church least also touching those things that I haue gathered out of their seruice bookes any should imagine them to be such as they themselues should now disclaime I haue sufficiently preuented these obiections in the addition it selfe shewing that the authors by me here traâ—uced had great allowance from the Popes owne vnholines and were of high estimation in their churches and likewise proouing their ancient seruice books in the things here expressed not to differ froÌ„ their new books newly reformed by the couÌ„cil of TreÌ„t neither yet to be any whit in a manner now reuoked Much other the like popish trash I might haue noted out of other the like popish bookes but to avoid tediousnes vnto other I did the more willingly spare my owne paines Thus committing your selues with the successe of these my labours vnto the Lord who worke both in you and in me more perfect hatred of popery and all other errours and more vnfained loue of his truth that we may the better continue therein and be the more plentiful in all the fruits thereof I do louingly take my leaue of you froÌ„ Billerim in Essex the seuenth of March in the yeere of our Lord according to the coÌ„putation of the church of England 1597. almost nowe ended Yours in the Lord vnfainedly Thomas Stoughton The generall summe of all all things comprehended in this treatise following The reasons why this worke was taken in hand and the state of this cause beeing first breefly declared then followe these generall arguments against popery and for our religion 1 All true religion and acceptable to God is wrought in the hearts of men by the ministerie of God his word conteiued in holy scripture Popery is not wrought by the ministerie of that worde in as much as where that word is most plentifully sincerely taught there popery most falleth and where that word is wanting there popery most abounde as also because papists will neither voluntarily come nor by authority be drawne either to the preaching or reading thereof in our Churches neither doe delight in the priuate reading thereof at home ergo Popery is not true religion c. 2 All true religion is vpheld and maintained by good and lawefull meanes needing no euill vnlavvefull meanes to vphold it But popery is vpheld and maintained by all vnlawfull meanes as by force and violence by fire and fagot corrupting adding vnto and diminishing the text of scriptures by false alleadging the authorities of men by clipping and mangling the works of the auncient fathers both in citing their testimonies and also in printing of the bookes themselues by authority of the popish church by lying miracles and such other indirect meanes ergo c. 3 The subiect matter of true religion is contained in the written word of God The subiect mat of poperie is not comprised in that written worde of God but is directly contrarie therevnto in all the principall points thereof ergo c. 4 The forme of true religion is also comprehended in the canonicall Scripture The forme of poperis is not there comprehended but is altogether diuers from the forme of God his worship in that word prescribed yea rather poperie hath in a manner no worship of God at all ergo 5 All true religion referreth all things to God his glorie Poperie referreth not all things to God his glorie but so aduanceth the Pope saints and man himselfe that it spoileth God of all his glorie ergo 6 True religion bringeth forth obedience to the â—orall law of God contained in the tenne commandements Poperie and not Papists onely baingeth forth no such obedience but transgresseth euery one of these commaundements and that in the highest degree ergo 7 True religion worketh true ioy and sound comfort in euery heart where it taketh true place as certifying she same both of the present fauour of God and also of the continuance thereof Poperie worketh no such ioy and comfort as the which depriueth men of the Scriptures whereby their eyes are to be opened and their mindes instructed in true wisdome as the which teacheth likewise that it is presumption for a man to say that he is perswaded of God his fauour and of his owne saluation and wherein no man euer knoweth whither he receiueth the true sacrament or not ergo 8 All true religion is wise as he that is the author thereof Poperie is not wise but most foolish and ridiculous grossely worshipping many homely relikes absurdly baptizing bells and Churches c. and without all wit and reason much more without diuinitie citing condemning and excommunicating them that are dead ergo 9 All true religion is vnsauorie and vnpleasant to the nature of man But poperie is most pleasant thereunto because it teacheth men not to take any paines in the scriptures yea forbiddeth all such paines because it affirmeth that the worke done is sufficient howsoeuer it be done and that therefore men neede not to be carefull about their hearts because also it commendeth especially the commandements of men giuing all libertie vnto men from the commaundements of God and teaching that what good soeuer is neglected or what euill soeuer is by any committed yet by confession of all this with the mouth by a little voluntarie afflicting of the bodie and especially by a peece of money a man may haue forgiuenes of all ergo The contrarie of all the former arguments is prooued of our religion from whence it follovveth that it is true and acceptable vnto God 10 Both the former conclusions the one against poperie the other for our religion are prooued by actuall testimonies of God These are shewed to be 1 The gifts of God promised to the latter times for the commendation of the Gospel 2 The works of God The gifts of God are shewed to haue beene 1 Excedingly decaied and almost dead and buried in the chiefe times of poperie 2 Repaired reuiued raised vp and greatly to haue flourished c. at the breaking forth of our religion out of the darknes of poperie The works of Godare either single against poperie against our religion or mixt both against poperie and for our religion All these former arguments beeing plentifully handled then followeth the conclusion wherein are exemplified the manifold vse of the whole treatise Concerning them which are of our religion all generally vveake and strong more particularly great persons and those also either generally all or specially Dauids Worthies not ofour religion Atheists and all of no religion Papists 1 weake erring onely of ignorance 2 obstinate and wilfull A GENERAL TREATISE AGAINST POPERIE AND IN DEFENCE OF the religion by publike authoritie professed in England and in other Churches reformed THE PREFACE IT cannot be denied but that many excellent learned and godly men haue both plentifully and soundly and also profitably and fruitfully written most worthie treatises for confutation of all particular points of poperie and like wise for confirmation of all particular points of our religion In this
treatise also the mysterie of iniquitie in poperie is so fully discouered and the truth of our religion from point to point particularly so euidently declared that all men of any iudgement exercised in those treatises may easily see both the one the other yea many haue seene doe see both the one the other Notwithstanding as many haue seene doe see it so also Satan the god of this world doth stil detaine many in their former blindnes and ignorance Yea the nearer that his kingdome is to an ende the more diligently he goeth about like a roaring lyon seeking still whome he may deuoure Therefore he ceaseth not by his chiefe instrument the man of sinne and child of perdition I meane the Bishop and Pope of Rome continually to send forth into all corners of the realme swarmes of Iesuits and Seminarie priests as to harden those in poperie that haue not yet renounced that profession so also to infect other there with that are either of no religion or that hauing embraced ours are not yet sufficiently setled and grounded therein And truly both waies he doth the more preuaile partly because many haue not abilitie to buie the bookes of particular controuersies betwixt vs and the Papists they beeing some what costly partly because they haue no leisure to read them beeing many and large and partly because they haue no iudgement to conceiue of them beeing matters of learning and learnedly handled Where he cannot effect that which he would for the hardening of men in poperie or drawing them to poperie there he goeth another waie to worke either corrupting them with some other heresie or making them altogether profane and working in them a contempt of all religion Because all is one to him whether men be Papists or other heretikes or of no religion at all 2 Thus therefore seeing true religion euery where to decay the kingdome of Satan more and more daily to be enlarged partly by poperie partly by other heresies and partly by profanenes and contempt of all religion I haue thought good an other waie to trie the conuersion both of the ignorant Papists that are yet perswaded their religion to be sound and true and that wherein they please God and also of other heretikes and profane persons themselues if it be possible and likewise the confirmation and strengthening of such as professing our religion in shewe are notwithstanding vnstaied and wauering and therefore readie to be drawne any other waie To all these therefore I doe here offer these generall arguments following in defence of our religion and against poperie so briefly and plainely set downe that euen all that are not able to goe to the price of bookes of particular controuersies or that cannot intende the reading of them to waigh and conceiue them may yet generally see the truth of our religion and the falshood of poperie and seeing these things may likewise more seriously consider of our religion and contrarily of the most daungerous fearefull and wretched estate of all Papists and likewise of all other that are not as yet of our religion that so the one sort may not forsake our holy fellowship and the other may ioyne with vs and that both ioyned together in one truth may zealously professe it bringing forth plentifull fruits thereof Neither would I haue men wholly to content them-selues with these generall reasons neglecting particular treatises of particular controuersies but rather by this treatise to be the more encouraged to the reading of the other and to be made the fitter and euery waie the more able to iudge of them 3 That all men may the better see my meaning in this whole treatise and know the state of the whole cause by our religion I doe here vnderstand the religion now established publikely by publike authoritie professed in England and such other Churches as haue iustly forsaken Rome and are in good measure well reformed according to the word of God contained in holy Scripture To speake more plainly I meane by our religion that substance doctrine of faith wherein we dissent from the Church of Rome and doe all of vs consent among our selues both we with those other Churches and those other Churches with vs in this land By poperie like wise I vnderstand all that doctrine of the church of Rome which differeth and dissenteth from this our religion the doctrine held and professed publikely here in England other Churches in like manner reformed In this treatise therefore I doe vndertake by plaine and euident argumēts fit for the capacitie of all sorts both poore and rich both learned vnlearned though they can read or vnderstand onely the english tongue to prooue that this our religion is of God and that which God as touching the substance and doctrine thereof doth well accept and like of and contrarily by like arguments as plainely to shew that poperie is not of God and therefore also not in any account with him but abominable and detestable in in his sight THE FIRST ARGVMENT TOVCHING THE breeding and begetting of true religion THVS hauing declared both the reasons that moued me to this work and likewise the state of the whole cause hādled herein I will now enter into the arguments thēselues Here therefore first of al let vs consider the chiefe and principall meanes whereby both that religion that is of God and acceptable vnto God is at the first begunne and framed and afterward further built and perfected in them that atteine vnto it and also of the like meanes whereby poperie is at the first hatched and afterward brooded further strengthoned Touching the former it is most certaine that it is alwayes begunne by the word of God For the Apostle S. Paule expressly teacheth vs. Rom. 10. 17. That faith is by hearing the word of god preached S. Iames also chap. 1. 18. saith that we are begotten againe by the word of truth Our Sauiour likewise in the parable of the seede Matth. 13. plainely sheweth that that onely is good ground into the which the seede of god his word falling bringeth forth good fruite and so likewise that that onely is to be accounted good fruite which springeth from the seede of the word As the word of god is the only ordinary meanes whereby faith and regeneration are begunne in euerie man whome God will haue to be saued so also it is the especiall meanes whereby they are to be further built till they be finished S. Peter exhorteth the Christians to whome he wrote that as they were allreadie borne a new by the word of God 1. Pet. 1. 23. So also as new borne babes they should desire the sincere milke of the word that they might grow thereby chap. 2. verse 2. Saint Paule likewise hauing first exhorted the Thessalonians not to quench the spirit which they had receiued that is to cherish the spirite meaning the worke of faith regeneration wrought by the spirit a Metonymy of the cause
in a traunce wherein shee did straungly alter her coūtenance with the other partes of her bodie and spake manie things in commendation of Idolatrie pilgrimage and other like points of popery and likewise in derogation of the Gospell in disallowance of King Henrie his diuorce from the Ladie Katherine the late wife of his elder brother Prince Arthur threatning as it were by way of prophecying that if he proceeded therein he should not be king one moneth after This knauerie beeing found out both shee and her abettors namely certen Munks Fryers Priests were executed for it See the booke of Martyres printed 1583. p. 1054. And other histories thereof The like is reported in the same booke p. 1291. out of the ninth booke of Sleydan his commentaries of certaine fryers of Orleance in Fraunce who because the Maiors wife of the citie vpon her death bed had desired her husband that shee might be buried without the solemnities then commonlie vsed at the funeralls of such persons whereby their noses were wiped of a great part of their accustomed gaine caused a boye in the time of their night seruice to make a straunge noyse in one of the vaults of the church where shee was buried as if he had been a spirit This boyish spirit or spirituall boye thus inspired by the deuill and the fryers and coniured like wise after their popish and deuelish manner hauing signified that he was a dumb spirit by signes also shewed that he was the soule of the said Maiors wife before buried now condemned in hell for the heresie of Martin Luther This frierlie prancke being found out the fryers by authority of the King were committed to prison where they continued a long time before they were released Let the reader see this more largelie in the booke of Martirs Sleidan his commentaries As these and such like meanes continuallie applied to shore vp popery do shew the rottēnes thereof so our religion continuing and standing right notwithstanding manie stormes and tempests against it doth shew it selfe to be sound and vpholden by him onely whose power none is able to resist But of this more shall be spoken afterward vpon other occasion THE THIRD ARGVMENT TOVCHING THE SVB iect matter of true religion AS these meanes hitherto spoken of doe mightelie speake against poperie and teach the verie simplest that are that it is not of God so also doth the matter substāce of popery speake as much For it is partly directlie contratie vnto and partlie farre differing from the matter and substance of that religion which God himselfe hath commended in his Scriptures and the which no mā can denie to be acceptable vnto god This is manifest first of all because that religion which the Scriptures commend is true knowledge of God of Christ Iesus of the truth The Lord saith by the Prophet Ose I desire mercie and not sacrifice and the knowledge of god more then burnt offrings Ose 6. 6. Oftentimes also the Lord reproueth and complaineth of the ignorance want of knowledge in his people as the cause of all euills both which they committed also which came vpō them as Ier. 9. 3. and in many other places S. Peter also saith in the name of all the Apostles We beleeue and know that thou art the Christ the Sonne of the liuing God Ioh. 6. 69. Our Sauiour Christ saith This is life eternall that they knovve thee to be the onely very God and him whome thou hast sent Jesus Christ Ioh. 17. 3. He like wise promiseth the knowledge of the truth to all his true disciples Ioh. 8. 32. The Apostle saith God will haue all men to be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth 1. Tim. 2. 4. And againe he describeth faith to be the knowledge of the truth according to godlines Tit. 1. 1. He forbiddeth also the Corinthians not to be children in vnderstanding 1. Cor. 14. 20. The Ephesians also not to be vnwise but to vnderstand what the will of the Lord is Eph. 5. 17. Finally the Apostle S. Peter biddeth the Christians to whome he wrote to ioyne vertue with faith and with vertue knowledge 2. Pet. 1. 5. By these and many other the like places we see that the Scriptures commend knowledge as the first matter of faith and religion We see also what knowledge they doe commend namely of God of Christ of the truth according to godlines of the will of God of the Scriptures themselues and that to all sorts of men Now what shall we saie is the matter of Poperie Truly to speake according to the nature of things poperie hath indeede no matter at all but is a meere vacuitie or emptines for the most part For may it be saide that poperie is knowledge and that of these things No certenly but it is a principle of poperie that ignorance is the mother of deuotion Therefore the whole popish Church generally condemneth all knowledge of God and of the scriptures in the common people prohibiting them the vse of any part of the scriptures as we haue heard before and teaching and commaunding them onely to beleeue as the Church beleeueth This they saie is sufficient faith and sufficient religion And indeede touching deuotion to their religion they speake most truly For no man will haue any deuotion vnto it that knowerh ought of God in the scriptures But to beleeue as the Church that is as their Church beleeueth is neither true faith nor the shadow of true faith but rather of faith in the deuills The most part also of them when they teach this faith haue it not but can onely say that they haue it and that they doe beleeue as the Church beleeueth The most I saie doe onely saie that they doe so beleeue They doe not in deede beleeue as the Church beleeueth For how can they sith they knowe not what the Church beleeueth Yet are their bare words taken allowed for currant good lawfull faith of Rome I graunt with griefe that many amongst vs know not the principles of our religion yet no man alloweth such ignorance but euery godly man condemneth it and is grieued for it But be it that they did in deede beleeue as their Romish Church beleeueth and that they knew as much as the best Doctour and all their Romish Doctours know touching their religion yet this is not ynough For now to enter into the particular matter of their religiō First the Scripture teacheth vs oftētimes that there is but one God one Lord one Mediatour betweene God man Christ Iesus but poperie teacheth that there are many gods many mediatours For doth it not cōmunicate the peculiar properties of God the vbiquitie or vniuersall presence and such like vnto the body of Christ and doe they not so make an other god thereof doe they not attribute the doing thereof to seuerall saints for seuerall countries diseases and other seuerall affaires which is onely proper to God whereby they make so many seuerall
