue bene excoÌ„municate put to most cruel death as Gods enemie when no man could haue thought there had bene any hope that euer these dayes should haue bene seene that God of his mercy hath giuen vs to see when al things were voide of al hope and full of desperation Euen then I say euen then contrarye to all mans reason God brought all these thinges to passe Euen then God defeited their policies not with shielde or Speare but only with the spirit of his mouthe that is with preachinge of the Gospel There is no counsel agaynst the Lorde the deuils were cast out by the powre of God This is the day which y e Lord hath wrought to thee o Lord y e prayse hereof is due thou hast turned our mourning into ioy thou hast put to sileÌ„ce y e spirit of error thou hast inflamed y t hearts of thy people thou hast brought princes kings to the obedience of thy sonne Iesus Christ thou hast opened the eyes of y e world to espy out to cry for y e coÌ„fort of y e gospel WheÌ„ al things were in dispaire yet thou didst reserue vnto thy selfe one litle sparkle y t should inkindle agayne light in thy church y t shoulde remoue rubbish fylth out of thy teÌ„ple whose hart should euer be in thy haÌ„d who should do that that good is in thy sight should walke in y â— wayes of her father Dauid This is the hand power of God this is the Lordes doing and it is marueilous in our eyes God giue vs grace to haue these things euer before our eyes that we neuer be vnthankfull Now for al these graces y t God hath so plentifully powred vpoÌ„ vs let vs coÌ„sider what kindnes ought to be rendred on our part O Israel O my people saith almighty God what thing is it y t I require of thee but onely that thou loue me walk in my wayes this is our homage this is our dutie this shalbe loked for at our hands The grace of god saith Paul y t bringeth saluation vnto al meÌ„ hath appered techeth vs y t we shold liue soberly righteusly in this preseÌ„t worlde looking for the blessed hope appearing of the glory of the mighty god and of our sauiour Iesus Christ Such in olde times was the life of all them that professed the name of Christ Tertullian of his
time saith a Christian man could be known by nothing so wel as by the changing of his life Cyprian of the Christians in his time sayth Veniunt vt discant discunt vt viuant They come that they may learne they learne that they may know how to liue S. Paul commendeth the Philippians that they shine as lyghtes in the worlde that theyr lyfe doth testifie what they be Eusebius saieth Valeriani aula erat referta piis Ecclesia Deifacta They y t were of the court of Valerian were become Christians and then was the court not lyke a court but like vnto the Church of God Iustinus the martir saith he was first turned to Christ for the admiration that he had of the innocent and godly life of Christian men Such then was the life of them that bare the name of Christ they came to learne they learned to liue You might haue knowne theyr profession by the onely changing of their maners The court wherin they liued was so reuerently kept without notable sinne or wantonnes as if it has ben the temple of God O almighty God howe fares it nowe with them that woulde be called Christians and bee reckoned among professors of the Gospel how many are there that come to learne how many are there that learne to liue howe many are there that may be knowne by changing of their maners Unlesse it be for that they make a mockerie of Gods holy Gospel and so become more dissolute more fleshly more wanton then euer they were afore What court can we finde that any part may be lyke the temple of God Seldome is it that almightye God may bee hearde to speake hys minde But when he hath spoken who is he that thinketh vpon it who is he that doth not dispise it who is he that spurneth not at it If our life should giue testimonie and report of our religion sory I am to speake it but alas it is to true in too many it cryeth out Non est Deus the very course of our life beareth wytnesse against vs that in our heartes wee thinke there is no God and that there is no feare of God before our eyes I amplifie not nor enlarge the matter I woulde to God it were no more then I make of it Thus we doe withholde the trueth of God in vnrighteousnesse thus the grace of God is abused to the contenting of our pleasures thus wee become the vessels of Gods wrath and heape vp vengeance vpon our heads Therefore wil God take away his holy spirit from vs therefore wyl God giue vs ouer to a reprobate minde therfore shal y e end of vs be worse then was y e beginning O good brethren let vs not abuse the mercy of god let vs not receiue the grace of god in vaine Remēber how many eyes are set vpon vs let vs take occasion away from them y t seeke occasion to sclander our profession let not let not our life cause the gospel of Iesus Christ to be yl spoken of and blasphemed let vs walke so as becommeth them that are called and in deede are Filii