teach and as you loue the saluatiē of your soules require you to beleeue that they be signes and figures in deede but such as most assuredly bring vnto the faithfull harte verily and in truth the selfe same things that they signifie so that the faithfull Christian receauer maye assure himselfe that as truely as God is God so truely he receaueth those things which the outward Sacrament doth signifie We ought therefore deerely beloued with humble hartes to giue immortall thankes to the eternall God in our Sauiour Christ Jesus that he hath vouchedsafe so graciously and so mercifully to haue consideration of our infirmitie to helpe our frailtie and as it were to leade vs like children by the hand and appoint vs whether to goe and what to doe and to giue vs those exercises to trade vs to the obedience of his will and confession of his name to marke vs with his badges and cognizances that wee may be knowen to be his to fasten vs together with these linkes of vnitie and Christian concorde and finally to prepare for vs such and so blessed instrumentes to bring vnto vs hys heauenly blessings Herein also we may behold his great wisedome that he would not lay forth vnto vs his spiritual mysteries and promises in wordes onely least they myght slip away and be forgotten but confirmeth and establisheth the same by his deede and seale also as I haue declared that we might the more assuredly embrace them We reade in Histories and see by experience that when men make any Couenaunt or bargayne they either shake handes or vse some other like ceremonie or solemnitie to confirme it In olde time among the heathen they vsed to kill a hogg◠or a pigge c. and to vse at the same certaine protestatious and curses if they stoode not to their couenaunt and league And euerie matter of conueighance we see passeth by deede and seale The Lorde when he made his promise to Abraham willed a Bullocke a Goate and a Weather to bee kylled and the Lorde in forme of a burning lyght passed betweene them by that solemnitie assuring him that whatsoeuer he had promysed should in truth be performed The outwarde Circumcision the Paschall Lambe and all the multitude of Sacrifices of the olde lawe were nothing but seales to confirme the trueth of Gods promise of saluation in the true sacrifice that shoulde come Euen so dealeth Christ with vs in his Sacramentes Those he hath ordayned as his deedes and instrumentes as before I haue mentioned to assure vs of his promyses And so much are his deedes more sure and his promyses more certaine and infallible than any mans can bee as his wyll is more iust to stande to that he hath sayde and his habilitie to performe it greater Nowe for so much as S. Paule in this place maketh comparison betweene the Sacramentes of the olde Lawe and of the Gospell and saith that the Israelites were Baptized in the cloude and in the sea and in Manna dyd eate the same spirituall meate and in the Rocke drinke of the same spirituall drinke that wee doe I thinke it necessarie somewhat to note what difference is betweene theyr Churche and ours and their sacramentes and ours And principally I do this because many through ignoraunce are of that opinion that the saluation of mankinde by Christ was neuer hearde of in the worlde before Christ came in fleshe and that the Iewes had some other meane of saluation than by him and therefore that their sacramentes and ours are nothing like But this errour taketh away from all Christians a passing great comforte that is that Christian Religion and that Meanes of saluatiō is no new thing but hath continued euer since the beginning of the world according as it is said of Christ Agnus qui dccifus est ab origine mundi i. That he is the Lambe which was slaine from the beginning of the world First therefore you must vnderstande and the whole course of the Scriptures teacheth vs that there is but one eternall and immutable GOD of both those Churches I meane of the Iewes before Christ and of christians nowe whome they both dyd worshyppe in spirite and in trueth For Christians must bee farre from that dinelish and wicked heresie of Marcion Valentinian and other whiche taught that there were two Gods one of the Iewes another of the Christians a good God and a badde a GOD that created the worlde and a good God that was Father of Christ Iesu But this detestable heresie hath beene iustly condemned and cast out of the Churche manye hundred yeeres since Secondlye both those Churches haue but one manner of saluation proposed to them in the promyses of GOD that is by the death of Christ the Messias and sonne of God Thys maner of saluation was first deuised by the wysedome of God and layde vp in the secrete closet of his diuine prouidence before the worlde was made So saith Saint Paule Blessed bee God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs with all spiritual blessing in heauenly things in Christ as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the worlde Thys manner of saluation God himselfe first vttered and publyshed in Paradice saying to the Serpent after sinne committed I will sette enmitie betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seede and hir seede and thy seede shall breake his heade c. Here is promysed that one should come of the seede of the womā that should breake the serpentes heade that is vtterly destroye the power of the Diuell and deliuer mankinde from his tyrannie The same promyse was confirmed to Abraham and ratified to all the Patriarches in these wordes In thy seede all the nations of the earth shal be blessed This promyse so much moued faithfull Abraham that as Christ saith he greatly longed in spirite to see the day of Christ and he sawe it and exceedingly reioyced and vndoubtedly so did the other Patriarches and Prophetes as S. Peter beareth witnesse hereof All the Prophetes from Samuel and thenceforth as many as haue spoken haue borne witnes of these dayes What shall I saye of the whole manner of the law ceremonies and Sacramentes but that they were Preachings of that redemption that should be in Christ Iesu It were infinite to giue you examples in al I will note vnto you onely two or three What can bee more euident than the Sacrament of the Passouer That as a Lambe without spot was killed so the immaculate Lambe Christ Iesu should be sacrificed for our deliuerance out of the spiritual Aegypt of the Diuels kingdome where vnder the heauie burdens of sinfull workes wee were holden thrall and in bondage And as the blood of the Lambe sprinkled vppon the poste was a token for the Angell of Gods wrathe to passe that house so as many as by fayth haue the doore postes of their heartes sprinkled with the bloud of Christ the true Lamb that taketh