also to our profession yet doth not our religion maintaine and allow them in their sinnes but contrarily it condemneth such hypocrites and teacheth that their iudgement in the latter daie shall be greater then the iudgement of Papists and the heathen themselues for the same sinnes But as for the like amongst O ye you Papists you religion it selfe and the head and pillars of your Church doe allow approoue and iustifie them yea also commend some of these manifest transgressions of God his laws as excellent vertues and such as whereby the transgressours shall merit heauen THE SEAVENTH ARGVMENT touching one necessarie effect or fruit of true religion which is true ioy and sound comfort of heart I Might adde many other effects and fruits of poperie whereby more plentifully to prooue it not to be of God but because I haue written much alreadie and yet haue diuers other arguments of as good moment as the former remaining I will adde one fruit more or at the least one fruit which that religion that is commended in the Scriptures doth alwaies bring forth but beeing not to be found vpon the whole tree of poperie doth therefore prooue the same neuer to be planted or grafted by the Lord. This fruit is the great ioy and sound comfort of conscience that alwaies groweth vpon the religion commended in the scriptures The statutes of the Lord saith Dauid are right and reioyce the heart Psal 19. 8. They are also sweeter then honie or the honie combe v. 10. He saith also that the promise of God had beene his comfort in his trouble and had quickned him psal 119. 50. and that he remembred the ancient iudgements of God and so was comforted v. 52. and againe v. 92. that except the law of God had beene his delight he should haue perished in his affliction S. Peter also ioyneth these two religions together beleeuing in him whome we see not and reioycing with ioy vnspeakable and glorious 1. Pet. 1. 8. And indeede how can this religion be without such ioy and comfort For it teacheth that the sinnes of such as doe beleeue according to the scriptures are forgiuen Matth. 9. 2. that they are iustified and haue peace with God Rom. 5. 1. that they shall neuer be cast awaie Joh. 6. 37. but raised vp at the latter daie v. 44. that they are in the hands of Christ and that no man shall take them out but that they shall certenly haue eternall life Ioh. 10. 28. which eternal life is kept for them in heauen as likewise they are kept for it in earth not by men or angels but by the mightie power of God 1. Pet. 1 4 and 5. that they are translated from death to life 1. Ioh. 3. 14. and are of the truth and doe as certenly know themselues to be of the truth and that therfore they shall before him assure their hearts as God himselfe greater then their hearts knoweth all things v. 19 and 20. that they are borne of God 1. Ioh. 4. 7. and therefore are the children of God and heyres of God and coheyres with Christ Rom. 8. 17. and that nothing shall separate them from the loue of God v. 38. that they are so built vpon a rocke that no stormes or tempests shall ouerthrow them Math. 7. 25. but stand fast for euer like vnto mount Zion psal 125. 1. that they may no more doubt that God will forget the worke and labour of their loue then they may doubt of the righteousnesse of God himselfe Heb. 6. 10. not in respect of their works but in respect of his promise 1. Ioh. 2. 25. and the price wherewith they are bought by Christ Iesus 1. Cor. 7. 23. and 1. Pet. 1. 9. and of the earnest of their inheritance euen the spirit Eph. 1. 14. and of the continuall intercession of Christ for them at the right hand of God his father Rom. 8. 34. These and such like things doth the Scripture assure all them of that by the fruits of a true faith and religion both inward and outward know that they haue true faith and religion How therefore can they be heauie yea how can they not reioyce with ioy vnspeakable and glorious 2 But what ioy and comfort can there be in poperie doth not poperie denie the first foundation of sound comfort namely the doctrine of particular election whereby a man is taught that God loued him and predestinated him to eternall saluation before the world was made doth not poperie take awaie the word of God that giueth wisdome to the simple sight to the blinde light to them that sit in darknes and life to them that are dead in their sinnes and doth it not therefore leaue men foolish and blinde in darknes and in death it selfe Can there be any comfort in such an estate Doth not poperie teach that saluation is to be had partly yea chiefely by our owne works and merits And who knoweth when he hath wrought and merited enough Doth not poperie teach that the efficacie of the sacrament dependeth vpon the intention of the priest Who knoweth the intention of any man his heart but his owne 1. Cor. 2. 11. who therefore knoweth when he receiueth the sacrament and when he doth not Doth not poperie teach that it is presumption for any man to saie that he is certen and sure of the fauour of God and his continuance therein and of his saluation What sound and certen comfort can there be without assurance of these things 3 I graunt that the Papists reioyce and are merrie as other wicked men reioyce and are merrie But such ioy is fleshly superficiall and vncertaine the ground thereof beeing not in God but in themselues in Saints in reliques of Saints in the bloode of Martyrs in the pardon and indulgences of the Pope and such like sandie stuffe and therefore not certaine The ioy of the Papists is like the ioy of the Israelites at the making and worshipping of the calfe Exod. 32. 6 17 18 and 19. The ioye of the Papists is the ioye of Nabal in his great feast 1. Sam. 25. 36. The ioye of the Papists is like the ioye of Belshazzar when he made the great feast to a thousand of his Princes and dranke wine before the thousand commaunding the holy vessells of the Temple of the Lord to be brought forth vnto that feast and polluting them at his pleasure Dan. 5. 1. Euen such I saie and no other is the ioye of the Papists before their Calfe that is before their innumerable idols and grauen images and at their solemne feastes which they dedicate to the honour and worshippe of them and of their Saints 4 Contrariwise our religion teacheth all these thinges which before wee heard to be taught in the Scriptures it teacheth men to applie them to themselues and by them to assure themselues of God his loue and fauour as certenly as if the angel Gabriel were sent to thē as he was to the Virgin Marie euen to speake to them
it well beseemeth the wisdome of God sith it is altogether vnsauorie and vnpleasant vnto the naturall man sith from the breaking thereof through the Sodomiticall and Egyptiacall darknesse of poperie it hath most brightly shined in those gifts of God his spirit which were vniuersally and almost wholly eclipsed when poperie was spread ouer the face of the earth sith God hath auenged the hatred thereof vpon the heads of the Papists that especially hated it sith God hath mightily vpheld blessed and prospered such persons and places as haue most boldly and constantly professed and embraced it finally since God hath openly pleaded the cause thereof against such as haue oppugned it miraculously preseruing the professours thereof so oppugned by their aduersaries fearefully confounding the aduersaries I doe therefore againe conclude in behalfe of our religion that it is of God and acceptable vnto him The generall arguments vsed by the Papists for defence of poperie drawne from antiquitie vniuersalitie and vnitie are now stale yea battered in peeces by those that haue often substantially and plentifully confuted them Therefore I meane not to encrease this treatise and so to make further worke for the reader by setting downe any answer vnto them THE FIRST VSE CONCERning generally all of our religion both weake and strong THese things now written and whereby I haue prooued the falshood of poperie and likewise shewed the truth of our religion I wish profitable vnto all both to those that professe themselues of our religion and also to those that neither are nor professe themselues to be Of those that professe themselues to be of our religion some are faint weake and wauering others are strong and well grounded or at the least such as haue neuer doubted our religion to be of God The first sort I doe now wish to be as the second that is by these things that now I haue written so confirmed and established in the loue liking and constant profession of our religion so keeping as it were by force against all force whereby they shall be assaulted this profession of their hope Hebr. 10. 23. without wauering that hereafter they be neuer carried about with diuers and strange doctrines Hebr. 13. 9. yea both these sorts of professours of our religion I wish to be much stronger in this profession assuring themselues that so long as this religion abideth in them so long they themselues shall continue in the sonne and in the father Hebr. 2. 24. and so long as they walke according to this religion so long they walke with God as Enoch did Gen. 5. 22. But forasmuch as our religion is of God and acceptable vnto him therefore they that fall away from it doe also depart from the liuing God and fall away from the grace of the same God Hebr. 3. 12. and 12. 15. and then doth there remaine no more sacrifice for sinnes but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and violent fire which shall deuoure the aduersaries Heb. 10. 26 27. Let no man therefore that hath giuen his name to our religion deceiue himselfe neither suffer himselfe to be deceiued by any other either Papist or Atheist or of any other sect or heresie for surely it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God Heb. 10. 31. it had beene better for such neuer to haue knowne the way of righteousnes then after they haue knowne it to turne from the holy commaÌ„dements giuen vnto them 2. Pet. 2. 21. for the ende of such men shall be worse then the beginning 2 Neither would I haue this to be vnderstood onely of the soundnes and constancie of iudgement in our religion but also of the continuall abounding in the workes of the Lord 1. Cor. 15. 58. and the prouoking of our selues more and more to all loue and good workes Heb. 10. 24. such as our religion commendeth the despising whereof is the despising of God his commandements and the doing whereof is obedience not vnto man but vnto God himselfe Further I wish this that I haue written against poperie and for our religion may so confirme and strengthen all professours of our religion therein that if any of them haue wife or other friends yet remaining Papists they would praie more often and earnestly and euery other way by themselues and by other perhaps better able then themselues labour more diligently the conuersion of them then euer they haue done How doe all louing husbands and friends labour the health of their wiues or other friends beeing but bodily sicke the daunger whereof is nothing but this present death O then howe much more ought such husbands and friends to labour the recouerie of their wiues or other friends out of poperie a most grieuous sicknes of the soule the daunger whereof is eternall condemnation both of bodie and soule The like may be said touching those that are sicke of any errours or heresies contrarie or not agreeing to our religion as likewise of Atheists and such as are of no religion THE SECOND VSE CONCERning all great persons of our religion AS I wish this good generally to all of our religion so more especially such as are in any speciall place of honour and authoritie in church or common weale by such special place are able to doe some speciall good for the aduancemeÌ„t of our religion and the helping and countenancing the professours thereof as also for the weakning and repressing of poperie atheisme and such like such I say as are in any such special place I wish yea as it were vpoÌ„ my knees most humbly beseech and yet also boldly exhort in the name of this God whose religion I haue iustified vnto them all such I say againe I doe beseech and exhort to be of all Christian courage and boldnes for speaking and doing whatsoeuer lieth in them whereby to promote this religion and comfort and countenance the professours thereof To omit the famous and most worthie examples of many most zealous kings of Iuda of Ester a Queene by marriage yet as touching authoritie but as it were a ladie of honour of Iehoida likewise and Iâ—hoshua high priests of Ezra a scribe or inferiour priest to omit I say these and many other the like examples of zeale let them onely consider how boldly Ioseph an honourable counseller of Arimathea went vnto Pilate but an heathen deputie of an heathen Emperour and begged the bodie of Christ beeing dead that he might honourably burie the same Mark 15. 43. If he were so bold for the honouring of Christ as to goe to an heathen man how much more boldly ought men to goe to Christian Princes in causes wherby Christ Iesus and his gospel may haue any honour If he feared nothing wherein all likelihoode much was to be feared what shal be said of them that feare where there is no feare If he made no bones to speake for Christ to one that had before condemned Christ why should any sticke at speaking likewise for Christ to such
20. the which was so fully executed by Iehu according to the word of the Lord that they paid most deerely for Naboth his vineyard 2. King 9. 27 33. 10. 6. Though Ioash king of Iuda committed many sinnes after the death of good Iehoiada the high priest yet his putting to death of the Prophet Zechariah the sonne of the same Iehoiada is onely mentioned as the chiefe cause why his owne seruants conspired against him and murthered him 2. Chron. 24. 25. Though Haman had not fully effected his bloodie purpose against Mordecai and the other Iewes yet we know that the same measure by the righteous iudgement of God was measured vnto him that he had onely intended to haue measured vnto Mordecai Est 7. 10. 3 Here especially let vs remember how God dealt with the Amalekites onely for withstanding the Israelites as they came out of the land of Egypt Exod. 17. 8. First although the Lord did discomfort them before the Israelites at the praier of Moses whē they first came out against Israel yet did not the Lord satisfie himselfe with their ouerthrow of that daie but presently he spake further against them vnto Moses vers 14. saying Write for a remembrance in the booke and rehearse it to Ioshua for I will vtterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from vnder heauen and again v. 16. The Lord hath sworn that he will haue warre with Amalek from generation to generation Afterward also the Lord opened the mouth of Balaam whome Balak sent for to curse Israel the Lord I saie opened his mouth with a curse of destruction against the Amalekites Nomb. 24. 20. Yea but perhaps these were but words Words indeede they were but yet afterward when that generation of the Amalekites which then liued and foure other at the least were dead and rotten those words were fulfilled For as long after this as before we heard that God remembred the kindnes of the Kenites for their good the same God also remembred that sinne of the Amalekites to their ouerthrow For he sendeth Samuel with this mandate and commission to Saul against Amalek 1. Sam. 15. 