lucis The children of light The trueth of the gospel of Iesus Christ hath nowe shined ouer the whole worlde if it be yet hiddē from any it is hidden frō them that perish he that perisheth nowe shall perish in his owne blood Now if any beleeue not he is inexcusable The wisdom of god in publishing his word contrary against the course of mans policie y e continual preaching of it in al places the ashes of so many learned fath ers godly men women who haue yeelded their bodies to the cruel torments of tyrants to bee consumed in the fire for the testimony therof are yet so fresh in your eies spoken of in your hearinge and witnessed in your hartes and consciences that you can not denie but the kingdome of God is come amongst vs. But if there be any that is not perswaded in his religion for asmuch as it is a matter of lyfe and death of saluation damnation I beseeche you before God and before his Christ let vs not be careles let vs not be negligent If we mislike it let vs read the Scriptures and know wherefore we mislike it Dispise not good brethren despise not to heare gods worde declared As you tender your owne soules be diligent to come to sermons for that is the ordinary place where mens hearts be moued Gods secrets be reuealed For be the preacher neuer so weake yet is the word of God as mightie as puisant as euer it was If thou heare Gods worde spoken by a weake man anignorant man a sinner as thou thy selfe art and yet wilt beleeue it and heare it with reuerence it is able to open thine eyes and to reueale vnto thee the high misteries of thy saluation Remember we are the sonnes of the Prophets The kingdome of God is come amongst vs. Let vs not withstand the Spirit of God let vs not treade downe the blood of the euerlasting Testament The hande of god hath wrought this let vs not arme our selues against GOD and say They are wrought in the name of Beelzebub It is not our doctrine that we bring you this day we wrote it not we founde it not out wee are not the inuentours of it wee bringe you nothing but that the olde fathers of the Churche that the Apostles that Christ our Sauiour himselfe hath brought before vs. O condemne it not before you know it In the meane while thinke well of them that labour for you that do you seruice that pray for you that shall giue their lyfe for you Let vs lay aside all blinde affection let vs labour to know the truth let God haue the victory And then when we know God let vs glorifie him as our God let vs so liue y e our words our deedes our whole life may testifie that y e kingdom of god is amōngst vs. Let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works gloryfie our father which is in heauen So shall God powre downe his blessings vpon vs so shal god bles whatsoeuer we take in hand so shal we be blessed in peace so shal we be blessed in war so shal god go forth before our armies so shal we be the children of god so shall god bee our god and remayne with vs for euer And thou most mercifull father as thou hast sent vs thy heauenly kingdome that is the most comfortable tidyngs of the Gospel of thy sonne Iesus Christ so wee beseeche thee for thy mercy blesse that thinge that thou hast begunne that it may continue among vs remaine with vs for euer Open the heartes of them that of ignorance thinke ill of it that they may see that blessed hope whereunto thou hast called vs that al the worlde may know thee and thy sonne our sauiour Iesus Christ whome thou hast sent for the
certaine maner of speech and not otherwise the Sacrament of the bodie of Christ is the body of Christ the Sacrament of the blood of Christ is the blood of Christ so the sacrament of faith is faith Who hath ordeined the Sacramentes Not any Prelate not any Prince not any Angel or Archangel but onely God himselfe For he only hath authoritie to seale the charter in whose authoritie onely it is to graunt it And onely he giueth the pledge and confirmeth his grace to vs whiche giueth his grace into our heartes Chrisost sayth DiuinuÌ„ integrum non esset mysterium si quicquam ex te adderes The mystery were not of God nor perfect if thou shouldest put any thing to it In the daies of Noah when God determined to be mercifull vnto his people and neuer to drowne the whole worlde with water he said I haue set my bowe in the cloude and it shalbe for a signe of the couenant betweene me and the earth and when I shal couer the earth with a cloude and the bow shalbe seen in the cloude then wil I remember my couenaunt whiche is betweene me you and betweene euery liuing thing in flesh and there shalbe no more waters of a flood to destroy al flesh In like maner when God would witnes stablish to Abraham his seede after him the promise of his mercie he himselfe ordained a sacrament to confirm the same This is my couenaÌ„t which ye shal keep between me you thy seed after thee Let euery manchild among you be circuÌ„cised Thus God ordeined y t sacrament of circuÌ„cision This sacrameÌ„t