of Christ and alleaging out of the Psalme the words of God the Father Fortitudines regum disrumpaÌ„ aperiara ante illuÌ„ portas ciuitates non claudentur illi Whereby he noteth that no power of Prince or citie should be able to resist the Gospel of Christ But this conquest of the Gospell was alway by suffering and not by force or resisting as S. Augustine sayth de agone Christi Cap. 12. Ecclesia catholica per totum orbem diffâ—sa magis magisque roborata est non resisteÌ„do sed perfereÌ„do And another Father sayth Sanguis martiruÌ„ semen Euangelij The blood of martirs is the seede of the Gospell And Hieron ad theoph saith Patiendo coÌ„tumelias Christi fundata Ecclefia est persecutionibus creuit martyriis coronata est By suffering all kinde of reprochfull dealing which was giuen forth and doue against Christ the Church of God hath had the more great and large beginninges by persecutions hath it increased and with martyrdome it is crowned In all places haue the Apostles and other Preachers of y e Gospel sound many bitter enimies which being armed as well with publique authoritie as priuate malice greedily desyred sought how to destroy them to confound their doctrine In all places were heard terrible threatninges and proclamations of Emperours the glistering swordes of cruell Tormentours were alwayes in their eyes Imprisonmentes Bondes Fetters Roddes Whippes Rackes and a thousand kindes of cruell tormentes daylye prepared and diuised agaynst them The very name of a Christian was sufficient to bring them to punishmente and death They were accused that they did agaynste the lawes of the Romaines that they spake agaynste their God and olde religions that they were authours of seditions rebellion and all mischiefe And commonly the beginning of all accusations was thus They whiche trouble the whole world are come vnto vs also Yet did the teaching of the Doctrine of our Saluation by the mightie power of Gods spirit breake through and ouercome all these difficulties And the Gospell not onely conquered and vanquished all aduersarie powers but spread it selfe in fewe yeares thorowe the whole worlde As Saint Augustine sayth de Ciuit. dei li. 22. Ligabantur includebantur câ—debantur torquebantur multiplicabantur i. They were bounde they were imprisoned they were whipped they were tormeÌ„ted racked and yet for all this they multiplied and increased The same power of God euen in these latter dayes hath wonderfully shewed it selfe in Furthering his Gospell For when the heauenly doctrine of our saluation in Christ Jesu was so buried in the darkenesse of schoole learning that no man tasted the sweetenesse of it when Gods holye word lay ouerwhelmed in dust and was not read almost of any when the comfortable vse of the sacrameÌ„ts was defaced with wicked superstition Idolatrie when the whole state of religion was turned to an outward shewe of gestures signes and ceremonies When Antechrist in al his pompe sate in the Church of Christ as sayth S. Paule Auaunting himself aboue all that was called God and made Princes and Emperoures to kisse his feete when it was euen death almost to thinke of the restoring of Gods trueh euen then I saye by the ministerye of one simple man at the firste agaynst the clamoures of monkes and Freers against the scorning of the bishops agaynste the power of the Pope against the assistance of temporall princes against al torments by fyre by fagot by sword by imprisonment God hath so published spred his Gospell as now all countreyes of Europe are partakers of it Wherefore they are dul of sence sâ—antly to be accounted good christians which in these latter dayes are so offended with the troubles and dangers that vsuallye followe the Gospell that they doe not in the meane time see and consider how the mighty power of God doth beare rule euen among the middest of his enimies and doth worke safetye for his church and Gospell euen in those common weales and vnder those kings and Princes which are not onelye farre from the faythfull imbracing of his truth but euidentlye shewe themselues to bee the professed aduersaries thereof euen to the vttermoste of their power If any bee of that opinion that hee therefore thinke the Gospell to bee weake and contemptible because it is continually excercised with the crosse of affliction and trouble of the worlde in that his iudgemente hee is greatly deceiued For therein principally it appeareth that it is preserued by some diuine power Neither is it like the vnfortunate state of worldly kingdoms and principalities which seeme to rest vpon the power and policy of men For commonly such doe fall to ruine and decay when they appeare to be settled and in greatest glorye For the truth hereof consider the examples of all the Kingdoms and Empyres that euer were the Asstrians the Persians the Grecians the Romaines c. But contrariwise the Gospell and Kingdome of Christ doth then most prosper and preuayle when all endeuours and powers of Princes are set against it The euident proofe whereof I haue let you vnderstande before as well by example of the primatiue Church as of these latter dayes God doth then most shewe his power when all mans strength and helpe moste fayleth as sayth Tertullian out of the Psalme I will breake the power of Kinges I will open the gates before him and Citties shall not be shut against him There is no wisedome there is no power there is no counsayle agaynste the Lorde Though people frette and fume though Princes rage though they consult and assemble themselues togither yet it shall alwayes be true that followeth He that â—itteth in Heauen shall laugh them to scorne the Lord shall haue them in derision and shall scatter all their deuises and breake all their power For the Gospell is the mighty power of God to saluation to all them that beleeue c. Non me pudet Euangelij I am not ashamed of the Gospell THe Gospell hath many enimies many that cauill at it and find great faults therwith to the end that men shold be ashamed eyther to professe it or after profession to stande constantly in it Firste there are Epicures and godlesse persons that thinke al this whole matter of Faith and Religion for certayne purposes to be deuised and fayned of men and therefore they maruayle at vs that we bee so earnest and carefull therein and offer our selues to so great daunger for it Whatsoeuer is spoken of God of the Deuill of Heauen or of Hell these pleasant companyons deryde and scorne and thinke it of no more weight then a poeticall fable And therefore they grunte with the Pigges of Epicures stie and say Let vs eate let vs drinke and make good cheare for shortly we shall die and after death remaineth no pleasure An other sort of the Aduersaries of the Gospel are the wise politique men of the world and such gouernors