2. I remember what Amalek did to Israel how they laide waite for them in the way as they came vp from Egypt now therefore goe and smite Amalek and destroy all that pertaineth vnto them and haue no compassion on them but stay both man and woman both infant and suckling both oxe and sheepe both camell and asse This was foure hundred yeares after the former sinne committed A man therefore would haue thought that God had not nowe any more thought vpon it for all his former note of remembrance But the Lord remembereth when men forget and thinke also all to be forgotten Yea the Lord did so remember this sinne and doth so remember other the like sinnes as that if he forbeare the punishment for a time yet at the last he commeth in also for arrearages For in the former commission giuen to Saul we see with what seueritie the Lord will haue Saul to proceede against the Amalekites Yea afterward in the same chapter when Saul had beene too remisse in the execution of that commission the Lord raised vp Samuel to doe or see that to be done against Agag the king of Amalek that Saul had neglected 4 If therefore there shall be any such Papists or Atheists as by no meanes will be reclaimed and drawne to our religion in this treatise commended and prooued to be of God and acceptable vnto him yet at the least let them take heede and beware of speaking the least word and doing the least deede against it or against any that loue and maintaine the same for louing and maintaining thereof Let them not flatter themselues God is the same now that euer he was And the more himselfe hath spoken or done for commendation and iustifying this religion the more that others raised vp and also directed by him haue spoken written or done in the same behalfe the greater shall be the iudgement in the ende of all such as shall not regard the same 5 Now the successe of all that I haue written in this cause I commit to him that is onely able to giue a blessing thereunto The Lord therefore make vs all that doe alreadie professe this religion thankfull vnto him for that he hath in his abundant mercie vouchsafed vs the glorious light the rich benefit and the sweete comfort thereof The Lord confirme and strengthen vs to continue therein vnto the ende The Lord enrich vs more and more daily with the faith knowledge loue and feare of God with the righteousnes mercie and all other vertues touching God or men that it commendeth The Lord fill the hearts of all great persons with more zeale to speake and doe more for the aduancing it especially any speciall opportunitie beeing offered The Lord thereunto animate incourage and inable all his owne Worthies to defend it against all aduersaries thereunto with all honourable successe The Lord preserue aduance and honour them that haue aduanced and honoured it Especially O Lord preserue aduance and honour thy seruant our dread Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth yea O Lord as thou hast set her higher then all other in her kingdomes so stil magnifie thy mercy towards this Church and other Churches which as it were sucke of her breasts that neuer gaue suck in making her elder then any of her owne people especially then any of thine and he◠aduersaries The Lord open both the eyes of such as haue not regarded our religion to see the glorie of it and also their hearts to embrace it Finally touching such as be incurable the Lord restraine them from doing that to the hindrance thereof which Satan by them endeauoureth and in the ende doe with them and to them that which shall be right in his owne eyes Amen AN ADDITION OF CERTAINE DAINties of Poperie collected partly out of their popish seruice bookes and partly out of the writings of some princi pall Doctours of speciall account in the popish church when poperie it selfe was at the highest HAuing in my former generall treatise against poperie and in defence of our religion charged poperie to be a religion maintained and vpheld by vnlawfull means and whereof both matter and forme are contrarie to that religion which the Scriptures commend to be acceptable vnto God yea to be a religion maintaining open blasphemies against God and Christ Iesus and wherein there is scarse any worship of God at all Hauing also charged it to be a religion wherein nothing is done to God his glorie but all things almost referred to the glorie of the Pope of Saints of the woodden stonie golden or painted crosse c. of reliques of saints of men c. Hauing affirmed it to be a religion that teacheth no obedience to the ten commandements of almightie God but that alloweth disobedience vnto euery one of them and that therefore it is a religion altogether licentious loose and full of carnall
A GENERALL TREATISE AGAINST POPERIE AND IN DEFENCE OF THE RELIGION BY PVBLIKE AVTHORITIE PROFESSED IN ENGLAND AND OTHER CHVRCHES REFORMED VVherein they that either want leisure to read or that haue not iudgement to conceiue or that are not able to buie the learned treatises of other concerning particular points of religion may yet euidently see poperie not to be of God and our religi on to be acceptable in his sight Very necessarie for these times for the confirmation and strengthening of men in our religion that neither by Jesuits nor by any other they may be drawne to poperie or any other heresie or sect and likewise for the winning of Papists and Atheists to an vnfained liking and true profession of our religion BY THOMAS STOVGHTON minister of the word PRINTED BY IOHN LEGAT Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1598. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND MOST TRVLY RELIGIOVS AND vertuous Lord Robert Lord Rich Thomas Stoughton wisheth increase of all true pietie and honour in this life and eternall glory in the life to come RIght Honourable your fauour hauing beene such towards me as that both either vpon my coÌ„mendation before I was by face knowne vnto your Lordship and especially my selfe sithens that time haue thereby sared the better I could not but in all dutie thinke of some way whereby to shew my selfe in some measure thankfull for the same Hauing therfore taken a litle paines in gathering these generall arguments against the whole masse lumpe of poperie as in defence likewise of the generall doctrine publikely and by publike authoritie professed in England I thought your Honourable curtesie to be such that these my labours would be accepted as some testimonie of my gratefull minde Neither am I bold to offer them vnto your Honour in respect onely of that your singular fauour towards my selfe but also because the same your Honorable fauour hath beene extended and is extended towardes all whome your Honour hath seene forward in the profession of that religion the defence whereof is the chiefe subiect matter of this treatise Yea so haue you vouchsafed to countenance such persons from time to time not disdaining the meanest that this your Christian and godly minde is much more worthie this worke then the worke it selfe any waies worthy to be presented to so great a person For by this loue towardes the professours of the truth hath euidently appeared your affection towards the truth it selfe This affection also towardes the truth it selfe euen towardes the truth which in this treatise is commended and iustified hath in like manner beene most plainely testified vnto this whole countrey of Essex by your singular care for the placing of godly and sufficient ministers in all places where the patronage of benefices by the auncient lawes of this realmes hath beene your right And both these to wit your loue vnto the persons professing this religion and your like affection towards the religion it selfe haue pleÌ„tifully declared your true zeale of God himselfe and of Christ Iesus For Christ accouÌ„teth that done to himselfe that is done to them Math. 25. 40. that belong vnto him And as the enmitie against God his truth and the professours thereof endeauouring to suppresse the one and to represse the other doth testifie the like enmitie against God himselfe and Christ Iesus so the Maâ—h 25. 43. Act. 9. 4. contrarie loue towardes both doth declare the like loue towards God himselfe and Christ Iesus Further your honourable care before mentioned for the furthering of this religion shewed by prouiding such sufficient ministers for instruction of the people in the true knowledge thereof and obedience thereunto hath also witnessed and doth daily witnesse your vnfained loue vnto men For what greater worke can there be for the benefits of their soules yea both of their soules and of their bodies of this life and of the life to come For who knoweth not but that as the Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation Rom. 1. 16. Iam. 1. 21. 2. Tim. 3. 15. Psal 19. 7. Frov. 1. 4. and the word conteined in the holy Scriptures which also containe this religion here commended is able to make men wise vnto the same saluation so also that that wisdome which the gospel and word of God teacheth hath in Prov. 3. 16. her right hand length of daies and in her left hand riches and glorie As therefore to hinder the gospel and word of God doth plainly bewray the hatred of men which cannot be saued by any other meanes without it for which cause the Apostle speaking of the Iewes saith first that they 1. Thess 2. 15 16. were contrarie or aduersaries vnto all men then immediatly addeth as a reason or confirmation of the former that they had forbidden them to preach the word vnto the Gentiles vvhereby they might be saued so to promote the same word can not but witnes the contrarie Finally this your godly care hath in like sort the better witnessed doth witnes your faithful heart both towards her most excellent Maiestie and also towardes the whole realme For it cannot be but that the more the true knowledge and feare of God aboundeth by the more plentiful preaching of the word also will abound true obedience vnto her Highnes and vnfained loue betwixt subiect and subiect by both which the barres of the gates of the whole kingdome must necessarily be the stronger against all fortaine aduersaries Sith therefore Right honourable it hath pleased God of his aboundant goodnes and rich grace besides your great earthly honour thus more highly to honour and aduance you in heauenly things as I doe in this respect the more boldly dedicate this treatise of religion to your Honour so zealous of religion so in all humilitie I desire the same to accept therof and to vouchsafe your honourable protection therunto And because your former zeale perswadeth me the same of your Honour that the like perswaded the Apostle of the Philippians namely that he Philip. 1. 6. that hath begun this good worke will also finish the same therefore that vse of this treatise which in the ende I wish generally to all great persons alreadie called to the fellowship of this true religion I doe more specially commend vnto your Honour namely that you will yet be zealous thereof as hitherto you haue beene and are Yea let not your zeale onely continue but let it be such also as Salomon describeth the loue of the Church to be strong as death cruell or hard or Cantic 8. 6 7. inuincible as the graue whose coales are fierie coales and as a vehement flame or as the flame of God and the which much water cannot quench Yea because the Lord Iesus reprehendeth the slaking of the first loue of the Church of Ephesus Rev. 2. 4 5. threatning also to come against her and to remooue her candlesticke out of her place except shee repented and did her first works therefore also your
for the effect presently admonisheth them not to despise prophecying 1. Thess 5. 20. Where by prophecying by a Synecdoche of the speciall for the generall he meaneth the preaching onely of the same word by the which before they had receiued the Spirite Our Sauiour Christ also in his Epistles to the seuen Churches of Asia Reuelat. 2. and 3. Exhorting those Churches to repentance constancie keeping of the thinges they had receiued the encreasing of them addeth in the ende of those Epistles this generall admonition Let him that hath an eare heare what the Spirite saith to the Churches whereby he giueth all men to vnderstand that hearing of that which the spirite said to the Churches was the especiall meanes for the working and encreasing of the thinges commended in those Epistles to the Churches 2 All this hitherto spoken of the word of God is to be vnderstood onely of the word of God written and conteined in the holy Scriptures For whatsoeuer the Papistes say of their vnwritten verities as equiualent to the doctrine of the Scriptures yet that there are no such vnwritten verities of such authoritie and so to be esteemed as it hath beene sufficiētly prooued by that worthy man of holy memorie M. Whitaker and other learned men that haue particularly delt in that cause so is it also euidēt by that generall admonition before spoken of giuen to the seuen Churches because in it by hearing that which the spirit saith is not meant any vnwritten veritie but that which before Christ Iesus had commanded Iohn to write to the seuen Churches 3 These thinges beeing thus euident touching that religion that is of God and acceptable vnto God let vs now see by what meanes Poperie is hatched and brooded Here let a view be taken of the Papists within our owne land and abroad yea of all whatsoeuer wheresoeuer and whensoeuer which of all them may be said to be begotten and wonne to that religion by the preaching of the word of God comprehended in the Scriptures which of all these can be said to haue beene confirmed and strengthened in that same religion by the same worde Verelie it is most certaine that poperie is begunne encreased and perfected not by that word but by traditions onely and doctrines of men The more men are purelie instructed in the word of God the more they heare consider of the doctrine of the Scriptures the further are they from all poperie the more they dislike and abhorre the same Againe the lesse men are acquainted with the word of God the seeldomer they heare it or reade it the more capable certainlie are they of all poperie the more also are they confirmed and strengthened yea rather hardened in all poperie This is most euident First because as the pure preaching of the word of God decayed in the world so poperie grew and encreased Secondly because sithence the sincere preaching of this word hath beene againe reuiued in these latter times the more hath poperie wasted and pined according to the prophecy of the Apostle who hath said that the Lord should consume Antichrist with the spirite of his mouth 2. Thess 2. 8. Thirdly the same is manifest by diuers examples of places and persons in our owne land For where the Gospell is most plentifully and truely preached there are fewest Papistes and where the Gospel is least preached there is the greatest number of papistes Some places which were most popish of all the cuntrey where they are before they had the preaching of the word are now sithence that god in mercie hath vouchsafed the same vnto them most free of poperie papistes My selfe as young as I am did know the time long sithence the happie Reigne of her Maiestie when we in Kent was most accounted also was indeede the most popish place of all that countrie But sithence it hath pleased God to send vnto them the ministerie of his word poperie hath there vanished as the mist before the Sunne and now I thinke it is lesse noted for popery then any other place especially then any place which hath not had the word as that hath had it Yea few places are more forward thē that in true profession of our religion The like may be said of many other places both in the South and also in the North partes of England Again who are the most obstinate papists in the lād are they not those that neuer haue heard the word of god preached vnto thē or that hauing heard it are fallen away from it and what is the cause why manie are so obstinate in poperie Is it not because they will not be dravven to heare that word of God neither yet to reade it Truelie I doubt not but that if it might please God to giue vnto them willing mindes to heare or read the Scriptures with a true desire indeede to keepe and embrace the doctrine in them conteined how contrarie soeuer to that which in times past they haue held or doe yet hold then the more they should heare or reade the more they would dislike of their former religion In the meane time whilst they care not for hearing or reading whilest they despise the Scriptures whilest they raile of the hearing and reading of them as many of the most learned papistes do what do they else but be wray that they are not yet begotten vnto God by them neither the children of God that therefore their religion is not of God For if they were begotten vnto god and that by the doctrine of the Scriptures if they were the children of God as they imagine and boast of them selues would they not delight to heare his word at least would they not delight to reade the word by whomesoeuer brought vnto them what louing child is not glad to heare the voyce of his louing father or to read at least his letters sent by others vnto him from the place where him selfe is He that is of God heareth God his word Ioh. 8. 47. If they were the sheepe of Christ they would heare his voyce Iohn 10. 27. If they suspect our preaching of the word yet they would at the least come to those places where the worde is read or they would reade it at home by themselues in such a tongue as wherein they might vnderstand it Sith therefore they care not for the hearing or reading it they shewe they are not begotten to God by it 4 As touching our religion it is begotten by the word of god it is confirmed strengthened by the word of God As mens traditions grew in request with men so our religion at the first decaied As the vanitie of mens traditions began to be discerned abolished by the breaking forth of the glorious light of the Scriptures out of the cloude of poperie so our religion was againe renewed and encreased The more common that the Scriptures are or haue beene the more doth our religion flourish and hath flourished from time to time The more men