was a seale of Gods promise to AbrahaÌ„ a seale of Abrahams faith obedience towardes God By this sacrament maÌ„ was bound to y t Lord by y t same sacrament God vouchsafed to binde himselfe to man But how is the sacrament formed of what parts is it made August saith Accedat verbuÌ„ ad elementuÌ„ fit sacramentuÌ„ Ioine y t word of Christs institutioÌ„ with the sensible creature therof is made a sacrameÌ„t Ioyue the word to the creature of water and thereof is made the sacrament of Baptisme take away the worde then what is the water other then water The worde of God the creature make a sacrament But why were sacraments ordeined he telleth you In nulluÌ„ nonceÌ„ religionis ceu veruÌ„ c. Men caÌ„not be gathered together to the profession of any religioÌ„ whether it be true or false vnlesse they be bound inthe felowship of visible signes or sacrameÌ„ts The first cause why they were ordeined is that thereby one shoulde acknowledge another as felowes of one household members of one body So was al Israel reckoned the children of Abraham because of their circumcision al such as were vncircumcised were cut off from the people had no part in the common wealth of Israel because they were vncircumcised Euen as wee take them that are not baptised to be none of our brethren to be no children of God nor members of his Church because they will not take the Sacrament of Babtisme An other cause is to moue instruct and teach our dul and heauy hearts by sensible creatures that so our negligence in not heeding or marking the woorde of God spoken vnto vs might be amended For if any man haue the outward seale and haue not the faith thereof sealed within his heart it auayleth him not hee is but an hypocrite and dissembler So the circumcision of the foreskinne of the fleshe taught them to mortifie their fleshly affections and to cut off the thoughts and deuises of their wicked hearts Therefore said Stephen to the Iewes Ye stiffe-necked of vncircumcised hearts eares you haue alwaies resisted the holy Ghost So when in Baptisme our bodies are washed with water wee are taught that our soules are washed in the blood of Christ The outward washing or spriukling doth represent the spriukeling and washing which is wrought within vs the water doeth signifie the blood of Christ If we were nothing else but soule hee would giue vs his grace barely and alone without ioyning it to any creature as hee doeth to his Angels but seeing our spirite is drowned in our bodie and our fleshe doeth make our vnderstanding dul therefore we receiue his grace by sensible thinges Chrysost saith Aliter ego aliter incredulus disponitur Ille cuÌ„ c. I am otherwise affected theÌ„ is he which beleeueth not WheÌ„ he heareth of the water of Baptisme hee thinketh it is nothing els but water But I see not the creature onelie which mine eyes do see but also the cleansing of my soule by the holie Ghost He thinketh y t my body oneli is washed I beleue that my soule is therby made pure holy and withal I consider Christes burial his resurrectioÌ„ our sanctificatioÌ„ righteousnes redemption adoption our inheritance the kingdom of heauen the fulnes of the spirit For I iudge not of y e things I see by my bodily eyes but by the eyes of my minde When one that is vnlearned and can not reade looketh vpoÌ„ a booke be the booke neuer so true neuer so wel written yet because be knoweth not the letters and cannot reade hee looketh vpon it in vayne Hee may turne ouer all the leaues and looke vppon all and see nothing but another that can reade hath iudgement to vnderstaÌ„d coÌ„sidereth the whole story the doughâ—â—e deedes graue counsels discrete answeres examples promises threatnings the very drifte meaning of him that wrote it So do the faithful receiue the fruite comfort by the Sacraments which the wicked vngodlie neither consider nor receiue Thus do the sacraments leade vs instruct vs to behold the secrete and vnknowen mercies of God and to carry our selues to the obedience of his will And this is the other cause why sacraments were ordained Thirdely they are seales and confirmations of Gods promise S. Paul saith Abraham receiued the signe of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnes of the faith which he had when he was vncircuÌ„cised By these we stoy y â— mouth of heretikes For if they denie that our Lorde Iesus Christ was deliuered to death for our sinnes is risen again for our iustification we shew them our sacrameÌ„ts that they were ordeined to put vs in remembrance of Christ and that by the vse of them we shew the Lords death til he come We tell them these are proofes and signes that Christ suffered death for vs on the crosse As Chrisostome saith Laying out these mysteries we stoppe their mouthes What Are they nothing els but bare and naked signes God forbid They are the seales of God heauenly tokens and signes of the grace and righteousnes and mercie giuen and imputed to vs. Circumcision was not a bare signe That is not circuÌ„cision which is outward in the fleshe saith Paul but the circumcision of the heart