maliciously seeking to supplant one an other Which of you is able to accuse vs that wee pull downe Townes and inclose whole fieldes to feede wylde beastes famish a number of Christian people or that we ioyne house to house lande to land with oppression of the poore as thoughe wee woulde lyue alone vppon the face of the earth Which of you is able to saye that wee wast the treasure of the lande in feedyng three Cankers riotously to consume the same I meane Monstrous Vanitie in Apparell Needelesse pompe in Sumptuous building and Excessiue charge in daintie feeding Which of you is able to say that in all our doings we set not the feare of God before our faces make not his holy word the directioÌ„ of all our deuises Which of you I say is able to accuse vs in any of all these things If all men in all states and conditions bee able with good conscience thus to say Surely this lande is blessed But Heauen and earth seeth and the Lorde knoweth that it is not so in a number yet God forbyd for that number that we should condemne all God hath his in euery state and condition of man Nowe come I to the thirde parte contayned in the second sentence of my Theame Si veritatem dico vobis quare non creditis mihi If I say the truth why doe you not beleeue mee Wherein I promised to let you vnderstande that the doctrine of the Gospell which we haue Preached in this lande by the space of this 20. yeeres and that hath beene confirmed and established by the authoritie of the Prince lawes of this Realme is the onely truth that there is no truth of doctrine but it therfore y t you ought both faythfully without exception to embrace it and constantly wythout reuolting to abyde in it But mee thinketh I heare some say Sir if you coulde resolue vs that it is the trueth whiche you Preache wee would easilye receaue it but wee may iustly doubt of it For ye are but men and such men as carie their blemishes openly in the sight of the world ye may be deceaued and deceaue others As good Clarkes as you and as honest men for any thing wee see teache vs the contrarie and say their doctrine is the truth or at the leastwyse wee may iustly thinke that those great contentions that you make against y t Churche of Rome are but for trifling ceremonies and matters of small weight and importance and therefore that Christian Princes might do verâ—e well to see some order for those matters and to force you to agree for the residue whether you will or no that you may no longer trouble the worlde as you haue done these many yeeres with these needelesse controuersies Surely that they wyll not receaue our doctrine with triall I can not mislike it for S. Iohn in his 1. Epist 4. cap. giueth them the same Counsell Deerely beloued saith he beleeue not euery spirit that speaketh to you but trie the spirites whether they be of God or not for many false Prophetes are come into the world Therefore I would to God all sortes of men but chiefely Princes Counsellers and Magistrates would trie our doctrine by the true touchstone of Gods word as those noble Conuerts of Berrhaea did meÌ„tioned in y â— Act. 17 which came to heare Paules Sermons not of custome and fashion onely But dayly searched the Scriptures whether those things were true that Paule spake or no. If God would moue them so to doe they should easily vnderstand not onely that our doctrine were the truth but also that the controuersie betweene vs and the Church of Rome is not for trifling Ceremonies as they saye or matters of small weight but for the very substaunce of our fayth and ground of all Christian Religion and that there can bee made no more agreement betwene our doctrine and theirs then betweene light and darkenesse truth and error God and Beliall Christ Antichrist which thing it behoueth all Christians and professors of the Gospell deepely to consyder For as before time often I haue sayde in this place so now thinke I the time draweth nigh that Godds iustice for our vnthankefulnesse will pull vs to the tryall of our fayth and therefore it behooueth vs to vnderstande that we contend not for trifles but for matters of principall importance as I mean now to declare vnto you And if som persons shall thinke these poyntes needelesse to be spoken of in this place I humbly craue leaue that for the confyrmation of mine own fayth I may declare vnto you y â— grounds of my conscience that if euer I liue to be tempted to forsake my Lorde God and his truth that this my protestation made in this place may bee a bonde vnto my conscience The rule that I will vse to prooue that our Doctrine is the truth and not that which commeth from Rome shal be the same that the Scripture of God layeth downe by S. Iohn in the place before mentioned where after he hath as you haue heard admonished men to trye the Spirites whether they be of God or no hee addeth these meanes of triall Euery Spirite that confesseth Christ to haue come in flesh is of God and euery spirite that denieth Christ to haue come in flesh is not of God but is the Spirit of Antichrist of whome you haue heard howe hee shoulde come and now already is he in the worlde Nowe that you may vnderstande I go not about to deceaue you with shewe of eloquence and Rhethoricall amplifications and with motions of affections to leade you into erroure earâ— you be ware I will laye open myne argumente vnto you nakedly and barely that you may see euery ioynt thereof and with your selues consyder of what force it ought to bee in any christian coÌ„science And this I say euery spirit that confesseth Christ to haue come in fleshe is of God and teacheth you the truth And euery spirite that denyeth Jesus to haue come in fleshe is not of God but leadeth you into errour and is that spirite of Antichrist But wee and the Preachers of the Gospell in all Godly sence coÌ„fesse Christ to haue come in fleshe and our Aduersaries of Roome doe not therefore we and not they haue brought the truth vnto you The 2. proposition I know wil be denied for both y t parts therof which I wil proue vnto you by this meanes First I will let you vnderstand the causes why christ came in fleshe and what benefites he procured to mankynde by the same Secondly I will shew vnto you what it is to denye Christe to haue come in fleshe The firste of these two shall confirme our truth The seconde shall confound their error As touching the cause why christ came in flesh When sinne had made separation betweene God and man and the exceding great mercy of God was not willing vtterly to cast away man and to rasâ— him
