liue that we may truly and iustly say applying the words of our Sauiour Christ to ourselues blessed are the eyes which haue seene those things which we haue seene there hauing beene many millions and thousands of our forefathers which detesting the Antichristian pride other loose behauiour of the Romane Clergie endeuouring to serue the Lord after the prescript of his owne word desired to haue seene but one of the daies which we haue seene and could not who although with Lot they vexed their righteous soules in the middes of a spirituall Sodome yet like Sea-fish which is alwaies most fresh in salt-water they kept themselues vnspotted of the world and would not spot their soules with such horrible cōtaminations wherwith the whole world almost was defiled in those times of great darknesse and superstition The conclusion is this that seeing ouer all the Christian world where the Gospell hath had free passage all those places wheresoeuer the sound thereof is heard are full of the knowledge of the Lord and that on the other side where poperie preuaileth there is nothing but ignorance and superstition the truth with tyrannie crueltie being kept vnder by reason of the Spanish inquisition that this is a verie strong motiue to perswade that the Gospell this day preached in the reformed Churches of Christendome is the infallible and vndoubted word of God Fourthlie it was euer reputed and accounted for a speciall fruite of the Gospel to teach people obedience to their Gouernours to vpholde the State and Maiestie of Kings and Princes into whose hands God hath committed the sword of publike authoritie Now our aduersaries cannot chuse but see and all the Christian world can witnesse with vs this day that in all these places where at this present through Gods goodnes and mercy the truth of the gospel is taught all such places are become more obedient to superior powers then euer they were before That there is greater maiestie to be found lesse arrogancie and tyrannie the Prince more honoured the Common-wealth and Church in far greater quiet then in former time of corruption when neither the Prince knewe what belonged to him nor the subiects knewe what properly belonged either to Caesar or vnto God And verilie one reason to perswade anie mans conscience that poperie is not of God may be this that whereas the doctrine of the Gospel is a doctrine of obedience which Christ both taught and acted his Apostles both by precept and practise confirmed whereas the whole current and streame of antiquitie runneth the same way that all manner of persons yea the BB. of Rome themselues for many hundred yeares together did acknowledge the Emperour for their Lord liege Lord and Maister the doctrine of the present Church of Rome perswadeth flatly to disobedience and plaine rebellion It teacheth that the people vpon the Popes warrant may lawfully beare armes against their soueraigne that by dispensation from the Pope they may lawfully renounce their allegiance yea further vpon the Popes iubet they may lay violent hands vpon him And so the Iesuites haue deliuered it for the resolute and vndoubted iudgement of the Church of Rome that it is a thing both lawfull and meritorious to kill and to murther Christian Princes professing a contrarie religion to the doctrine and faith of that Church poperie therfore that professeth not a lawfulnes onely but a merite in such desperate attempts contrarie to the manifest voyce of God Thou shalt not kill doth clearely conuince it selfe and shew it selfe to be a religion of the diuell and not of God Let this then suffice for a conclusion of my fourth motiue to shew that this is the alone propertie of the Gospel wheresoeuer true religion flourisheth to season the hearts both of young and old with true subiection and Christian obsequiousnesse to the higher and superiour powers Fiftly if long peace wealth and prosperitie to the outward blessings of God as vndoubtedly they be whereby he declareth his speciall fauour vnto that Prince and kingdome which feare him and worship him sincerely and with whom he is well pleased according to his word and promises in the scriptures that this must be an argument both of the singular fauour of god to all protestant Princes that haue imbraced the Gospel and of the sincere religion professed by them wherewith he is well pleased For of all the Kings of Iuda who euer more abounded with all peace and worldly felicitie then those who were most religiously addicted and affected to the seruice of God as Iosias Ezechias Iehosaphat Dauid Salomon Thus the Lord spake to king Iehoiaekim by his Prophet Ieremie Iere. 22.15 Did not thy father Iosias eate and drinke and prosper when he executed iudgement and iustice and was not all this because he knew me saith the Lord What Prince was there euer in the world either more honoured or feared then Constantine the great was after he had once receiued the Christian religion all the kingdomes this day possessed with protestant Princes all the free cities and Common-wealths of Heleutia neuer were in more riches or setled tranquilitie neuer so potent nor so orderly gouerned as