seuen in due signification and right meaning taken for sacraments For in such sort as these are called sacramentes that is because they signifie some holy thing wee shall finde a great number of thinges which the godly learned Fathers haue called Sacramentes and yet I trow we must not holde them as sacraments ordeined to be kept and continued in the church for then shoulde there bee not seuen but seuenteene sacramentes S. Bernard calleth the washing of the Apostles feete a sacrament Ablutio pedum sacramentū est quotidianorum peccatorum The washing of feet is the Sacrament of daily sinnes So Leo calleth the crosse of Christ a sacramēt Crux Christi quae saluandis est impensa fidelibus sacramentū est exemplū The crosse of Christ which was giuē to saue the faithfull is both a Sacrament also an example Tertullian calleth the whole state of Christian faith Religionis Christianae Sacramentum The sacrament of Christian religion S. Hillary in diuers places saith Sacramentum orationis sacramentum esuritionis sacramentum sitis sacramentū fletus sacramentū scripturarū The sacramēt of praier the sacrament of fasting the sacramēt of thirst the sacrament of weeping the Sacramēt of the scriptures Thus much for the nūber that by the institutiō of Christ there are but two sacramēts as Cardinal Bessarion confesseth Haec duo sola Sacramenta in Euangelijs manifesté tradita legimus We reade that these two onely Sacraments were deliuered vs plainly in the Gospel I wil now speake briefly of the sacramentes in seueral leaue all idle vaine questions and onely lay open so much as is needful profitable for you to know Baptisme therefore is our regeneration or newe birth whereby wee are borne a new in Christ are made the sonnes of God heires of the kingdome of heauen it is a sacrament of the remission of sinnes and of that washing which we haue in the blood of Christ We are al borne the children of wrath and haue our part in the offence of Adam S. Paul saith By one man sinne entred into the world August saith Non dixit veniet super eum sed manet super eum Respexit originem c. Christ saide not it shal come vpon him but it abideth on him He had regard to our ofspring whē he saith the wrath of God abideth on him Vpon which when the Apostle also looked hee said and we our selues also were sometimes the children of wrath That which in Adam was imputed to his offence not to bee of nature is now in vs which are come of Adā become natural Therefore saith the Prophet Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sinn hath my mother conceiued me So y t we all haue cause to crie out mone with Saint Paule I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde leading me captiue vnto the lawe of sinne whiche is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodye of this death Here of speaketh our sauiour That whiche is born of the flesh is flesh that which is borne of the spirite is spirite And for this cause saith he except a man bee borne of the water and the spirite hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God For this cause are infants baptized because they are borne in sinne and cannot become spirituall but by this newe birth of the water and the spirite They are the heires of the promise the couenaunt of Gods fauour is made vnto them God saide to Abraham I will establish my couenant betweene me and thee and thy seede after thee in their generations for an euerlasting couenaunt to be God vnto thee and to thy seede after thee Therefore saith the Apostle If the roote be holy so are the branches And againe The vnbeleeuing Husband is sanctified by the wife and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified by the Husbande else were your Children vncleane but now are they holy When the Disciples rebuked those that brought little Children to Christ that he might touch them he saide Suffer the little children to come vnto mee and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of GOD. And againe Their Angelles alwaies beholde the face of my Father which is in Heauen The kingdome of Heauen is of such saieth Christ not onelie then of those but of other like infantes which shall bee in al times As God tooke the seede of Abraham to be partakers of the couenant whiche hee gaue to Abraham so hee appoynted that euerie man childe of eyght dayes olde shoulde bee circumcised And Abraham circumcised his sonne Isaac when he was eyght dayes old as God had commanded him May wee thinke that the promise of God hath an ende so that it reacheth not to our children Or might the children of the Iewes receiue the signe of the couenant and may not the children of the Christiās Whatsoeuer was promised to Abraham the same is also perfourmed vnto vs. Wee enioye the same blessinges and free priuiledge of Gods fauour Saint Paule to the Galathiās saith Know ye that they whiche are