from the face of the earth of his infinite goodnesse and wisedome he deuised the sonne of God the seconde person in Trinitie should descend from Heauen and take flesh of the blessed virgine that so being in one person both very God very man he might be a most fit Mediator to work recoÌ„ciliatioÌ„ betwene God and man The cause therefore why Christe came in flesh was to worke the saluation of mankinde For so saith S. Paule It is a sure saying worthie of all men to be beleeued that Christ came into the world to saue sinners And Christ himselfe sayth that he came to saue that which was lost The generall worke of our redemption hath certayne principall branches whiche are cheefe Articles of oure Fayth and groundes of all Christian religion Firste that he might be the reconciler and attonement maker betweene God and vs as S. Paule witnesseth 2. Cor. 5. All things are of God which reconciled vs vnto himself in Christ Iesus And immediately God was in Christ recoÌ„ciling the world to himselfe And to the Colosâ— It pleased him to reconcile all things vnto himselfe by Christ appeasing by the blood of his Crosse all thinges whiche are either in heauen or in earth God therefore appoynted him for euer to be our high Bishop our Mediator our Aduocate our Intercessor which should coÌ„tinualy appeare before the face of God for vs and make him fauourable to sinners that we might haue accesse to God by him by his intercession and merite obtayne mercy and grace in oure necessities these be the wordes of the scripture And hee is not onely our Mediatour and Aduocate but Our onelye Mediatour and Aduocate One God and one Mediatour of God and man the man Christ Iesus We haue an Aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes It is hee that ascended vp to heauen and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Vt interpellat pro nobis That he may bee an Intercessour for vs. The 2. cause of Christs comming into flesh is that he might be our redeemer from the tyrannye of the Deuill and the purchazer of remission of sinnes The Sonne of god appeared to this ende to dissolue the workes of the Deuill And agayne Yee are redeemed not with golde and siluer but with the blood of the immaculate Lambe Christ Iesus And agayne Beholde the LaÌ„be of god that taketh away the sinnes of the world And S. Paule In whome wee haue redemption and by his blood remission of our sinnes We must not onlye beleeue that he is our Redeemer but our Only Redeemer and the Only Purchazer of the full remission of our sinnes For Non est aliud nomen c. That is There is no other name vnder Heaué wherin we shold be saued but only by the name of Christ Iesus And S. Iohn The blood of christ hath washed vs froÌ„ al sinne And S. Paule He gaue himself for vs. that he might redeme vs froÌ„ all iniquitie The 3. cause of Christes incarnatioÌ„ y â— 2. office of his eternal Priesthood is to offer a ful perfit sacrifice to appease y â— wrath of God to satisfie his iustice y t not according to y â— order of Aaron which by imperfectioÌ„ did nede a Succession but according to y â— order of Melchizedek y â— for euer Thou art a Priest sayth God for euer according to the order of Melchizedek Therefore it cannot bee borne â—â— christian religion that Christ should haue any succession in Priesthood to sacrifyce after him For by one oblation he made perfect all that be sanctified And agayne Christ was once offered for the extinguishing of the sinnes of many And agayne Hauing offered one Sacrifice for sinne he sitteth perpetually at the right hand of God And sundry times else where the Epistle to the Hebrues affirmeth Christ Semel That is to say once to haue sacrificed himselfe The fourth cause of his Incarnation and the thyrde office of his eternall Priesthood is that he might be the only Prophet Maister Teacher and instructer of his people fully to open to them the knowledge of God and the true way of Saluation God sayth Moyses shall raise from among you a Prophet like vnto me him do you heare according to all thinges that he shall say vnto you And God the father himself at the baptizing of Christ did with the visible presence of the holy Ghost consecrate him Maister and teacher of his church which only was to be heard This is my dearely beloued Sonne in whome I am well pleased him doe you heare The same Consecration was confyrmed in the Mounte at the transfiguration of Christ And Esay the Prophet in the 55. chapter or rather God by Esay sayth I haue giuen him as a witnesse vnto people preceptorem Gentibus And a Maister and instructour of all nations And therefore Christ himselfe forbiddeth his Apostles to be called Maisters for sayth hee Ye haue but one Maister which is Christ The fyfte cause of Christ his comming in flesh is that he might be the Lorde of Lordes and King of Kinges the onlye head ruler gouernour and defender of his vniuersall Church ouer al the partes of the worlde according to the Prophecie of Dauid Psal 2. Yet haue I annoynted my King vpon my holy hill of Syon to whome for his inheritance he gaue all the Nations of y â— world and for his possession the vttermost bounds of the earth And the Angell at his Conception sayde He shall raigne in the house of Iacob for euer and there shall be none ende of his kingdome And Ephesians 1. He hath put all thinges vnder his feete and hath appointed him aboue al things head of his Church And Coloss 1. He is the head of his body the Church which is the beginning the first of them that rise from death Vt sit in omnibus primas tenens i. That in all thinges hee might haue the preheminence And Ephe. 5. The Husband is the head of the wife as Christ is head of the Church But the wife may haue no more heades but her husband vnlesse she will be a wedlock breakeâ— and so the Church can haue no other heade But Christ vnlesse she doe in the face of the whole world forsake hir owne Spouse who hath betrothed her to him alone He is the only Sonne whiche alone gouerneth the house of GOD his father In all these Branches I adde this worde Onely because Christ onelye is alone that that he is oure onely Mediatour our onely redeemer and purchazer of remission of Sinnes our onelye high Prieste to sacrifice for vs oure onlye Maister and Teacher that instrueteth vs our onely head and gouernour that guideth and defendeth vs. And herevnto I am mooued not onelye with expresse wordes of the scriptures but also with consideration