The like they doe with the Scriptures in many other places as appeareth by their vulgar translation edition of the Scriptures in latine the which although it were not theirs at the first yet because they condemne all other and do onelie commaund this as authenticall forbidding also anie man to appeale from the same to the originall text in the Hebrew and Greeke therefore it is to be accepted theirs In that translation and edition many things are wanting that are in the originall text and manie things also corrupted In the 9. of Matth. verse 13. Our Sauiour saith I came not to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance In their trāslation are these two words to repentāce left out Rom. 11. 6. All these words are wanting in their translation If of workes then not of grace or else were worke no more worke Ioh. 14. 26. For these words he shal teach you al things and bringe all things to your remembrance which I haue told you For these words I saie which I haue told you their translation saith which I shall tell you Thus they reade for help of their traditions to make the common people beleeue that Christ speaketh in this place of some thinges which he would speak afterward that he had nor spoken before Manie other places there are in like manner either clipped or corrupted If their cause were good why should they susteine it by such vile meanes 6 Let vs here further remember their exceeding crueltie and most bloudie dealing for the continuall maintenance of their religion If fire faggot had not better holpen them then preaching disputing their religion had neuer been so vniuersall as it is For although the blood of the Martires be called the seed of the Church and haue been a notable meanes to confirme many in the profession of the Gospell Yet other also haue thereby been drawne from it and for feare haue receiued poperie As therefore the Priestes Scribes Pharises and other Iewes when they were not able by the Scriptures to resist the wisedome of our Sauiour of Stephan of the Apostles the spirit that spake in them did vse force and violence for their last chiefest argument euen so haue the Priestes Scribes and Pharises of the Church of Rome alwaies done Such alwaies hath bin their crueltie that as diuers wild beasts and birdes make the flesh and blood of other to be their nourishment and life so also the blood of the Protestants hath been their speciall releefe The crueltie exercised here in our owne lād as sometime before so especially in the late time of Queene Marie doth plētifully witnesse the same The like may be said of the Spanish inquisitiō the chiefe meanes of vpholding poperie not onely in Spaine it selfe but also in manie other countries The crueltie thereof is so great and barbarous that the crueltie of Nero Domitian and all other the like professed enemies vnto Christ Iesus and his Gospell is nothing to be compared thereto The copies thereof are to be seene printed in english for iustifying that which I write A man would thinke that all the deuills in hell should neuer haue deuised such tortures and most exquisite punishments except it were thus manifest Here also is to be considered the most bloodie massaker in Fraunce Anno 1572. in the which of noble men gentlemen learned men cōmon persons thought to be protestants in Paris were slaine and most violently cruellie murthered without anie proceeding by order of law the number at the least of ten thousand within three daies and within lesse then one moneth presently after in manie other cities townes of France were in like sort slaine murthered 20000. more So that as it should haue bin with the Iewes through all the prouinces of Ahashuerosh if the cursed purpose of Hamā had proceeded to effect so also was it with all the knowne or suspected protestants in Fraunce vpon whom the merciles Papists could lay hāds what doth this else witnesse but that the religion of the Papists is like vnto that wicked decree of Ahashuerosh from the same fountaine Neither may this be said to haue bin a fault onely of that nation For the great ioye of the Pope with all his Cardinalls at Rome their procession their gunshott and singing Te Deum in honor of the bloody act doe euidently shew both the approbation of the thing done by the whole Church of Rome and also that the said Pope and Cardinalls were acquainted with the matter before and had an hand stroke in it I confesse I note this out of the booke of Martires but no Papist is therefore to suspect the truth of the matter for this historie there reported is but briefly gathered out of the French Chronicles and Histories which do more largely describe the same Besids this act is so late was so notorious at the first committing thereof that there needeth not the testimony of anie writer to be suspected therein Thus we see that a piller of blood is the chiefe piller of the Romish Church such as now it is 7 The like obiection made against our religion from the execution of manie Seminarie priestes and Iesuites in our owne land hath bin sufficiently aunswered by others For they haue not been executed to maintaine and vphold our religion but for their haynous treasons whereby they haue sought the sacred life of her Maiestie in bringing in of forreyners here to vsurpe the kingdome and the ouerthrow of the whole land their owne naturall cūtrey Therefore this horrible treason against both their Prince and countrey beeing especially authorized by the Pope himself and his Clergie not onely for the seducing of the subiects from all obedience to her highnes but also for the shedding of her blood as also the like treasons of manie other to the same intent attēpted by the same authoritie doe plainely disclaime their religion as not beeing of God neither acceptable vnto God For truth seeketh no corners truth requireth no such stilts to goe by Neither did our Sauiour vse such meanes to commend himselfe his doctrine though he might haue commaunded more then twelue legions of Angels neither after his ascension did the Apostles or anie of thē so further the gospel 8 To these meanes before mentioned I may add their foule abusing of the simple people with pretended reuelations lying miracles thereby to make them to account their religion to be as diuine and from heauen as by the same meanes well looked into it doth manifestlie appeare to be altogether diuolish and from hell it self Such was the practise of certaine Monkes Friers with Elizabeth Barton a Nunne in Kent whom they called by the name of the holie maid of Kent This holie maide by the deuice of the foresaid Monkes and Fryers fained her selfe to liue with no other food then that which was brought vnto her immediately by the Angells of heauen shee made also as though oftentimes shee laie
is euill and contrarie to scriptures therefore their fruits can not be good and sutable to the scriptures Many indeede teach good doctrine that beare not fruits agreeable but where the doctrine is euill there are neuer any other then euill fruits To begin with the practise of the commandements of the first table it is certaine that they make no conscience or account at all of them Their strait obseruation of the precepts of men in their diuine worship hath iustled all care of the commaundements of God cleane out of the dores Neither can it be otherwise For euen as when a wife openeth the dore of her heart and giues entrance vnto the loue of a straunger this new loue iustleth out the old towards her former husband so is it in the loue and worship of God We haue heard before how many other the papists doe inuocate worship offer gifts obsâ—â—â—â— daies vnto and such like and therfore also how many they trust in loue and feare besides the Lord for it cannot be that the performance of those outward duties can be without the inward things We haue also heard touching those duties which they performe vnto God how repugnant they are to his word which requireth no such things or at the least in no such manner Now besides these things their other fruits doe further bewraie that they haue no regarde at all of any thing that God himselfe in his first table concerning his worshippe doth command For what Papist careth for the publique hearing or priuate reading of the word of God except it be onely to gather some colour of matter either for the confirming and hardening themselues in their errours as also the animating themselues the more boldly to transgresse the word in other things as all the wicked doe or for the railing on our religion So also which of them maketh any conscience at all of swearing either falsly or at the least idlely or vainely by the name of God and by euerie part of Christ Iesus or prophanely also and wickedly by the names of their Saints masse and such other their abominable idols yea which of them thinketh not him a foole and suspecteth him not to be of our religion though otherwise they know him not that is sparing of such oathes or that at least sheweth any dislike of such oathes in others 2 Yea and here not to speake onely of the breach of the third commandement by particular persons let vs also adde something of the violating of the same by the blasphemous praiers of their whole Church Something hath beene noted before of this point in shewing the contrarietie of the matter of their religion to the matter of the religion coÌ„mended in the scriptures where we haue seene how derogatorie their praiers to the virgin Marie are vnto the Mediation of Iesus Christ Notwithstanding in this place also it shall not be amisse further to shew howe blasphemous both to God and also to Christ their praiers are to the virgine Marie to other whome they account as Saints and finally to the woodden crosse of Christ To the virgin Marie thus they praie Te laudamus rogamus mater Iesu Christi Vt intendas defendas nos à morte tristi Here they praie vnto her to be kept from sorrowfull death and so ascribe vnto her power of life and death Againe Threnosa compassio dulcissimae dei matris Perducat nos ad gaudia summi Dei patris that is Let the pitifull compassion of God his most sweete mother bring vs to the ioyes of the most high God the father These praiers are full of blasphemie yet behold greater blasphemie then this For thus also they pray vnto her Virgo singularis inter omnes mitis nos culpis solutos mites fac castos vitam praesta puram iter para tutum vt videntes Iesum semper collaetemur Here they pray vnto her that they beeing released from their sinnes shee would make their life pure and their iourney safe that they seeing Iesus might reioyce together Againe Dele culpas miserorum terge sordes peccatorum dona nobis beatorum vitam tuis precibus In these wordes they intreat her to blotte out the faults of them that are in miserie to wype out the staines of sinners and by her praiers to giue vnto them the life of the blessed In another praier they speake more blasphemously calling her Mairem orphanorum the mother of orphans consolationem desolatorum the consolation of the desolate viam errantium the way of them that straie salutem spem in se sperantiuÌ„ the health and hope of such as trust in her fontem consolationis indulgentiae that is the fountaine of mercie of health and grace of godlines and ioy of consolation and fauour Are not all these petitions blasphemous to the Deitie It is here also to be obserued that although these and most of their praiers in their seruice books from whence I haue verbatim word for word borrowed these fragments be in latine yet that all ignorant meÌ„ may thinke the more highly of that praier and vtter the wordes with more deuotion wherein are these last attributes proper onely to God communicated to the virgin Marie they haue prefixed this inscription and commendation in English with redde letters ouer the head of the praier To all them that be in the state of grace that deuoutly say this praier before our blessed Ladie of pitie shee will shew them her blessed visage and warne them the day and houre of death and in their last ende the Angels of God shall yeelde their soules to heauen and he shall obtaine fiue hundred yeares and so many Lents of pardon graunted by fiue holy fathers Popes of Rome In an other praier next to the former as they praie vnto Christ to be defended from the wrath of the Saints and of his holy mother so also they desire him to giue them health of bodie and power to liue well c. by the intercession of his holy mother So they make Christ a Mediatour betweene theÌ„ and the Saints and his mother and yet they pray vnto him for the intercession of his mother c. In an other not long after the former they call her sororem angelorum the sister of angels regiâ—am patriarcharum the queene of patriarks magistram euangelistarum the mistris of Euangelists doctricem apostolorum the teacher of the Apostles confortatricem martyrum the comforter or strengthener of the Martyrs fontem plenitudmem confessorum the fountaine and fulnesse of confessours And before this praier is set a redde lettered preface promising to euery one that shall read it deuoutly not to depart out of this world without penance and administration of the holy sacraments In the next praier also they call her the bottomlesse pit of all grace and mercie c. This praier likewise hath a redde promise prefixed of an hundred daies of pardon graunted by Pope Goodface I should sale Pope Boniface In the
particularly as he spake to her and saide Luk. 1. 28. Hayle or according also to the naturall signification of the word reioyce and be merrie as one that is freely beloued and againe whatsoeuer thy sinnes be c. yet feare not for thou hast found fauour with God v. 30. as if also another should saie as he did to the shepheards Luk. 2. 10. Be not afraid for behold I bring you tidings of great ioye that shall be to all people c. This comfort and this ioy doth our religion teach and commend and offer yea also bring vnto all them that truly embrace the same Yea certenly they that by the powerful working of our religion in their hearts and in their outward conuersation doe know themselues not to be hypocrites but truly to haue embraced our religion and the doctrine thereof they I say may better cast away all feare and more certenly assure themselues of God his fauour and therefore also more truly reioyce then all the Papists in the world or any one of them remaining in his poperie may or might not onely if one angel but if all the angels in heauen should come and speake vnto them in like manner This is a great word but it is a true word how so verily because one greater then all the angels doth speake it and biddeth all such not to feare but to reioyce God himselfe generally thus speaketh in all the Scriptures to all such generally and the holy Ghost his effectuall working of true faith and true godlines in euery particular person that is truly of our religion speaketh also the same thing Therefore the greater and more credible that the master is then the seruant and so also God himselfe then the angels which are but the worke of his hands and therefore his seruants and ministring spirits the more certen also may euery one be assured of God his fauour to whome God and his spirit by their effectuall working doe testifie the same then if the angels of heauen should speake as much to one in whome were not the effects of the spirit Further also the reason of that comfortable speach of the angels to Marie and the shepheards beeing well obserued doth confirme that which I haue said of the applying of the same comfort to all those that are truly of our religion For why will the angel haue the virgin Marie not to feare because shee was freely beloued and had found fauour with God but how doth the angel prooue this because saith he thou shalt conceiue in thy vvombe and beare a sonne and thou shalt call his name Jesus If therefore to conceiue in her wombe and beare this sonne onely were a sufficient argument to perswade her to cast away feare to reioyce and assure her selfe that shee had found fauour with God how much more may he cast away feare reioyce and assure himselfe of God his fauour whose soule and whole man hath embraced whole Christ is likewise embraced of Christ and is made one with Christ euen flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone and which knoweth this by the death of sinne and the life of righteousnes in him through the death and resurrection of Christ If shee were so blessed whose wombe should beare Christ according to the flesh and whose pappes should giue him sucke how much more blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Luc. 11. 28. 5 The like may be saide of the argument of the angel to the shepheards for be not afraid saith the angel but why I bring you trdings of great ioye that shall be to all people What are these tydings and what is this great ioye Vnto you is borne this day in the city of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord c. Now if this were such ioye to heare onely of the birth of Christ Iesus how much greater is it to heare of the birth of the whole life of the death of the resurrection of the ascension and of the sitting of Christ Iesus at the right hand of God there making intercession for all his members yea not onely to heare but also to be assured of these things by the effects of them in our consciences Neither doth our religion onely bid men thus to reioyce for a time and at a start but we saie also with the Apostle Reioyce in the Lord alwaies and againe I say reioyce Phil. 4. 4. But vpon what ground doth our religion bid men thus to reioyce because it assureth them not onely of the present fauour of God but also of the continuance thereof for euer to them that are once truly incorporated into Christ Iesus For whome God loueth he loueth to the ende Ioh. 13. 1. and the gifts of God are without repentance Rom. 11. 29. and in God is no change nor shadow of change Iam. 1. 17. Neither is he as man that he should repent hath he saide and shall he not doe it hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it Num. 23. 19. And againe Heauen and earth shall passe but the word of the Lord shall not passe till all things be done Luk. chap. 21. vers 33. 6 Vpon these and many other the like grounds we bidde them that truly haue embraced our religion to reioyce alwaies and doe assure them vpon the immutable nature of God and of his word that they shall neuer be cast out of his fauour yea that it is as possible for the power of hell to take away from Christ one of the members of his materiall bodie now glorified and raigning in heauen as to plucke away or cut off any member of his mysticall and spirituall bodie here in earth Therefore of all such euery such we saie that God speaketh as Isaac spake of Iaacob after that he had one blessed him I haue blessed him therefore he shall be blessed Gen. 27. 33. As Pilate also saith of the title and superscription which he had set vpon the head of Iesus Christ crucified when the high Priests laboured him to alter the same What I haue written that I haue written Ioh. 19. 22. So saie we of all them whose names God hath once written and registred in the booke of life that the decree of God beeing like the decree of the Medes and Persians which altereth not Dan. 6. 8. though all the deuills in hell should labour God for the rasing of any out of the booke of life whose names are written therein yea if it were possible that all the blessed angels should indeauour and intreat any such thing that God would alwaies keepe his purpose and answer them Him that I haue written I haue written This is the ioye and comfort of God his children and this ioye and comfort is in our religion and neuer to be found in poperie or to be attained vnto thereby 7 If any obiect that many sometime of our religion doe vtterly fall away and sometime also despaire for euer of the goodnes and fauour of