of faith are the children of Abraham Againe If yee bee Christs then are ye Abrahams seed heires by promise Nowe is the signe of the Couenaunt also chaunged and Baptisme is in steede of Circumcision as Saint Paule declareth and calleth them circumcised which are baptized In whome meaning Christe also yee are circumcised with circumcision made without handes by putting off the sinful bodie of the fleshe through the circumcision of Christ in that you are buried with him thorow baptisme Our Sauiour giueth charge to his Apostles to baptize all nations in the name of the Father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost The Apostles baptized not only such as professed their beliefe but whole housholdes The keeper of y ◠prisō was baptized with all that belonged vnto him So was Crispus the chiefe ruler of y ◠Synagogue his housholde and the housholde of Stephanas Infantes are a parte of the Churche of God they are the sheepe of Christ and belong to his flocke Why shoulde they not beare the marke of Christe they haue the promise of saluation Why should they not receiue the seale whereby it is confirmed vnto them they are of the felowshippe of the faithfull Augustine saith Vbi ponis paruulos non baptizatos profecto in numero credentium Where place you young children which are not yet baptised Verily in the number of them that beleeue Why then shoulde not they be partakers of the sacrament together with the faithfull And as the children of the faithfull by right ought to be baptized So such others also as were borne of vnbeleeuing parents and were aliants from the common wealth of Israel and were strangers from the couenant of promise and had no hope if they acknowledge the errour in which they liued and seeke
that by the sinne of one man death hath entred into the worlde and that the reward of sinne is death but who knoweth if God haue forgiuen them their sinne Who is his Counsailour who knoweth his meaning Our children are the children of God Hee is our God and the God of our seede They bee vnder the couenant with vs. The sobrest waye is to speake least and to leaue them to the iudgement and mercie of God Howbeit if any should despise and of wilfulnes refuse this holy ordinaunce so that they woulde in no case bee baptized or suffer their children to bee baptized that were damnable Otherwise the grace of God is not tyed so to the ministration of the sacrament that if anye be preuented by death so that he cannot bee receiued to the felowship thereof he shoulde therefore be thought to bee damned For many haue suffered death for Gods cause for their Faith in Christ who neuer were baptized yet are they reckoned and are indeed blessed Martirs So Valentinianus a Christian Emperour died without baptisme yet doeth Ambrose commend him and nothing doubteth but that hee is saued Hee saith Audiui vos dolere quod non acceperit c. I haue heard that you are grieued because he tooke not the Sacrament of baptisme Tel me what other thing is there in vs but our wil our desire Againe Hee which was endued with thy spirite O God how might it be that he should be voyde of thy grace Or If this moue you because the misteries were not solemnly ministred are not the Martirs crowned if they be only nouices that be not yet christned But if they be washed in their blood then is he also washed in his godlines and in his desire S. Augustine saith Hee is not depriued from the partaking and benefit of the sacrament so long as he findeth in himself that thing that the sacrament signifieth Constantinus the great was the first Christian Emperour yet was not baptized vntill the time of his death Qui cum Nicomediae ageret saith Theodoretus lāguore grauatus nec ignorans vitae huius incertum gratiam baptismatis est adeptus Who when he was at Nicomedia being grieuously sick and knowing the vncerteinty of this life was baptised The theef vpon the crosse was not baptized Yet Christe saide vnto him this day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise The Prophete Ieremie and Iohn Bapt. were sanctified in their mothers wombes By these fewe it may appeare that the sacrament maketh not a Christian but is a seale assurāce vnto all y t receiue it of the grace of God vnlesse they make themselues vnworthy thereof And y t no man may despise this holy ordinance keepe backe his infants frō baptisme for in so doing he procureth his own dānation In time of ignorance manie could see this and acknowledge it that the outwarde baptisme by water was not necessarie vnto saluation so that the children or others that died without it were for lacke thereof damned The church hath alwayes receiued three sortes of Baptisme the Baptisme of the spirit or of blood or of water If any were preuented by death or hindered by crueltie or persecution so that they coulde not receiue the sacrament of Baptisme at the hands of the minister yet haueing the sanctification of the holie Ghost or making their faith knowne