of y â— Preachers of the Gospell in it Wherefore vndoubtedly this was no small temptation in those dayes especially in the Citie of Rome which then was Ladie and Empresse of the world stoode much vpon their estimation of wisedome honour thought it reproche for them to admit so base a state of saluatioÌ„ as appeared to be in Christ Jesu But of this very pretily saith S. Hilarie de trinit 5. O stulta muÌ„di sapientia opprobrium Christi non intelligens dei virtuteÌ„ esse stultitiaÌ„ fidei non sentiens esse dei sapientiaÌ„ y t is O foolishnes of the wisdome of this world which seeth not that that which it imagineth to be reproch to Christ is euen the most mightie excellent power of God which also perceiueth not that that which it termeth foolishnesse in the beleefe which is in Christ to be euen the great wisdome of God Wherfore S. Paul armed w t the spirit of God to y e great coÌ„fort of al ChristiaÌ„s saith as I haue read vnto you I am not ashamed of the Gospell c. Whatsoeuer you doe esteeme it to be how reprochfull soeuer the world doth account it although the Epicures do deride it although y â— wise politike worldlings do inueigh agaiust it although y e Jewes be offended although y â— Atheistes scorne it although fantasticall hipocrites do detest it sure I am y â— in it selfe it is y e mightie power of God to saluation of all y â— beleeue faithfully embrace it Howe y â— mightie power of god doth shew it self in subduing y â— enimies of our saluatioÌ„ the good Christian man doth perceiue who hath learned out of the scriptures to how great enimies mans nature was subiect in thraldome Sinne SathaÌ„ hell death and damnation had vs in captiuitie from y e tyranie of al which we are deliuered by Christ Jesu crucified First he ouercame sinne wheÌ„ being y â— sonne of God in y e shape of reprochful maÌ„ as an innocent lambe deseruing no punishment yet suffring most cruel punishmeÌ„t bitter death gaue him selfe a full perfect sacrifice for our sinne And wheÌ„ sinne was by his death passion destroyed death was in y e same victorie disarmed maimed For Sin as S. Paul saith is the sting of death And wheÌ„ death had lost his sting was conquered in Christs resurrectioÌ„ froÌ„ death SataÌ„ also lost his streÌ„gth power which rested only on theÌ„ which therough sin were in dauÌ„ger to death for StipeÌ„diuÌ„ peccati mors The reward of sin is death Finally bicause hell onely deuoureth them y t through sin death are slaues to SathaÌ„ it followeth y t when y e other three were by him so mightily vanquished hell also w t all y â— daunger therof was subdued we deliuered froÌ„ all their tyrannie as y â— reuerend father Zacharie saith Prestitit iusiuranduÌ„ quod iurauit c. The Lord God of Israel hath performed the othe which he sware to our Father AbrahaÌ„ that he would giue vs that we being deliuered c. Now as by his death resurrectieÌ„ he hath mightily conquered our enimies so hath he by his asâ—â—ntioÌ„ gloriously triumphed ouer theÌ„ And therefore S. Paule sayth very wel out of the Psalme Cum ascendisset in altuÌ„ captiuam duxit captiuitateÌ„ c. When he had ascended vp on high he led captiuitie captiue We then may now say triumphantly with S. Paule Oh Death where is thy Sting Oh Hell where is thy Victorie Though Sinne and Death rage neuer so like Tyrauntes though Sathan roare neuer so like a Lyon though Hell gape neuer so greedily sure we are they cannot preuayle againste vs that haue victory ouer them in Christ Jesu It is God that iustifieth who is it then that condemneth it is Christ that died yea or rather which is risen again from death and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father as our perpetuall Intercessour Who then can hurt vs Who can pull vs from the fauour of GOD not Life not Death not Sinne not Hell not Sathan not any power or principalitie They are all in Christe Jesu confounded This is that mightie power of the Gospell that S. Paule sayth doth bring Saluation to all beleeuers and whereof he protesteth that he is not ashamed of it But God did shew his mighty power to saluation of mankinde not only in the price of our redemption it self but also in the publishing and preaching of it by his Apostles Ministers For to it he annexed such force of his holy spirite that it had greater strength and authoritie than all the eloquence than all the Wisedome than all the learning than all the policie and power of the world For notwithstanding that the preaching of the Gospell was resisted by all these worldly giftes and powers yet had it meruailous successe and did wonderfully increase Demosthenes Pericles Cicero for their eloquence Solon Aristides Caro for their wisedome Plato Socrates Aristotle for their learning Alexander Pyrrhus Pompey for their manhood were of power were of great fame and able to do muche in the world But the best of all these had much a doe euen a fewe yeares to keepe their owne Citizens their own countreymen their own subiects in obedience and to cause them to giue place to good and wholesome counsayle and to obey orders prouided for their owne commoditie Yea euery one of them almost to their own confusion proued of how small force their wisedome their eloquence their power was and with the ende of their liues lefte their common weales well neare vtterly decayed and vndone But contrarywise marke I pray you in the Apostles of Christe and consider the maruellous power of Gods working For they hauing as you know their beginning of the Jewes nothing commended or sette foorth with any of those giftes and ornamentes that men so greatly doe esteeme wente foorth into the world preaching the disdayned Gospell of Christ crucified and by the simple doctrine thereof did in fewe yeares for the state of religion change the face of the whole world notwithstanding that the Empyre of Rome other mightie principalities did to the vttermost of their power resist it and the reformation that by the Apostles in this manner was begon continued and spread it selfe mightily and maruellously euen agaynst the assaultes of most cruell and tyrannicall persecutions vnder Nero Domitian Traian Adrian Antony Dioclesian and many mo And vntil such time as by the secrete iudgement of God the power of Antechrist began to spread it selfe against it as well in Asia vnder Mahomet as in Europe vnder the Pope Neuer any Empyre or Kingdome was so largely spread as the Kingdome of the Gospell neuer any principalitie so mightilye proceeded and went forward maugre the malice of all enimies as it hath done And so doth Tertullian witnesse agaynst the Iewes speaking of the Kingdome