will any earthly Prince sende forth his onely daughter or let his wife goe abroad without such princely ornaments as her princely estate requireth and whereby she may be knowne and reuerenced with the reuerence of a Prince much lesse therefore may we dreame that the Lord God of heauen the Prince of all princes would so rawly send forth his onely daughter or Christ Iesus his onely sonne and heyre suffer his onely spouse whome he loueth as himselfe so poore and naked as the Church of Rome was in her highest prosperitie 12 I graunt that the Pope and his Cardinals had their rich ornaments and costly apparell of siluer gold pretious stones c. that also the rest of that generation euen to the very hedge priest had a gaie coate to weare in their holy busines that likewise all their Churches had great riches I graunt that in all these things the Pope and poperie did farre excell Saint Peter with all the rest of the Apostles and likewise all the churches of their time but these are not the spirituall ornaments that the spirituall nature of the daughter of God and spouse of Christ requireth The Church of God is indeede described psal 45. 9. c. as a Queene standing at the right hand of her husband Christ Iesus in a vesture of gold of Ophir and as hauing apparel of broidered gold and likewise that shee hath rayment of needle-worke but the Prophet describeth here the Church onely after the manner of an earthly Queene meaning notwithstanding by these things all manner of spirituall and heauenly ornaments and therefore euen in the same place and the beginning of the 13. verse shee is said to be all glorious within It is therefore certen that the chiefe ornaments of the Church are inward and spirituall the which wanting whatsoeuer outward ornaments and riches shee hath yet shee may be called wretched miserable poore blinde naked as Christ Iesus calleth the church of the Laodiceans Rev. 3. 17. 13 Now then forasmuch as the Church of Rome wanted those spirituall ornaments which the Lord hath promised and doth alwaies bestowe vpon his daughter I conclude therefore that shee is not the daughter of God neither the spouse of Christ If it be said that the true church hath not alwaies the like gifts I freely acknowledge it yet this is certen that the more the Church flourisheth the richer shee is in the gifts of God his spirite But contrariwise the more the Church of Rome flourished the poorer shee was in the graces of God his spirit And here by the flourishing of the Church I meane not onely an outwarde flourishing in earthly things for so I graunt that as the graces of God are many times choaked in particular memberâ— of the Church by outward prosperitie so it may be also in the whole bodie of the visible church but by the flourishing of the church I meane her flourishing in sound doctrine and her enioying of such authoritie as of right belongeth vnto her Now in this sense when the doctrine which the church of Rome accounteth onely sound doctrine and the contrarie whereof shee accounteth heresie when I saie this Romish doctrine most flourished with least gaine saying of any thereunto when also that authoritie which the church of Rome chalengeth to her selfe as her right was in such regard that neither Princes nor people made any resistance theÌ„ were those gifts of the holy Ghost promised to the true Church in the latter times most rare and scarse when it was sommer with the church of Rome touching all her prerogatiues which shee chalengeth then it was the dead of winter touching those graces of God his spirit so that scarse any leaues of them did hang vpon any tree Thus we see that those promises were not performed to the church of Rome in that estate wherein now it standeth and whereof it vaunteth THE SECOND BRANCH OF the tenth argument touching the reuiuing of Gods gifts at the breaking forth of our religion out of the darknes of Poperie MAy the like be saide of our Churches in England Scotland c. sithence the religion now established brake forth of that darknes wherein before it laie No veâ—ily All the worlde seeth what knowledge of arts of tongues of philosophie and all humanitie hath beene yet is and doth daily encrease Now many children sixteene or seauenteene yeares old are better Grecians and more learned Hebritians then were the great doctours in the height of poperie Now I may truly saie that Cambridge alone or Oxenford alone if not some one Colledge in either of both hath more skilfull Grecians and learned Hebritians then all Christendome had whilst poperie sate vpon the thâ—one The like may be said of the true knowledge of the Latin Philosophie also and all arts since our religion haue beene reuiued haue beene much polished and farre more perfected then they were before 2 Let it not here be said that there are some Papists now euery waie in these things as learned as the Protestants For first of all the question is not whether Papists or Protestants be nowe more learned in the tongues or liberall sciences but when this learning hauing beene along time as it were banished out of the world returned againe This present learning therefore of the Papists neither much helpeth them neither a whitte weakneth this mine argument except they could prooue that when their religion was at the highest then also they had bin as learned as now they are Secondly although that many of them haue indeede now attained vnto much knowledge of arts and tongues yet this knowledge begaÌ„ first to be reuiued amongst vs. Afterward they seeing vs by those gifts thaâ— God had bestowed vpon vs for commending of our religion to the world to be so able to maintaine our doctrine and so mightie to oppugne theirs they I saie seeing this were prouoked and whetted to take the more paines in studie that they might the better defend their errours against vs which now they saw to be falling to the earth from whence they sprung Many also of the learned amongst them attained vnto their learning euen against vs and by vs beeing brought vp in our schooles and afterward better nourished and more strengthened in our Vniuersities But as vnnaturall children doe sometime forsake their naturall parents and runne they cannot tell whether so haue they forsaken our Vniuersities and as many roagish boies beeing entertained by some master and vnder him hauing learned some good trade doe oftentimes when they haue been a while there forsake such masters and goe to any other that will giue them but a little more wages yearely vnthankfully forgetting all that their former masters did for them when no man els would regard or pitie them euen so many Papists hauing gotten their learning amongst vs and in our Vniuersities yet seeing afterward they can not haue such outward preferrements as they looked for which is a thing that they especially â—â—yme at haue vnnaturally
forsaken vs and associated themselues with the Papists who wanâ—ing such studdes to vphold their rotten and totâ—ering religion haue beene glad to entertaine them with great promises but many times not performing them but rather bringing them or sending them at the least to the gallowes Such oftentimes is the iudgement of God vpon them â—hat too much respect outward preferrements and so doth God in his iustice harden many of them that will not beleeue his truth whilst they liue where and when they may haue it that he giueth them ouer to beleeue lies so strongly that they care not what danger they incurre against themselues both soule and bodie for defence and furthering of those lyes which they haue embraced 2. Thess 2. 11 12. 3 Well to returne from where we haue diâ—ressed we see by this that I haue now spoken that in these respects thus mentioned the Church of Rome may thanke vs for that learning which nowe they haue and for many of those learned men which are now in great and â—igh estimation amongst them Further it is no new thing that those gifts of Gods spirit which God at the first giueth to beare witnes vnto 〈◊〉 truth should be afterward communicated boâ—â— to such as doe not greatly fauour Christ and his gospel and also to such as are wicked and reprobate In the time of Christ himselfe the power of casting out diuells first giuen to the twelâ—â— Apostles Math. 10. 1. for the commendation 〈◊〉 their ministerie was afterward communicated to other that would not ioyne with the Apostles nor follow Christ Our Sauiour also saith that many that should plead for themselues the casting of diuells out of other should notwithstanding be reiected by him as refuse persons Math. 7. 22. And thus hath the Lord dealt in these latter times As at the first preaching of the gospel by the Apostles after the ascension of Christ he bestowed vpon them the gift of tongues for the better magnifying of the gospell and furnished them likewise with other extraordinarie gifts which gifts notwithstanding afterward were also communicated vnto many other yea to many of the wicked so in these latter times also at the first breaking forth of his truth which we professe through the blacke the thicke and darke cloudes of poperie that â— long time had ouershadowed and drouped the whole earth the Lord according to his ancient promises gaue gifts vnto men in respect of the former great want of them very extraordinarieâ— these gifts I say he gaue at the first breaking forth of our religion through poperie to the first preachers of our religion for the commending thereof vnto the world and so encreased them afterwarde more and more in those that embraced our religion but after that by such gifts he had sufficiently renewed and recouered the credite of his truth which we doe now hold and likewise by beautifying our religion with the first fruits of these gifts had sufficiently disgraced poperie then he communicated these gifts vnto other euen vnto the Papists themselues 4 And truly in verie great wisdom hath God done so that he might teach men to esteeme of his truth not for those gifts onely but also for the truths sake it selfe So also he would haue the Papists themselues yea and all the world to see that all the learning in the world is not able to vphold poperie and that our religion is as well able to stand against and to beat downe poperie into the pitte of hell from whence it came as well when poperie hath the same armour on that our religion hath as when it was naked and had almost none at all Therefore to conclude this part also of this my last argument touching the performance of those promises of God to the Church that were neuer in such manner performed to the Church of Rome As the more the darke cloudes of poperie couered the whole earth and the more violently also the boisterous winds therof did blow vpon the earth making the very cedars of LebanoÌ„ both to beÌ„d and to breake the more dead were all the gifts of the spirit as we see all things to be in the depth of winter so like wise sithence our religion hath come about towards the sommer point and by the strength and power thereof hath scattered and dispersed these cloudes and pacified those boisterous winds of popery in many kingdomes the more haue those gifts of God his spirit before promised budded and flourished euen as we see after an hard winter the more the sunne commeth about toward Cancer the more all trees and hearbs before seare and dead doe reuiue and spring out I conclude therefore that as by the springing and flourishing of hearbs and other plants we know sommer to be come so also by these gifts of God his spirit which haue sprung and flourished euen sithence that our religion hath beene reuiued againe quickned we know the same gospell to be againe returned about the which in former times God according to the righteousnesse of his promise did beautifie and commeÌ„d with the like graces 5 Will any Papist now obiect the times of Tertullian Gregorie Nazianzen Cyprian Chrysostome Ambrose Ierome Augustine Barnard and such like let him first remember that most of them were before the time whereof we spake They were I say before any stone almost laide of the foundation of the church of Rome in that state wherein now it is all of them also liued before that Church was built to that perfection whereunto it was reared vntill the repairing of our religion Againe these auncient Fathers so many of them as did see the building of this church begun or any matter prepared â—owards the same laboured by might maine as we speake and to the vtmost of their power â—he hindring and staying thereof therefore haue they plainly written against images iustification by works inuocation of Saints freewill and many other the like principles of poperie as is â—lentifully shewed by our late writers in partiâ—ular controuersies Especially both they and also many other yea some of the Papists themâ—elues and of the learnedst of them haue mighâ—ly declaimed and sharply inuaied against all â—uch proud and arrogant titles as now the Pope â—laimeth and vsurpeth Further although these â—ere excellent persons for learning and godliâ—es and worthie of honourable remembrance â—â— all ages yet liued they not altogether Nay â—â—ther one age had almost but one such or at the â—ast but verie fewe such as these were that I â—â—ue named but our ages and the ages before â—s euer sithence the returne of our religion haue 〈◊〉 all times and in euerie kingdome had many â—â—ch Yea I doubt not to sale and that truly that although it be not yet two hundred yeares since â—uâ— religion came out into the open field and â—ncountered with poperie in such publique â—anner as now it doth yet there haue beene in â—is little time as many great learned men as â—â—ptaines of the Lord on our
side as can be â—â—ooued to haue beene with vs or against vs in â—welue hundred yeares before 6 Further I doubt not but that I may say and that also truly that we haue had and yet haue many in good respects comparable to those before named as in the exact knowledge of all learned tongues arts and humanitie so also in sound and deepe iudgement of diuinitie vz. Luther Zuinglius Melancton Oecolampadius Erasmus Paulus Phagius Bucer P. Martyr Calvin Marlorat Musculus Cranmer Ridly Hooper Bradford Bullinger Bezâ— Zanchius Iuâ—l Ramus Vrsinus Sadeel Daneus Pilkington Fulke Humfrey VVhitaker and infinite other partly dead and partly yet liuing whose nameâ—â— I doe not well remember or in some respectâ— thinke not conuenient to expresse I may here also name Flaccius Illyricus Hemingius and many other of that sort because although they haue some errours yet which almost of the auncient Fathers had not as many and â—â— great 7 To this argument I may further adde that the Lord hath not onely commended our religion by the encrease of all learning according to the encrease of our religion but also by the repairing almost of all other knowledge in coÌ„mon things and matters of this life For what trade and science is there so meane and base which is not much amended and brought to further perfection sithence the late time of out religion then it had before in the depth of poperit yea who knoweth not that there is great varietie of knowledge sithence the flourishing of our religion which neuer almost was heard of before Especially most admirable is the gift of printing which neuer was in the world till within these hundred and three score yeares at the most about which time it pleased God to broch new vessells of his gospell with our religion This gift of printing is not vnfitly by some compared to the extraordinarie gift of tongues in the Apostles time because the Lord did not onely prepare a waie for the gospel thereby but also hath made it as a mightie voyce of a crier in the wildernesse of poperie to proclaime the grace of God in Christ Iesus and to further and inlarge our religion by opening the hearts of many Princes and more people many noble and more base many rich and more poore and many learned and more vnlearned persons for the entertainment of Christ Iesus and submitting themselues to his kingdome and gouernement Certenly by this new benefit of printing the Gospel hath beene more sounded out to the eares of all nations then it could haue beene by the voice of many preachers For by the means hereof wee that liue in England haue easily heard the sermons and readings of Calvin and Beza in Geneva and of other in other places and they likewise that liue in Geneva and in other places haue easily heard the readings of Doctour VVhitakers in Cambridge and likewise of Doctour Reynolds in Oxenford This printing also is not onely as a quicke post riding vpon a swift and speedie horse but also as an angel of the Lord with sixe wings for the most speedie conueying of the doctrine of the gospel out of one countrie into an other Who also knoweth not that a man may haue more now for sixe pence then before printing he could haue had written for fourtie shillings who seeth not also that bookes printed are more easily both read and also preserued then the like onely written Now although the deuill abuse this gift of God also for the furthering of popery as what gifts be there that he quickly doth not abuse yet sith it was neuer heard of whilst popeâ—ie was at the highest but then onely appeared and came forth into the light of the sunne when our religion was raised out of the graue where before it laie buried and when poperie began to fall sicke and to encline vnto a consumption who seeth not that it was a speciall and an extraordinarie gift of God for the honouring and furthering of our religion Thus much for the first sort of God his actuall testimonies namely for the gifts of his spirit which before he promised and according to his promise hath bestowed vpon his Church not onely in the time of the Apostles but also in these latter times for the commendation of the gospeâ—â— then and of our religion now as being the same with the gospel and therefore in like manner acceptable vnto him THE THIRD BRANCH OF the tenth argument touching the works of God against Poperie NOw followeth the second sort of God his actuall testimonies namely the workes of God wherby God hath testified both his dislike of poperie and also the approbation of our religion seueralâ—y and ioyntly as euidently as if in expresse wordes and in his owne person he should haue spoken against poperie in this manner This is the religion that I hate and which my soule abâ—orreth and contrarily of our religion as he spake of his Sonne This is the Gospell and that glad â—â—dings which bringeth saluation vnto all men and in vvhich I am vvell pleased therefore receiue it 2 Here first of all let vs consider the great iudgements of God against many of the Papists especially such as haue beene special aduersaries to our religion and to the professours thereof For truely there haue beene fewe such speciall aduersaries to vs and our religion whome God hath not in some speciall manner so punished here in this life or at least so prosecuted that their malice in their posteritie that all the worlde might thereby clearely see that he vtterly disliked of them and of their course as also approoued and allowed of them their cause against whome they opposed and set themselues Touching these iudgements although I might ease my selfe and the reader of much labour by referring him onely to the latter ende of the booke of Martyrs where is a speciall treatise of such things yet because that booke is of so great price that many are not able to buie it I will therefore cull out some few of the principall examples there and elsewhere in that booke mentioned and for the rest referre such as haue that booke to that speciall treatise First of all let here be remembered the historie of one Pauier or Paâ—â—ie in the daies of King Henrie the eight this Pauier or Pauie beeing towne clarke of the citie of London and a notable enemie to the gospel vpon some report that the gospel should be in English saide with a great â—ath that if he thought the King would in deede set forth the Scripture in English and let it be read to the common people by his authoritie he would cut his owne throat And so indeede he did not much lesse For though he cut not his throat with a knife yet he hanged himselfe with an haltar anno Dom. 1533. This is reported by Master Fox page 1055. of his booke printed 1583. but borrowed from Hall his Chronicle who wrote the same not vpon the report of other but vpon his