by their suffering they were borne a newe and baptized God hath his purpose in vs and our children Before we be borne when we had dōe neither good nor euil he hath mercie and compassion on vs. Iudgement appertaineth vnto God He knoweth who are his No man knoweth the thinges of God but the sprite of God onely And thus much of the Sacrament of Baptisme which is the badge and cognisance of euery Christian If any bee not baptised but lacketh the marke of Gods folde wee cannot discerne him to be one of the flocke If anie take not the seale of regeneration we cannot say he is borne the childe of God This is the ordinarie way let vs vse it let vs not despise nor foreslow to receiue the Sacraments they are the meanes by which God maketh sure his good will towardes vs. It shall not bee amisse to speake a worde or two of the naming of your children Some are herein ouerseene they refuse to call their children by the names of holy men and women because they thinke it to sauour somwhat to much of religion and therefore eyther they name them at aduenture hauinge no regarde at all howe they be named or els they giue them the names of Heathen men cal thē Iulius Caesar Hercules Lucretia Scipio or such like These althogh they were notable in wisedome learning chastitie boldenesse and in conquestes yet were they Heathen men and knew not God The name is nothing it commendeth vs not to God Yet may a Christian father bee ashamed to call his childe by the name of suche who were enemies to the crosse of Christ Chrisost a godly father saith Non solum hic parentum monstratur pietas sed magna erga pueros diligentia c. In this thing that is in the naming of their children both the godlines of the parentes also their great care for their childrē is declared And how haue they forthwith frō the beginning taught the children which were borne vnto thē giuing them warning by the names wherwith they cal them that they should practise vertue They did not giue names at aduenture without reason as is vsed nowe a daies For now mē say let the child be called after the name of his grādfather or great grādfather but our olde fathers did not so They tooke all heed to cal their children by suche names which should not only prouoke thē to vertue which carried y e names but should teach al others much wisedome whosoeuer shold remain many yeres after thē Againe he saith See how great vnderstanding they of old time had that euen y ◠womē named not their childrē rashly or by chance but called thē by names that foreshewed such thinges as might happē after And of Lia Iaacobs wife he maketh a special cōmendation Vidisti quomodo nō simpliciter neque temere nomina natis indiderit Vocauit eum Simeon quoniam audiuit inquit Dominus See how shee nameth not her children simply nor at aduenture she called him Simeon because saith she the lord hath heard Therfore he saith Igitur nos ne vulgaria nomina pueris indamus neque auorū c. Let not vs therefore giue names vnto our children y ◠are cōmon names or because they were the names of our grandfathers or great grādfathers or of such who haue been famous for their perētage but rather let vs cal thē by y ◠names of such as haue excelled in vertue haue bin most faithful towards God Let thē carrie the names of the Apostles of y e prophets of y e Martirs of such
of al them that speak agaynst vs that touchinge the very substance of religion wee teache nothinge this day but that hath bene taught before by Christ him selfe set abroade by his Apostles continued in the Primitiue Church and maintained by the olde and ancient Doctors And in one or two wordes onely to giue a taste of the same that thereby ye may the better iudge of the rest Wee saye that in the Sacrament after the consecration remaineth the substance nature of bread and wine The same saith S. Augustine S. Chrysostome Theodoretus Gelasius others Gelasius wordes are so plaine as no man can denie them Non desinit esse substantia panis vini There leaueth not to be the substance of bread and wine Thus wrote they and were Catholiques We say that Christes last Supper must be vsed as a communion frequented with more then one So Christ ordeined it so y ◠Apostles the Primitiue Church and all the olde Doctors practised it and neuer was there any of them that euer made mētion of a priuate Masse Thus did they and yet were they Catholiques We say the holy Communion or sacrament of the breaking shedding of the body and blood of Christe ought of necessitie to bee vsed vnder both kindes Thus did all the Doctors vse it And Gelasius an old father saith that otherwise to vse it is open sacriledge And for y ◠space of 1000. yeeres after Christ there can no example be found to the contrary Thus did they and yet were Catholiques We say the publique prayers ought to be in the common tongue that the Bishop of Rome ought not to take vpon him to be the head of the vniuersal Church that the prince is of right by the authority that god hath