teache it to be a cognizaunce or badge of our Religion whereby wee bee separated and distincte from Turkes Jewes and all other Miscreantes and by the vse thereof confesse before God and the worlde that wee are of the number of them that looke to bee saued by the death of Christ And therefore sayeth Saint Paule Yee cannot drinke of the Cuppe of the Lord and of the cuppe of deuils Thirdlye wee teach it to hee a Seale added to the laste wyll of Christ to assure vs of all those legacies that in the same hee hath bequeathed vnto vs and principally that hys bodye was gyuen to death for vs and his blood shedde for the remission of our sinnes Fourthlye wee teache that it is a linke of vnitie among our selues and a spirituall ingraffing of vs into the mysticall bodye of Christ so that as the braunches haue lyfe and mayntenaunce from theyr roote and stocke so haue wee from Christ Lastlye wee teache that it is a spirituall and heauenly Feast and banquet◠wherein the sonne of God Christ Jesu offereth to the faythful hartes of Christians the heauenly foode of hys moste precious body and blood they therein receiue the same effectuallye truely indeede and not in sygne onelye for wee doe from our heartes detest that opinion that Christes body and blood is receaued in the Sacrament onely figuratiuely For S Paul sayth Panis quē frāgimus nonne comunicatio est corporis Christi poculus benedictionis cui benedicimus nonne comunicatio sanguinis eius est i. The breade whiche wee breake is it not the partakyng of the body of Christ and the cuppe of blefsing whiche wee blesse is it not the partaking of the blood of Christ Wee beleeue therfore teach that the faithfull Christians are made partakers of the bodye and blood of Christ indeede and of all the benefites procured vnto mankind by the same And yet wee meane not this carnally and grossely so that the Reall and naturall bodye of Christe vnder the shape of a rounde peece of breade or his blood vnder the forme of Wine entreth into our mouth and descendeth into the naturall partes of our bodye God forbyd As wee say with Christ He that eateth not his bodie nor drinketh hys blood hath no life in him So we say with Cyprian Non acuimus dentes ad mordendum sed panem sanctum fide syncera frangimus i. Wee sharpen not the teeth to byte but wee breake the holy bread with sincere faith And with August we say Quid paras dentcm ventrem crede manducasti i. Why preparest thou thy teeth and thy bellie Beleue thou hast eaten Faith then is y ◠mouth wherby we receiue Christ so digest him into y ◠stomacke of our soules That which Christ did generally vpon the crosse to y ◠whole world y ◠do we thinke to euery man perticularly with no lesse good effect through faith to be applyed in the Lordes Supper So farre bee wee from teaching it to bee a signe or figure onely Let vs nowe continue in the comparison consider how the church of Rome doth vse this sacrament But Lord God what a sea should I enter into if I should take vpō me fully to declare their abuse of this reuerend Mysterie I will not I cannot thys time wil not serue for it yea diuers sermons wil not serue to deliuer it Who knoweth not y ◠this onely matter hath occupyed the tongnes and pennes of all the learned of Europe I will therefore rehearse vnto you onely the titles of the abuses reseruyng the full discourse to some other tymes Christ instituted a Supper or holy Feast they make it a priuate repast In a feast there is both the Feast maker and the guestes but in theyr priuate Masse one supplyeth the person both of the Feast maker and of the guest Christ Instituted a Sacramente of thankesgeuyng as hee sayeth Doe thys in remembraunce of mee They make it a Sacrifice propitiatorie for the quick and for the dead hauing not one syllable of Gods worde for it Christ gaue breade they say there is no breade Christ gaue Wine they saye the substaunce of Wine is cleane vanished awaye Christ said Drinke yee all of thys nay saye they none but Priestes maye drinke of it Christ sayde when hee gaue breade This is my bodye and when he gaue Wyne This is my blood They saye when the aue or the other is gyuen that it is both the bodye and bloud I omitte that they mixed diuers corrupte doctrines and vnfruitful and daungerous Ceremonies I omitte that they made it a common Marchandize to buy soules out of Purgatorie Finally I omitte that they haue made of this heauenly mysterie a perpetuall matter of Idolatrie by leading the people in theyr Eleuations to worshippe the creature in steede of the Creator If I shoulde enter to declare how they haue wrested and wroong the words of Christes Institution it myght seeme to all men that haue the feare of God verye marueilous but this that I haue spoken may suffice Seeyng therfore they haue not the ryghte vse of the Sacramentes accordyng to the Institution of Christ they cannot challenge vnto them the second Note or marke of the true Churche of God but that the same remayneth rather wyth vs then with them Yea wyll some say but they haue one token wherevppon the olde learned Fathers dyd seeme more to stay their consciences than al y ◠residue that you haue spoken of that is Continuall succession of Bishops for y ◠space of 1500. yeeres Irenaeus Tertullian Augustine c. and other when truth was in controuersie heretikes challenged the name of y ◠Church did flie to this as a principall anker whereby to stay them and their doctrine I graunt deerely beloued that it is true in same respect they did so But I praye you who were they agaynst whom they so reasoned Forsooth Marcion Valentinian and other lyke Heretikes which did refuse reiect almost the whole Scriptures both of y ◠olde newe Testament And such few bookes as they admitted they had corrupted by adding chaunging and by pulling out that these learned Fathers were there by forced to appeale to the Succession of the Apostolicall Churches as well for the triall of the auctenticall Scriptures alway frō the Apostles age left among them as also for the iustifying of that doctrine which they taught out of the Scriptures and had bene alway obserued in the same That it was thus Tertul. himselfe witnesseth Ista haeresis sayth he non recipit quasdam scripturas si quas recipit adiectionibus detractionibus ad dispositionem instituti sui interuertit si recipit non recipit integras c. i. This Heresie doth not admitte certain Scriptures and those that it receiueth by additions and detractions it wresteth to her purpose as it receiueth certain so it receueth them not wholly c.