woode stone siluer and gold c. As Elisha cried vnto the true God so also did we in the daie of our trouble We fasted and praied lifting vp our hearts and our handes vnto God in the heauens commending our selues and all our forces onely to him Therefore as the priests of Baal laboured in vaine so also did the Spanyard As Elija Iehosaphat Mordechaie and Ester and many other the good seruants of God were heard in that they praied so also were we Wherefore as Elija by this argument confounded the priests of Baal proouing their god to be no god their worship to be false worship and contrarily did approoue himselfe to worship the true God in true manner so also why may not we by the like argument condemne the god of the Pope and the Spanyards to be no god and their religion likewise to be no religion and on the contrarie conclude and boldly affirme our God only to be the true God and our religion to be that religion which this our true God hath once commanded doth daily commaund and euer accepteth Truly so great was our daunger in that expedition of the Spanyard against vs that sithence our deliuerāce from the same we may truly say as the Church saith psal 124. If the Lord had not bin on our side may England now say if the Lord had not bin on our side they had then swallowed vs vp quicke when their wrath was kindled against vs then the waters had drowned vs the streame had gone ouer our soule then had the swelling waters gone ouer our soule Praised be the Lord which hath not giuen vs as a praie vnto their teeth Our soule is escaped euen as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and we are deliuered Our helpe is in the name of the Lord which hath made heauen and earth This whole psalme in respect of our mightie deliuerance may we as truly applie vnto our selues as before we shewed that we might applie part of the song of Moses and the Israelites when they were newly deliuered from their slauerie and bondage out of the lande of Egypt 4. The second example of these mixt workes of God against Pope and poperie and also for vs and our religion is the honourable and happie successe of our forces last yeare sent forth against the Spanyards vnder the conduct of the right honourable and most worthie Earle of Essex and the Lord Admiral especially if it be compared with the former successe of the Spanyard against vs. For the Spanyard comming against vs as before is said with such huge and mightie forces as he thought inexpugnable and finding vs as it were in a manner altogether vnprepared to meete him so suddenly and indeede of our selues not able then to haue resisted him yet could not so much as set any footing of any one man within any part of our land but by the mightie hand of God stretched out from heauen against him was forced to returne in vain yea with losse at the least of halfe his forces both shippes and men by the waie to the euerlasting shame and dishonour of him and of his religion But on the contrarie our forces beeing nothing so great as his were neither comming vpon him on the suddaine without his great preparation for them did yet so mightily preuaile by the power of God going before them and with them and the feare of God falling vpon the Spanyards as sometime vpon the Shechemites and their neighbour nations Gen. 35. 5. that comming not into any obscure riuer but to one of the most famous hauens in all Spayne and finding the same furnished with a mightie Navie of the king his greatest shippes did not withstanding both foile all the foresaide Navie and also land not some but as many of their men as themselues would and within few daies did both take and sacke not some little village but one of the chiefest richest and strongest townes in all his kingdome strongly fortified with men and plentifully furnished with victuall and whereof by report of them that were there that know the place euery house was built of stone and in forme and strength like vnto a castle Thus did our God blesse and prosper our forces against him with losse of no man of reckoning but onely one and of no more of the common soldiours then is most likely in so great a multitude would haue died at home So did our armies returne as with a sufficient spoyle and bootie so with exceeding great honour and renowne What shall we say of these things that by our hand and strength we haue gotten the victorie God forbid that we should so robbe God of his honour But let vs more truly answer as the Apostle answereth the like question of admiration with these wordes If God be with vs who can be against vs Rom. 8. 31. Euen so let vs touching the confusion of the Spanish forces and the gracious successe of our owne likewise answer and say God hath beene with vs therefore it skilleth not who hath beene against vs and on the contrarie God hath beene against the Spanyard and therefore it hath not holpen him against vs whomsoeuer he hath had with him 5 A third example also of like mixt workes of God against Pope and poperie and for vs and our religion is that ouerthrow which the last winter the Lord himselfe without any meanes of man gaue to a great power of Spanish shippes sent towards Ireland for aide and strengthening of the rebells against vs. This power of shippes beeing not so much as exspected of vs did the Lord by his mightie power so graciously confound in our behalfe that we neuer heard of their comming till tidings came of their drowning And may we not here also adde the happie successe of our last voyage this present yeare against the Spanyard as likewise the contrarie of the Spanish Navie againe sent hither against vs yes verily These doe no lesse deserue the registring then the former these are as well worthie the obseruation as the former finally these speake as plainely for our religion and against poperie as the former For as touching this second voyage of that most worthie and honourable Earle albeit at the first God himselfe seemed as it were to froune vpon vs and to resist vs for the triall of the courage and proouing the patience and likewise the better humiliation of the saide Earle and his forces and finally for instructing of vs as well as the Spanyard that the proceeding in any voyage must not be according to the will and pleasure of man but according to his will and pleasure that ruleth and gouerneth as well by sea as by lād yet afterward all things considered the Lord hath not much lesse if any whit lesse at all magnified his great mercies towards vs and his gospel and his iustice against Spayne and poperie then he did the last yeare at the taking and sacking of Cales For first
Princes as haue done and doe daily speake and doe so much for Christ in his gospel and in his members that they giue great incouragement to all persons of place fitte to haue accesse vnto them without feare to put them in continuall remembrance of further honouring of Christ If he were so bold for Christ Iesus beeing deade how much bolder ought all men to be for Christ Iesus raised vp from the dead yea verily he is twise risen againe once touching his bodie out of the sepulchre into which the same Ioseph did honourably lay him and againe touching his gospel out of the graue of poperie wherein it had lien twise so many hundred yeares at the least as his bodie had lien daies and nights in the former sepulchre How zealous therefore ought men to be for the honouring of the gospel of Christ Iesus with true honour wherein Christ Iesus himselfe thus raised vp and glorified cannot but be likewise honoured As such men ought to be thus zealous in speaking for Christ and his gospel at all times so especially then ought they to be most zealous when any speciall occasion requireth the same or when any speciall opportunitie is offered thereunto Salomon saith How good is a word spoken in due season Prov. 5. 25. He speaketh this by question and admiration and thereby teacheth that he himselfe the wisest that euer was Christ onely excepted could not well expresse how good a word was spoken in due season Therefore he saith againe A word spoken in his place is like apples of gold with pictures of siluer Prov. 25. 11. Such therefore as the Lord hath aduaunced to such place either in Church or in commonwealth as wherein at any time by word or deede they may further this religion in this booke thus cōmended I wish to watch all opportunitie of doing further good and any beeing offered not to neglect the same but wisely to take and follow it to the vtmost of their power Where any noble honourable or other great person seeth any conuenient time where his word may doe good to further religion thereby to aduance God his glorie let him thinke with himselfe as Mordecaie spake vnto Ester Ester 4. 14. who knoweth whither the Lord hath thus aduanced me for this time 2 Neither let any such person feare the losse of their labour touching themselues in speaking in such causes God whose religion ours is hath saide by his Prophet 1. Sam. 2. 30. Them that honour me I will honour and he is faithfull that hath promised Hebr. 10. 23. This is manifest by many of the examples before mentioned The fruit indeede of such labour doth not alwaies appeare presently yet God is not vnrighteous that he should forget the worke and labour of such loue towardes his name c. Hebr. 6. 10. but he taketh such a note thereof yea of the least word spoken this waie that it shall most certenly be remembred to such persons themselues or to their posteritie euen in this life and touching the benefites thereof when all the world shall thinke it buried and euen as it were wholly consumed to ashes in the graue of obliuion It was not much that Iethro the father in law of Moses did called also Keni Iudg. 1. 16. and of whome descended the Kenites it was not much I say that this Iethro or Keni did for the Israelites For he did but onely giue counsaile to Moses his sonne in law for the better gouernement of the Israelites Exod. 18. 19. yet note what note the Lord kept of this small matter After the death of Moses after the death of Ioshua and the elders that ouerliued Ioshua after the death of Othniel Ehud Shamgar Debora Gedeon and the rest of the Iudges that iudged Israel mentioned in the whole booke of Iudges after the death of Eli and his sonnes after the gouernment of Samuel resigned into the hands of Saul after all this euen foure hundred yeares after the former counsell giuen by Iethro to Moses did the Lord thinke vpon this kindnes and recompenced it tenne fold to the Kenites the posteritie of Iethro Yea rather then it should not be recompenced he raised vp Saul to recompence the same euen vnnaturall vnthankfull and most cruell Saul that had sworne the death of his owne sonne Ionathan 1. Sam. 14. 44. who had saued Israel and would indeede haue killed him had not the people rescued him that afterward did daily hunt for the life of Dauid as for a partridge in the mountaines 1. Sam. 26. 20. who had notwithstanding killed the great Goliah whome all Israel durst not looke in the face 1. Sam. 17. 24. and gotten many other victories of the Philistims and married Saul his owne daughter that also killed all the Lord his priests at once 1. Sam 22. 18. euen this bloodie man did the Lord raise vp to recompense the kindnes of Iethro and to saue the liues of all the Kenites Yea though this Saul were a man most vnmercifull vnto them to whome he owed much mercie and other loue yet the Lord so wrought his heart for the recompencing of that that Iethro had done to Moses and for Israel that he was very earnest with the Kenites for the withdrawing themselues from the Amalakites that he might not destroy them with the Amalakites Therefore he saith not onely Goe but also depart yea also he addeth Get ye downe from among the Amalakites least I destroy you with them And why is he thus mercifull vnto them for saith he ye shewed mercy to all the children of Israel when they came vp from Egypt 1. Sam. 15. 6. Certenly this mercie whereof such a streame did flow from Saul towards the Kenites was onely of the Lord not of Saul himselfe Saul of himselfe as we haue heard was as the stonie rocke in the wildernes which notwithstanding the Lord made to giue drinke plētifully to the Israelites and their cattell Numb 20. 8. Saul of himselfe had neither the religion nor the manners to consider greater things done by those that were of his owne blood for himselfe and for the present generation of the Israelites Shall we then thinke that he had religion or manners to remember such olde good turnes done so many yeares before for the old forefathers of the Israelites Nowe what doth this example teach vs but that the Lord is iust to remember the like kindnes when all men shall thinke it vtterly forgotten yea to make such to consider the same as from whome in respect of their contrarie disposition no such matter can in reason be hoped for but rather the contrarie feared 3 But what shall I neede to call as it were so loud vnto antiquitie so farre off for an example whereby to iustifie the righteousnesse of God in honouring them that honour him Is not Queene Elizabeth yet liuing and many yeares more O blessed God may shee liue and raigne to thy glorie is not is not this our most noble gracious and Christian
repentance before the Lord Iudg. 20. 26. Now the sinne of the Israelites for which they receiuing such a double foyle appeareth by the text to haue beene first too much confidence of the victorie in regard partly of the goodnes of their cause partly of their great multitude and secondly that although they sought vnto god in that behalfe yet they sought not in such humble and earnest manner as they should haue done and also did at the last when they had not onely warrant from God to goe againe to battell but also a promise of victorie Now if these sinnes be so dangerous to a good and iust cause what may be feared of great sinnes Thus much shall suffice to haue spoken concerning them that are of our religion THE FOVRTH VSE CONCERning Atheists and all those that are of no religion TOuching them that are not of our religion they are especially either Atheists and such as are of no religion or Papists By Atheists I meane not onely such as in deede and openly professe theÌ„selues to be such not fearing plainly to denie God and all religion of which sort we hauee too many euen in our lande but also such as doe beare men in hand that they are of our religion but in truth are not For albeit they will goe to Church and performe other outward duties that our religion requireth yea will also sometime speake and doe something for our religion yet all is but in pollicie they practise onely the precepts of cursed Machiuel and therfore if any change should come which the God of heauen keepe from vs they are as readie for any religion as for this To this sort of Atheists I doe also referre many ciuill men that neuer knew or heard of Machiuel himselfe neither of his precepts which come also to Church c. and liue likewise vprightly as touching ciuill righteousnes and outward equitie amongst their neighbours which will also sometimes talke of religion both ours and poperie and yet in truth also are of no religion at all neither Protestants nor Papists Moreouer hitherto belongeth a great multitude of poore soules in this land that for want of instruction are so ignorant that they know not what religion is or any point of religion and which therefore make no difference betwixt our religion and poperie All these I wish seriously to consider of my former arguments and thereby to prouoke themselues to make more account of religion generally and secondly of our religion onely then euer they haue done As they haue heard our religion to be of God and acceptable vnto him so let them know that they cannot please God in any other waie but onely in our religion How miserable therefore wretched and fearefull is their estate and condition Let all such therefore lament this their miserie heartily thanking God that they vnderstood it before their ende and whilst it is called to daie let them not harden their hearts but heare the voice of God yet calling them to his true religion and knocking at the dore of their consciences to be entertained with his truth Let them seeke the Lord whilst he may be found and call vpon him whilst he is neare Esa 55. 