giuen hym the hiest ruler of his Church and Realme as well of the ecclesiasticall officers as of the temporall And all these thinges bee aduouched confirmed by y e examples of the primatiue Church by the olde general Councels and by the Doctors And the contray here of shall neuer be proued nor by old father or Doctor nor by aucient councel nor by example of y ◠primatiue Church nor by any sufficient authoritie of the Scriptures I leaue the rest for it were an infinite labour to say as much as might be saide Thus they taught thus dyd they were catholikes alas are we sayinge the same onely because we say y e same become heretiques that was once true is it now become false that was once Catholique doctrine is it now at last become heresie O mercifull God was it thy wil y t thy trueth should be true but for a season vntil there should come men to decree the contrary If we be heretiques that teach the same that the olde Doctours of the Church taught what then are they that teach contrary to the Doctours Christ our Sauiour to reproue the Pharises thought it sufficient to say to them Hoc Abraham non fecit This thing Abrahā neuer did Therefore are you not the children of Abraham Euen so may we truely say to such as holde not themselues contented with this doctrine these things that you do Saint Augustine neuer did Saint Hierome neuer did none of the ancient fathers euer did the Apostles in the Catholike primatiue Church neuer did therefore yee are not the children of S. Augustine ye are not the children of S. Hierome ye are not the children of any of the olde catholique doctors ye are not the children of Christes primatiue Catholyke and vuiuersal Church It may not become me to sette order in these thinges yet if it were lawfull I woulde wysh that once agayne as time shoulde serue there might be had a quiet and a sober disputation that eche parte might be required to shew their groundes without selfe wyll and without affection not to mayntayne or breede contention for I trust it should be the way to take away al contention but onely that the trueth may bee knowen many consciences quieted and the right stone tryed by comparison of the counterfaite For at the last disputation that should haue bene you know whiche partie gaue ouer and would not meddle Some will saye the Iudges wyll not be indifferent And alas what man that doubteth his owne matter wyll euer think the Iudges indifferent Let the whole worlde let our our aduersaries them selues bee Iudges heerm affection put apart let our aduersaries themselues be Iudges What can wee offer more if this bee not sufficient what can there be sufficient Pompeius a noble Gentleman of Rome at what time he shoulde goe into the fielde against Caesar that then was his enemie and some of his counsell told him he lacked men and should neuer be able with so small a number to stande in fielde agaynst Caesar beinge well furnished Tushe quoth hee when so euer I shall but beate the ground with my foote I shall by and by rayse vp a swarme of souldiers Afterward it befell that Pompey was vanquished and glad to flee Then Marcus Cato an old gentleman and one of his army sayd to hym O sir remember your promise you lacke men now let vs see your swarme of Souldiers It is wel knowne that it hath bene spoken both in this place and in other lyke that al the Doctours and al the general councels were against vs. Nowe the armie is discomstted nowe they stande in neede of men nowe let them call for their Doctours and Councels if they come but with one sufficient Doctour or Councell they may haue the field I speake not this to boast my self of any learning but the goodnes of the cause maketh me y e holder Neither woulde I haue in this behalfe said so much as I haue sauing that the matter it selfe very necessitie inforced me so to doe Alas it were great pitie that Gods trueth shoulde be defaced w t priuy whisperings It were great pitie that whole houses shoulde be ouerthrowen mēs consciences wounded the people deceiued Gods trueth and the loue thereof pulled from your heartes his woorke blasphemed as if it came from Beelzebub w tout any good ground without any authorytie of the Scripture without any example of the Primatiue Churche without Counsell without any auncient Doctour or father But they haue another kinde of learuynge which because wee haue not therefore they say we are vnlearned For if controuersies might haue bene tryed by learnyng you shoulde neuer haue seene the Masse agayne after it was once downe If there euer come another change as I pray God wee may neuer see nor surely euer shall wee vnlesse our vnkindnesse pull downe Gods plague vppon vs but if a change come suche a one as they looke for you shall see with what argument they wyll proue their Masse We reade that Christ dyd put the Pharises to silence yet afterwarde when their tyme came they sayde We haue a lawe and by our law he must die But Gods name be praysed no persecutions no