to pretende that cause to bee ashamed of the Gospell I woulde the time woulde nowe suffer mee to giue you a taste of that I haue nowe spoken I should then note vnto you the exceeding contention ambition and briberie that a many of them vsed about the yeere of our Lorde 900. after of whom Platina in the life of Benet 4. saith thus Vbi cum ipsis opibus lasciuire caepit Ecclesia nullo principe coercente clericorum flagitia ipsa peccāds licentia haec monstra peperit à quibus illa fedes per ambitionem largitionem occupata est i. When as the Church through riches began to waxe wanton and that no Prince then corrected the great offences of the clergie euen then did libertie to sinne bring foorthe these monsters who nowe by Ambition and Briberie doe holde that Sea And againe in the lyfe of Siluester 2. Eo tum pontificatus deuenerat vt qui largitione ambitione non dico vitae sanctitate doctrina plus possit is tantummodo bonis reiectis dignitatis gradum obtineret quem morem vtmam nostra tempora non retinerent sed hoc parum est peiorá nisi Deus auertat visuri sumus i. To that state then had the Popedome come that he which by briberie and ambition I doe not say holynesse of lyfe and sounde doctrine myght doe most He onely obtained that place of dignitie those which were good being then reiected whiche manner and custome I woulde to God that our times did not continue still Yet this is but a smal matter and worse things then this shall wee see if God turne them not awaye I shouldem oreouer describe vnto you the outragious cruelty of them that could not be contēted to Depose their aduersaries But to cut of their noses to put out their eies to take thē out of their graues thē to cut off their heads and fingers to cast them as dogges without buriall into y ◠ryuer Tyber To famishe them to death to hang them vp an whole day by the heare of their heades with such other practises more like y ◠successors of Phalaris then of Peter For testimonie of these thinges looke Platina in the lyfe of Stephane 6. Sergius 3. Iohn 14. Boniface 7. Calixte 2. And beside Platina Carsulanus Vincentius and Stella Venetus who among other of that time writeth thus Onis virtus tam in capite quam in membris ex hominum ignauia consumpta est i. All kind of vertue aswell in the head as in the other mēbers is by mens great slouthfulnesse and securitie vtterly consumed and gone I should beside this set out vnto you y ◠wicked detestable Sorcerie Nicromancie and poisoning practized about the yeere of our Lord. 1000. long after by Siluester 2. and a meany of his schollers and successors set forthe by Benno a Cardinall in the life of Hilde Brand after called Gregory 7. Which treatise he that wyll reade shall see suche horrible matter as I am sure no Prophane Historie mentioneth of any Heathen or Pagan that euer was I shoulde declare vnto you the monstrous and vnspeakeable Iniuries wrought vnto moste worthie and Noble Emperours by Gregorie the seuenth Adrian the fourth Gregorie the. 9. Clement the sixth diuers other which are so descriued and painted forth by the Abbot of Vrsperge lyuing about that tyme and by Hier. Marius as it woulde cause their owne friendes to detest them Last of all I shoulde laye open vnto you such a bottomlesse gulfe of couetousnesse and Extortion as all the wealth and treasure of Christendome could neuer to this daye satisfie and content Of which the Abbot of Vrsperge in his Chronicle sayth thus Gaude mater nostra Roma quoniam aperiuntur tibi cataracta thesaurorū in terra vt ad te confluant riui aggeres nūmorum in magna copia Jocundare super adiutrice tua discordia qua erupit de puteo infernalis Abyssi vt accumulentur tibi multa pecuniarum praemia Habes quod sitisti decanta canticum quia per malitiā hominū non per`piam religionem orbem vicisti Bee glad our mother Rome because all the Thesauries of the earthe are opened vvyde vnto thee that to the maye come streames and heapes of money in great and large aboundance Sport thou thy selfe with thy fellow helper discorde whiche hath broken forthe out of the bottomelesse pitte of Hell that there might bee heaped vp vnto thee many rewardes of mony Now hast thou that thou diddest thirst for sing thou out a loude for by the wickednesse of men and not by anye good Religion haste thou ouercome all the whole worlde But the time that is appoynted for mee woulde not be sufficient in this manner onely to recken vp theyr mysdoinges muche lesse at the full to set forthe the examples of them And yet forsooth it is those men and their mayntayners that at this daye doe finde so great faulte with the lyues of them that professe the Gospell and woulde for that cause haue men to be ashamed of it Muche lyke is the quarrell of them that saye the doctrine of the Gospell dothe disquiet common Weales and cause Sedition and ciuill warres This is the complaynte of them commonly that woulde incite Princes and Noble personages and Magistrates to hate the Gospell and to perfecute the Preachers of it And this theyr complaynt doe they amplifye and make lykely by the example of those stirres that haue beene of late yeeres in Germanie in Fraunce in Scotlande in Flaunders in Englande As thoughe forsoothe there had neuer beene rebellion and stirre before the late preaching of the Gospell As though common Weales had neuer bene turmoiled and troubled before thys daye But this Realme of England may be a very good example of the contrarie wherein scantly one king hath passed his raygne without rebellion made by one or other What a troublous Realme was this in the time of king Henry the second when the Wife after other trouble did set vp the Sonne against the father What horrible and grieuous rebellions were their in Henry the thirds raigne whē after the Slaughter of many thousandes the king himselfe was taken prisoner and forced to yeelde to the decrees of his subiectes What shall I say of Edward 2. when by the pride of the Spensers the Qneeue hir selfe warred against hir husband And that I may not continue altogether in examples of rebellion by Noble persons This Citie of London and the Maiors thereof can bee good witnesses what trouble there was raysed in this Realme in the tyme of Kichard the seconde by Iacke Strawe Tom Millarde Watte Tyler and such other iolly persons I passe ouer Henrie the fourthe and the pitifull raygne of Henrie the sixth And euen in the quiet time of Henrie 7. howe manye attemptes of Rebellion were there by the counterfaited Sonne of the Duke of Clarence by Perkin Warbecke and other