6. least neglecting his grace offered vnto them the Lord remooue his kingdome and depart himselfe as it were out of their hearing and so withdraw his mercies from them and poure out his iudgements vpon them that they stretch out their hands and the Lord hide his eyes they make many praiers and the Lord heare not Esa 1. 15. they seeke and there be none to be found to helpe them Ioh. 7. 34. yea least notwithstanding their seeking they die for all that in their sinnes Ioh. 8. 21. Let such as now laugh at and make as it were a Maie-game of all religion and the professours thereof weepe mourne in time for their such laughing least the Lord also doe laugh them to scorne in their miserie Psal 73. 13. and doe mocke theÌ„ when their feare commeth Prov. 1. 26. bringing such heauines vpon them that they cannot laugh though they would yea and in the ende casting them into the place of vtter darknes feare horrour where is nothing but weeping and gâ—ashing of teeth Math. 8. 12. that is in hel fire that neuer shall be quenched where their worme dieth not and their fire neuer goeth out Mark 9. 43 44. Those also that hitherto haue beene secure and careles regarding no religion let them likewise in time better regard such meanes as whereby they may be drawne to our religion THE FIFTH VSE CONCERning weake and ignorant Papists TO Papists also I saie the same especially to such as are Papists in a kind of conscience that is to such as are not of that religion of any obstinate and wilfull minde but because in ignorance they are perswaded their religion to be the right waie and ours to be a wrong or by-waie I doubt not but that there are many such in the land Yea I hope that many Papists are such This I doe hope of such Papists as bring not forth those fruits that poperie approoueth of whereof I haue spoken in my sixt argument before which are also mercifull and readie to doe good not to them onely of their owne religion but also to other These I hope to be rather ignorant then wilfull Papists therefore I haue also some good hope of their conuersion in time especially if it might please God to mooue their hearts to haue regard of the perfect law of god which conuerteth the soule Psal 19. 7. And truly in the Christian loue that I beare vnto these and in the pittie and compassion I haue of their soules as I see them full of pittie and compassion towards the bodies of other and likewise to haue many other excellent commendable things in them I haue the rather set penne to paper for the writing of this treatise to trie if it might please my good God to blesse my labour vnto their good euen to the winning of them to our religion For I protest vnto them and God knoweth I speake the truth of my heart and lie not neither dissemble that I so desire their saluation that I would be gladder thereof then of all worldly wealth and good whatsoeuer In the meane time me thinketh that howsoeuer they be commended for many excellent things indeede not very common yet all their commendation is very defectiue and lame for want of commendation touching true religion Yea certenly when a man hath saide all that he can in commending such persons and then saith that these were excellent men or worthie women were it not for one thing that is for their religion this one thing wanting is more then all they haue For this one thing concerneth God all the other for which Papists are commonly coÌ„mended concerne but men And our Sauiour saith that the great and first or chiefest commandement is to loue the Lord our God c. Math. 22. 38. yea
libertie Hauing shewed it to be a religion without all found ioy comfort hauing blamed it as a ridiculous and foolish religion nothing sauouring the excellent wisdome of God hauing likewise added that it is plausible and well liking to the naturall and vnregenerate man and therefore altogether disliking and vnpleasant vnto God and finally hauing obiected to the chiefe times of poperie great blindnes and ignorance as touching the sound and true knowledge of God so also touching other good learning in the learned toÌ„gues and in all learned arts and hauing in the saide treatise firmely though but briefly prooued all these things that so I might not therein be ouer-tedious to the reader sithence the finishing of the former worke I haue thought good to make this addition following for the more euident and plentifull demonstration of all those thingâ— before mentioned Such therefore as desire to see all things before touched and obiected to poperie more largely opened and prooued such I saie I call to this addition wherein they shall see the words of the popish Church it selfe more amply to iustifie all my former words yea they shall here see not onely their owne wordes buâ— also their owne syllables their owne letters their owne points For as nigh as I could yet in some things I may slippe because I found it an harder matter to set downe their false manner of writing then if all things had beene truly penned by them as nigh I say as I could I haue written all things in this addition abbreuiations onely excepted in the very same sort that I finde them written in their owne bookes Let not therefore the Christian and learned teader be here offended either with the rudenes of the latine it selfe or with the false manner of writing thereof without obseruation of any rules of orthographie For as sentences are written here without any true points as I haue set downe the words themselues without dipthongs without great letters for the most part at the beginning of sentences and especially of proper names one letter also sometimes for an other as K for C Y for I and such like and aduerbs that should be accented without any accents as I say these things are set downe by me so did I finde them so shall the reader finde them in auncient books out of which I haue taken them And thus I haue the rather done that thereby their ignorance their blindnes and rudenes euen in the latine tongue whereof notwithstanding they made most profession might the more euidently appeare euen to the children that haue learned any rules of grammar Touching the matter it selfe of these things here added it is either so blasphemous that it will make any christian heart to tremble at the reading or hearing thereof or so foolish and ridiculous that any man of reason will think it more fit for a stage then for the Church the place of God his worship and to make sport withall rather then to haue the name of religion In this addition for the most part I haue set downe the latine it selfe that so all men may the lesse suspect my faithfulnesse in reporting their wordes Notwithstanding sometime when there is no speciall thing in the latin either for phrase or for manner of writing worthie the noting and especially when the latin is very long I haue for breuities sake either altogether omitted the latin or onely set downe the beginning thereof sometimes also noting some special words in the margent Now although this addition may at the first seeme somewhat large yet to the reader it neede not be very painfull for that one halfe is in a manner the whole because if the reader be learned vnderstanding the latin tongue then he may read the latin onely omitting the english If the reader know no other tongue then the english then the reading onely of the english will be sufficieÌ„t Now to come to the things themselues which here I purpose to adde I will first beginne with their popish seruice bookes and proceede from them to the writings of some of their chiefe Doctours and finally conclude this whole addition with some of the miracles of the virgin Marie Now because their seruice bookes are full of many blasphemies as wherein they giue so many of God his peculiar attributes vnto the Saints especially to the virgin Marâ—e and to the crosse yea to the bare signe of the crosse that in truth they leaue nothing to God himselfe I will onely select the principal of them wherein are the highest blasphemies and omit the other as beeing of more labour to be written then of vse to be read These that follow are such that it may be many did neuer thinke so foolish and abominable stuffe had beene in their bookes vntill they did see their owne wordes 2 Therefore out of a booke intituled in some impressions horae beate virginis Marie ad legitimum sarisburiensis ecclesie ritum c. I haue gathered these things following These praiers following ought to be said ere ye depart out of your chamber at your vprising The Apostle teacheth to praie with vnderstanding but of thes praiers following as the language was vnknowne to the common people so the sentences of them doe not agree one with an other leafe 7. first side Auxiliatrix sis mihi irinitas sanctaâ— deus in nomine tuo leuabo manuâ— meas Crux triumphalis passionis domini nostri Iesâ— Christâ— Jesus Nazarenus rexâ— Iudeorâ—â—m fi lt dei miserere mei In nomine patris filij spiritus sancti Amen per signum sancte crucix X libera nos deus salutaris noster that is in english Helpe me O holy trinitie O God in thy name will I lift vp my hands The triumphant These sentences agree like light and darknes Note that here and many other places they say not by the crosse it selfe but by the signe of the crosse crosse of the passion of our Lord Iesus Christ Iesus of Nazareth the king of the Iewes O sonne of God haue mercie on me In the name of the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost Amen By the signe of the holy crosse deliuer vs O God of our saluation Againe in the same leafe When thou goest first out of thy house blisse thee saying thus Crux triumphatnis domini nostri Iesu Christ ecce viuifiee crucis dominicum sanctum fugite partes adverse The triumphant crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ Behold the Lords signe of the quickning crosse Avoide ye that are my aduersaries When thou takest holy water say thus Aqua benedicta sit mihi salus vita presta mihi domine per hanc creaturam aspersionis aque sanitatem mentis integritatem corporis tutelam salutis securitatem spei corroborationem fidei nunc in futuro Pater noster Aue Maria. This blessed water be vnto me health and life worke in me O Lord What warrant haue they thus to pray by this creature of sprinkling of
thanks to God shee said to the deuill enarra mihi naturam tuam Tell me thy nature The deuill saide Take away thy foote from the crowne of my head that I may tell thee This beeing done the deuill saide I am as one of them whome Salomon shut vp in a brasen Salomon a coniurer Diuels may be locked vp in vessels vessell and when the Babylonians came they thought that it had beene full of golde and brake it open and by this meanes we flew out and euer sithence we haue laid snares for the iust After these and many other things the virgin said vnto him Auoide O tempter Sathan Then the earth opened her mouth and receiued him 4 In the seauenth and eight lesson next An other tale of the said Margaret following is added this historie of the saide virgin Margaret The gouernour Olymbrius hauing grieuously tormented her commanded her to be bound hand and foote and put into a great vessell of water The virgin praied that that water might be made a fountaine of baptisme vnto eternall life Then was a great earthquake and a doâ—e came from heauen and set a crowne of gold vpon her head By this sight fiue thousand men were conuerted besides women and children all which by the commandement of Olymbrius were beheaded and he seeing her constancie commanded her in like maÌ„ner to be put to death Beeing brought forth therefore to the place of execution shee desired the hangman to giue her leaue to praie This graunted and her praier made that euery one that should write her sufferings or reade it or heare it or make mention of it might merit pardon of This maketh well for me that write this historie so also for all them that shall read it c. his sinnes c. This praier I say made to this effect and more largely there were great thunders and a doue came from heauen saying Blessed art thou O spouse of Christ Margaret behold Christ hath graunted all thy petitions come therefore into the rest of thy heauenly couÌ„trey Then shee lifting vp her selfe badde the hangman execute his masters commaundement But he saide God forbid that I should kill thee Shee answered if thou doest it not thou canst haue no part with me Then he trembling cut off her head and falling at the feete of the virgin he gaue vp the ghost 5 Many other like fabulous things are reported in the same booke of other the like saints as of Saint Osmond Saint Kenelme the King of the seauen sleepers of whome they The 7. sleepers read likewise for a lesson in the church that they fleeing persequution and laying them downe in a caue to sleepe continued there sleeping 362. yeares Likewise of Saint Oswald the king of Saint Laurence Saint Dionis and his fellows Saint Edward the king of Saint Wenefred the virgin of these I saie and many other the like saints many fabulous things are there reported which I might here haue added but hauing beene long alreadie in these seruice bookes I dare not presume further vpon he patience of the reader For this cause also I forbeare further addition of many most foule and blasphemous prayers in the feast of the exaltation of the crosse the rather also because I haue noted the like before 6 Nowe it may be some will here obiect against these things thus gathered out of their seruice bookes that albeit it be most true indeede that sometimes there haue beene such praiers and such pardons annexed vnto them yet now the church of Rome hath vtterly disclaimed and reuoked them and likewise reformed such bookes as now especially they vse To this I answer first that if there be any such reuocation and reformation of the foresaide ridiculous toyes and horrible blasphemies because they were ridiculous and blasphemous then thereby it is graunted that the time hath beene when the Church of Rome was a foolish and blasphemous Church and their religion likewise foolish and blasphemous For otherwise what needed they to haue reuoked such things or to haue made any reformation of them Secondly I demand where this reuocation and reformation is They wil perhaps wonder at this demaund sith I my selfe haue before named their late booke intituled officium beatae Mariae virginis nuper reformatum pij quinti pontificis maximi iussâ—â— editum that is the seruice of blessed Marie the virgin lately reformed and by the commandement of Pius the fift high priest published They will perhaps referre me to this booke it selfe as pretended to be reformed and especially to the preface thereunto prefixed by the said pepe Pius wherein is a kinde of reuocation of some former seruices of the virgin 7 Touching the booke it selfe I doe onely repeat my answer before made namely that this booke is but onely said and pretended to be reformed and not reformed in truth at the least of the substantiall points most to be regarded This is manifest by such ridiculous blasphemous praiers as I haue before noted out of the same booke still remaining therein Therefore in setting this title before the booke The seruice of the Virgin lately reformed they doe but as many a false taylour doth with the garment which he hath marred in making and as some careles cooks with the meate which they serue vnto their masters table not throughly rosted or boiled As the taylour beeing blamed for the fault of the garment promiseth to mende it taking it home with him bringeth it againe facing out the owner that he hath mended it when he neuer did any thing more vnto it then at the first at least to any purpose and as the cooke beeing rebuked for his negligence oftentimes notwithstanding sendeth in the meat the second time as better rosted or boiled when either he neuer did put it againe on the spit or into the pot or if he did that yet it had neuer a turne more nor any more seething euen so the church of Rome being iustly blamed for the grosse and foule blottes of their former seruice bookes haue taken it againe into their shoppe or kitchin but yet returned it vnto vs or rather vnto their mistris and ladie onely giuing this word reformatum reformed that is facing vs or rather their mistris and ladie omnia esse bene that is that all things are well when in truth the chiefe and most principall absurdities and blasphemies doe yet remaine 8 Concerning the preface vnto the former booke so pretended to be reformed I graunt that therein seemeth to be a kinde of reuocation or disanulling of some former seruice The auncient popish seruice bookes before mentioned are not now disanulled or reuoked by the church of Rome bookes but not of such seruice bookes as out of which I haue gathered the things before set downe For in the same preface after the reuocation and disanulling of their former seruice bookes which it doth reuoke and disanull followeth a very large exception of three branches the first is