defende strengthen and maintaine the same against all assaultes that they may to his glorie performe their worke whereto he hath appoynted them For so our Sauiour Christ willeth vs to cal vpon the Lord of the Haruest that he would send forth plentiful store of labourers to bring in his Haruest The seconde way to beware of false Prophets is a diligent and continual reading of the Scriptures of God which as I haue said before is y ◠rule of true knowledge and right doctrine Herevnto Christ exhorteth when he sayth Search the Scriptures for in them you thinke ye haue eternall lyfe And they are they that testifie of me And the Thessalonians that did heare Paule at Berrhaea dayly searched the Scriptures whether things were so as Paule preached or no. S. Augustine also doth exhort vs to the same by a very apt similitude Euen as a Prince or gouernour in time of peace maketh prouision for armour munition and all warlike furniture that when he is assaulted by his enemies he may not be foūd vnprouided so saith he is it necessary that al good Christians should diligently reade carefully hearken to the teaching of the word of God and out of that storehouse to furnish thē felues with all spirituall furniture against the assaultes of Sathan his instruments whether it be in matter of faith and Religion or behauiour of life For of all the spirituall armor y t S. Paul describeth aboue all things he warneth to haue y t Target of faith the sword of gods holy word By y t weapō only you know y t christ our sauior droue back y t Deuil whē he indeuoured to seduce him by peruerting y t scriptures of God They therefore y t forbid the people to reade y t scriptures do hearken to gods word are to be esteemed no better thā traitors y t take frō the people of God their chief defence to leaue thē open to y t daunger of their enimies Or if men be not able to reade y t scriptures themselues in any wise as they haue care of their soules let thē learne to vnderstand y t generall principles of Christian Religion in their Catechisme that is the .x. Commandemēts the articles of their beliefe y t right vse of the Sacraments the Lordes Prayer And this must they learne not as Parrets to sound the words but to vnderstand the truth of the matter And then surely w t gods assistance may they be easily able to discerne the spirites of the Preacher tollerably to iudge of his doctrine as I could by some particular examples declare vnto you if the time would serue But if men will be take themselues to the Colliars faith that beleeued generally as the Church beleeued and knewe not one word what the church did beleeue or ought to beleeue they shall by such wilfull ignoraunce lay themselues open to false teachers that shall come vnto them in sheepes clothing and seeke nothing but as rauening Wolues to deuour their soules c. ¶ The thirde Sermon vppon this part of the Texte By their fruites shall ye knovv them Mat. 7. 16. THE Churche of Rome and the writers thereof doe interprete these wordes not of the fruites of doctrine as I haue done but of the fruites of godly and honest lyfe and withall challenge to themselues a singular holynesse aboue the Preachers of the Gospell in these dayes Who as they saye discourage men from vertuous exercises of godlye lyfe and in their owne behauiour shew a dissolutenesse and loosenesse of life fo that vice and wickednesse euer since the rysing of thys newe Gospell as they call it hath increased among men And for this cause will they haue vs noted to bee the false Prophetes that Christ willeth men heere to take heede of and say that we are knowne by our euill fruits Wherefore I thinke it most necessarie at this tyme to pull thys Lambes cloathing from them that the worlde or at least such as be not too muche affectionate to them may see how lyttle helpe they haue by this colour eyther for themselues or against vs. Neither doe I thinke that there is any fitter meanes to doe this than to let men vnderstand by the course of their owne histories and other credible writers how great corruption of lyfe and how foule vices haue ben vsually practised not among common persons of the meanest sorte but among the most holy and reuerend fathers of the Churche of Rome the Popes themselues that thereby you may gheasse what state of Religion hath most preuailed wyth them For it can not bee that that place can bee the seate of true Religion and holynesse whiche hath bene alway a sinke of most horrible and foule vices And here I protest vnto you that I will not speake or alleage anye thing of stomacke to aggrauate the matter but as I finde it in trueth layde downe in verie credible histories And first to begynne with the most notable roote of the corruption Simoniacall ambition in aspiring to that exceedyng power whiche this manye yeeres they haue vsurped About the yeere of our Lord. 600. Iohn Patriarke of Constantinople because that Citie was the Royall seate of the East Empyre obtayned of Mauritius the Emperour with intollerable pride to bee vniuersall Byshoppe the head and ruler of al other Against whom Gregorie 1. at y t time Bishop of Rome did write very earnestly reproueth sharply his exceeding ambition saying y t whosoeuer doth so aspire doth shew himself to be the forerunner of Antichrist And he calleth y t name of vniuersall Bishop a new a peruerse a superstitious a prophane a foolishe a proude a wicked name a name of errour a name of singularitie a name of vanitie a name of Hypocrisie a name of blasphemie Notwithstanding Boniface 3. y ◠next Pope of Rome sauing one w t great suite obtained of y t wicked traiterous Emperour Phocas y t he his successors might haue that name Title of vniuersall Byshop and heade of the whole Church This was the first open step of their monstrous exceeding pride ambition which afterward by corruption briberie they continually followed still heaping on wicked practizes euery day more more as their owne histories do witnesse What shall I say of Constantius y t. 2. who being a lay man by exceeding ambition with great broile stirre obtained y ◠Popedome was after depriued cast in prison had his eyes pulled out What shal I say of Formosus y t. 1. which by manifest briberie came to the Bishoprick I wil come to y t time wherin their owne secretaries Platina and Stella Venetus openly cry out on them y t is about the time of Benet the. 4. 900. yeeres after Christ Of which time Stella Venetus sayth Omnis virtus tam in capite quam in membris ex hominū ignauia consumpta est i. All vertue