manner abhorre this Romish religion For although now all kinde of learning doe flourish by the meanes of the gospel yet if euer poperie preuaile as it hath done and recouer the former strength as I hope it shall neuer doe doubtles all learning will wither and decaie againe In the time of the Apostles in the age of the primitiue church the gifts of Gods spirit did much more abound then now they doe yet as poperie spread it selfe ouer the face of the earth so those gifts decaied vntill there was as much barbarisme as poperie Let the like therefore be feared if poperie should againe ascend the staires of her former dignitie 31 If any shall obiect against these things that I haue noted out of popish writings for the disgracing of poperie that in many of our books like wise there are some vanities absurdities I answer that though this should be An answer to an obiection touching the former popish testimonies graunted yet first the matters are not so blasphemous so grosse so rude and so ridiculous as these that I haue noted a thousand yea ten thousand the like Secondly the number of them is not so great Thirdly the persons that haue written such vanities are not of that credit in our whole church as these and other are with their Church Fourthly our mens books are not published by such high authoritie solemne allowance as the bookes before mentioned and other the like writings of theirs haue bin THE SEAVENTH PART IT remaineth now that according to my promise I make the reader a litle banquet with some of the Virgins miracles Herein I will be the briefer by how much the larger I haue bin in the former I will not therefore take all neither the largest dishes least I should leaue her table bare but I will onely make choice of the least but yet the daintiest iunkats that so the taking of them away may be the lesse espied Yet what neede I feare the missing of any thing from her table her power is such that as they say of the crosse vpon which Christ suffered that whatsoeuer is taken from it yet it is not diminished but remaineth as ample as it was at the first so we may like wise say of these her iunkats that though we should take neuerso many of them yet her table would be nothing the barer And therefore whereas the booke or rather the closet and storehouse of her miracles for so it is called Promptuarium discipuli de miraculis beate Marie virginis containeth but 99. miracles this may well be added vnto them for an other to make vp the whole hundred that whatsoeuer a man taketh away yet her table remaineth as fully furnished as at the first before any dish was touched And that no man may thinke these miracles to haue beene of meane account in the popish Church let him first vnderstand that both they were solemnly read in the churches for lessons in their publique seruice vpon such feastiuall daies as they did obserue vnto the virgin as also the great diuines of the popish Church did commonly alleadge theÌ„ in their sermons for authorities to prooue and confirme many of the points of their religion Both these things I haue made manifest Againe the gatherer together of these miracles in his prologue to the whole worke doth commend the dainties following to be Omni melle dulciora sweeter then any honie What is this but to compare them with the written word of God which is in like manner commended psal 19. 10. 2. Now for the manner of setting downe these miracles I will for the more breuities sake altogether omitthe latine except now and then some speciall word or phrase which I will put in the margent and content my selfe onely with the english faithfully translated And in case the whole miracle be very long I will onely set downe the summe therof briefly The contents of each example or miracle shall be placed in the margent And all this I will doe so faithfully that no Papist whatsoeuer shall be able iustly to charge me with any false dealing 3 To come then to the miracles themselues I will passe by the first and second example and beginne with the third the text whereof is this There was a certaine woman of honest conuersation who although being Marie deliuereth a woman from damnatioÌ„ whichin her confession wittingly concealed a great sinne maried she did weare a secular habite yet she liued a regular life Notwithstanding in her youth she had committed a great fault which for shame she durst not tell any man When she confessed her selfe to the priest cloking Palliato crimine sic conclusit Reddo me culpabilem her sinne thus she concluded Of all that I haue said or not said I yeelde my selfe guiltie and saying this oftentimes she sighed grieuously The priest perceiuing this did cunningly Calide tentabat◠〈…〉 â— trie to draw from her that which laie hidde when he could not he admonished her to reueale her conscience to the Prior of the next Monasterie and he aduised him warily Et ipsc caute euÌ„ investigaâ—e persuasit ◠〈…〉 â— to aske her but neither could he wrest any thing from her Notwithstanding this woman was wont dailybefore the altar or the image of the blessed virgin with weeping to open her foresaid fault At the last when she died in this manner and her daughter which dwelt in a village some what farre of was looked for at her buriall she at the length comming with howling and mourning and her haire spread abroad embraced the bodie of her mother and cryed out Alas mother why dost thou forsake me a wretched creature then with her lamentation she mooued the standers by and the soule of her mother presently returned and waking as it were out of sleepe said The Lord commanding I am reuiued One raised from â—he dead to confesse vnâ—o a priest a sinne before concealed take away the things wherewith I am couered and let me arise When she was thus set at libertie a priest was called for and the fault opened And she testifying that by the intercession of the blessed virgin she was deliuered saide vnto all them that flocked vnto the miracle I beeing deliuered to the tormentours was drawne to punishment but the blessed virgin succouring me said and asked theÌ„ that did lead me why they durst presume to lead her handmaid and bad them quickly Et vs cito donec a domino sententiarer me deponerent aiâ— So the deuills were very hastie to take her before sentence to let me goe vntill I had sentence of the Lord. The which beeing done she comming to her sonne praied saying I pray thee O sonne let not that soule be damned which did so often bewaile her sinne before me To whome the Lord said thou knowest mother that without confession she cannot be saued but because I can denie nothing vnto thee let her returne and confesse and so she
of men in his worship Isa 29. 13. Math. 15. 3. and in many other places doth he also condemne wil worship and such as is forged onely in the forge of man his wit but poperie prescribeth a forme of God his worshippe principally according to the doctrines of men and least of all according to the doctrine of God himselfe Yea to speake according to truth they haue brought such a darke cloud of the precepts of men into the worship of God that a man can hardly discerne whether they worship God according to any of his owne precepts Yea to speake yet more plaine they make so many images crosses reliques of saints they make so many praiers to Saints and offer so many gifts vnto them they haue so many pilgrimages in their honour they repose so much trust and confidence in all these things they bestow so much cost vpon them they so precisely and superstitiously obserue daies consecrated vnto them c. that a man cannot well saie that they worship God in any manner at all As for their foolish distinction digged onely out of that colepit from whence they haue digged their Images reliques and inuocation of Saints c. as none of their learned sort haue euer bene able to defend it so not one of fiue thousand of the vulgar people doe know or vnderstand it How then can they regard it or tell when they giue that vnto God which they giue vnto saints and images c. or that to these things which they should by their owne doctrine onely giue vnto God 2 Neither doe they onely worshippe these things but also a peece of bread which as soone as they haue adored goeth into the mouth from their mouth into the stomacke from the stomacke into the paunch and from the paunch out againe of the bodie all men know whither That this is so whatsoeuer the ignorant are perswaded to the contrarie is manifest because that if a man were driuen to that necessitie that he had no other meate to eate then their consecrated host as they call it as sometime Dauid was forced to eate of the shewbread I am sure they could not denie but that their host so eaten for a weeke or a moneth together would nourish the naturall man as well as other bread so as that their should be as good digestion and egestion of that as also of other bread or meate if it be so can the nature of it be so altered according to their doctrine and by their inchanting sorceries as that there should remaine nothing but accidents of bread It is most absurd it is most ridiculous For how can meere accidents nourish a materiall substance and make a materiall egestion If they saie that all this is done by the substance of Christ his very bodie they speake the more grossely in making that foode for this natural life and the more blasphemously in saying that that goes into the draught Againe in such a case I demand also whether a man forced to liue onely by such meanes for a time or so liuing voluntarily by getting some way or other all the Hosts to himselfe in a cuntrie could liue by them alone without drinke Certenly by their doctrine for the administring of the sacramēt in one kind onely it should be so For they say that one kind onely is sufficient because the blood of Christ is alwaies with the bodie per concomitantiam So then by this reason a man that should haue nothing but their host for a weeke or moneth or longer time to liue vpon should not onely haue meate but also drinke For they must as wel grāt the blood of Christ to be sufficient to quench thirst as his flesh to satisfie hunger Yet for all this let one of them trie but so litle a time to liue in this manner I meane onely feeding vpon nothing but vpon breade consecrated by some Papist and I doubt not but that he will be glad to aske his neighbour a cup of some other drinke beside that spiritual drinke which he hath by concomitance as they speak of his foode Yea if some Papist would trie this way to liue but a little while he should quickly finde the knauerie of transubstantiation and consequently also the impietie of all poperie 3 Nowe to returne from whence we haue made this digression the Papists doe not onely worship the crosse reliques and such like things but such as are no reliques of the Saints peeces of woode in stead of peeces of the crosse whereon Christ was nailed For if so many Churches should haue such large thongs of the very crosse of Christ as the Papists say they haue all gathered together would load the best shippe in England then no maruaile indeede though Christ were wearie of bearing his crosse what a gyant was Simon of Syrene whom they compelled to beare such a burthen O say they you doe not vnderstand the mysterie For the crosse of Christ was not so heauie as al the peeces now laid together would be How so because euer as one peece was cut off the remainder did grow to the former greatnes and was neuer a whit lesse then at the first but notwithstanding all the peeces cut off it still remaineth whole Let him that list beleeue this my name is Thomas and I will not beleeue it till I see it therefore I shall neuer beleeue it Touching their worship of reliques he that will haue sport let him read M. Caluin of that matter I meane his little booke of reliques where amongst other reliques he shall finde Christ his foreskinne cut off when he was circumcised his shooes the earth that laie vnder his feete when he raised vp Lazarus from the dead the title set ouer his head at his crucifying his thornie crowne the dish wherein he did eate the paschall lambe the napkin about his head when he was buried yea the very taile of the asse whereon he rode and many such morsels 4 By these things hitherto spoken we see how contrarie poperie is vnto the religion commended in the Scriptures both in matter and also in forme Who therefore that knoweth the constant immutable and spirituall nature of God can be perswaded in any reason that poperie should be acceptable vnto God If out of one fountaine cannot come both sweete and sowre waters can two religions so contrarie come from one and the same God If God approoue that religion which is commended in the Scriptures then he must needes disalow of that which is contrarie thereunto or if he allow of that religion which is contrarie to the Scriptures then he must also disallow of the religion commended in the Scriptures If therefore no man dare thinke that God disalloweth of the religion commended in the scriptures let no man dare to thinke that he alloweth poperie so contrarie thereunto Now as touching our religion both matter and forme agree with the Scriptures We commend knowledge we commend and teach all that the scriptures commend
and teach we saie also and prooue by most sufficient arguments that the Scriptures are sufficient of themselues and conteine all things pertaining to the worshippe of God and saluation of men Therefore also so nigh as we can we frame the manner of our worship of God according onely to the Scriptures If therefore the matter of the Scriptures if the forme of God his worship prescribed in the scriptures be acceptable vnto God then also is our religion but the former cannot be denied therefore also the latter must be graunted THE FIFTH ARGVMENT touching the ende of true religion THat that we haue saide of the contrarietie and difference betwixt popery in the former things and betwixt that religion which the Scriptures commend may also be said touching the end of that religion which the scriptures commende and the ende of poperie For the scriptures commend that religion wherein all things are referred to the glorie of God The Prophet saith Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glorie Psal 115. 1. And againe Helpe vs O God of our saluation for the glorie of thy name deliuer vs and be mercifull vnto vs for thy names sake Psal 79. 9. Our Sauiour beginneth his praier which he commendeth vnto all men with this petition Hallowed be thy name and concludeth it with these words For thine is the kingdome the power and the glorie The Apostle commaundeth whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glorie of God 1. Cor. 10. 30. All the Apostles say Vnto him that is vnto God be praise in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all generations for euer Eph. 3. 20 21. And againe Vnto God euen our father be praise for euermore Amen Phil. 4. 20. And againe Now vnto the King euerlasting immortall inuisible vnto God onely wise be honour and glorie for euer and euer Amen 1. Tim. 1. 7. And again To God onely wise our Sauiour be glorie and maiestie Iud. 25. So also the Angels gaue glorie and honour and thankes to him that sate vpon the throne Rev. 4. 9. All creatures also in heauen and on earth and vnder the earth and in the sea and all that are in them did Iohn heare to say Praise and honour and glorie and power be vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne which liueth for euer and euer Revel 5. 13. Many other the like testimonies of scripture there are in the same booke in the psalmes and elswhere teaching that all things are to be referred to the glorie of God and that this glorie of God should be the principall ende of all things and that nothing should be done but that whereby God might be glorified Matth. 5. 16. This is likewise manifest by reason because God hath made all things ruleth all things and all things hold of him and serue vnder him therefore it followeth that all things should seeke his praise and glorie aboue all things and referre all things thereunto 2 Now what doth poperie doth it thus respect God his glorie in all things doth it referre all things thereunto Nothing lesse what with inuocation of Saints and trusting in them what with making images and worshipping of them what with giuing of the Pope the name of god the headship of the Church power to forgiue sinnes to let out of purgatorie to command the deuills in hell to open heauen gates and magnifying him accordingly what with turning of bread into the bodie of Christ and adoring the same what with commending the free will of man and teaching his abilitie and strength to keepe the commandements of God what with the doctrine of the blood of Martyrs of merits and of works supererogatorie what I say with these and other the like things they ascribe so much to these things and so much respect the praise honour and glorie of these things that they doe nothing almost for the glorie of God Therefore they may say if they would speake truly and according to their doctrine and all their practise Not vnto thy name O Lord not vnto thy name yea they may adde the third time Not vnto thy name giue the glorie but unto saints vnto Pope vnto bread vnto Martyrs vnto vs. If they will yet say that all these things make to the glorie of God let them shew how which waies and what glorie God hath by them Our Sauiour Christ Ioh. 7. 18. saith thus of and for himselfe He that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his owne glorie but he that seeketh the glorie of him that sent him is true and no vnrighteousnes is in him In these words he prooueth himselfe to be true and free from vnrighteousnes because he sought the glorie of God that had sent him and on the contrarie that he that seeketh his owne glorie speaketh of himselfe and is not sent of God This may be well applied against Pope and poperie For our Sauiour speaketh as well generally as of himselfe The Pope therefore seeking his owne glorie and not the glorie of him by whome he saith he is sent doth manifestly condemne himselfe to speake of himselfe and not to be sent by him of whom he boasteth Poperie likewise seeking the glorie of it selfe and of other things not of God doth also bewraie it selfe not to be of God nor acceptable vnto God 3 As for our religion it ascribeth nothing to Saints or any other thing neither to our selues but all to God Our doctrine and whole religion abaseth all things yea our selues also and all that is in vs acknowledging that we haue no power in our selues and of our selues to doe speake or thinke any thing that is good confessing also our selues to be full of all euill naturally and prone to all sinne and wickednes teaching that what good soeuer is in vs it is onely of God and that no good thing is euer perfect whilst here we liue further also professing that whatsoeuer good we doe we merite nothing thereby at God his hands but that God for all that if he would deale with vs according to our vnworthines might most iustly cast vs out of his presence for euer Thus I saie doth our religion teach and thus we freely confesse and with heart and tongue we saie Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glory Therefore as this was a good argument for Christ thereby to approoue himselfe to be sent from God so also it is as good and firme for iustifying and approouing of our religion to be of God because it seeketh the glorie of God Thus much for the ende of Poperie THE SIXTH ARGVMENT touching the effects of true religion IN the next place let vs consider of the fruits of poperie and see whether they helpe vs not also with some armor against poperie As therfore Poperie teacheth doctrine contrarie to the scriptures so the fruits of poperie cannot be agreeable to them Such as their doctrine is such must be their fruits because their doctrine