they be at this day religion there hauing so free a passage and course among them as it hath and to come neerer home to our owne daies if we doe but consider with our owne selues the long peaceable and prosperous raigne of our late dread soueraigne Queene Elizabeth the very ioy of Christendome whose land in her daies was a sanctuarie to all the world groning for the libertie of true religion we shall perceiue that from the beginning of her most happie raigne vntill the day of her dissolution by gods singular goodnesse this kingdome of great Britaine hath enioyed more vniuersall peace the people of the land encreased in greater numbers in more strength with greater riches and lesse sicknesse the earth hath yeelded more fruits and generally al kind of worldly felicitie hath more abounded since and during the time of the Popes thunders bulles curses and maledictions then in any other long time before when the Popes pardons and blessings came yearely into the Realme as they did in Queene Maries daies And thus much for proofe that the outward blessings of God which he hath bestowed vpon such Kings and Princes and states as haue embraced the Gospel of his sonne Christ Iesus are vndoubted arguments and demonstrations of the true and sincere religion professed by them The last motiue to perswade any Christian man not wilfully blinde to embrace the religion this day professed in the reformed Churches is with an vnpartiall eye to consider the great strange and maruelous things which the Lord hath done for the honour and aduancement of the Gospel in such places where it hath bene receiued Is it not strange that Martine Luther hauing his enemies so many so malicious so mightie should notwithstanding after nine and twentie yeares preaching die quietly in his bed in peace both of body and
lieth still and all other godlie and Christian meetings quite geuen ouer Farre otherwise then it was vnder the raignes of Dauid Ezechias Iosias and Iehoshaphat in whose dayes the people enioyed those three blessings before remembred namely godlines honestie and peace All those godly and religious Kings not onely by words encouraging the people to serue God but by their examples drawing great multitudes to imitate the same zeale and feruencie which they saw to be in such Princes vnder whom they liued But on the other side when God in his anger and iust indignation sendeth wicked Princes to sit in place of iudgement and authoritie religion and vertue goeth to decay Gods honour is defaced the people drawne to idolatrie the worship and seruice of God prophanely abused the truth whereof as it appeareth by diuerse and sundry examples of wicked Kings in the holie scriptures so in none more plainly then in King Ahab of whome I shall haue occasion heereafter to speake of whom the Scripture thus recordeth that he solde himselfe to doe wickedly in the sight of the Lord that hee did exceeding abhominably in following idolles 2. King 10.30.31 according to allthat the Ammonites did being prouoked thervnto by Iezabel his wife For it was a light thing for him to walk in the sinnes of Ieroboam except he tooke Iezabel also the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sydonians to wife and serued Baal and worshipped him In whose dayes what an hauocke there was made of the Saintes and seruants of God what an increase there was made of most grosse idolatrie by ioyning Gods worship and Baals together what slaughter of the Prophets of God liuing in those times which went vp and downe wandering in sheepes-skinnes and goates skinnes beeing destitute tormented and afflicted and for the safegard of their liues being glad to wander in the wildernesse and mountaines and dennes and caues of the earth Heb 11.37 is plainely to be seene by the complaint and request of the Prophet 2. King 19.14 which hee made vnto God against Israel saying O Lorde the children of Israel haue forsaken thy couenant cast downe thine Altars and slaine thy Prophet with the sworde and I onely am left and they seeke my life to take it away Albeit the answer of God said vnto him I haue reserued to my selfe seuen thousand men Rom 11.3.4 which haue not bowed the knee to Baal In this great and miserable desolation and confusion of his Church the Lord remembring his people of Israel when they little looked for it and lesse deserued it sent Elias the Prophet vnto them who the more forciblie to drawe both the King and his Subjects to a serious consideration of their sinnes and to shew how greatly the Lord was displeased for their idolatrous worshipping of Baal 1. King 17.1 tolde king Ahab to his face As the Lorde liueth before whome I stand there shall be neither deaw nor raine these yeares but according to my word which indeed according to the saying of the Prophet came to passe For as Elias moued by the instinct of Gods holy spirit prayed vnto God earnestly that it might not raine Iam 5.17 so according to his prayer it rained on the earth for three yeares and sixe moneths By meanes wherof the famine was so great in Israel for lacke of raine that man and beast were readie to perish and raine they could haue none but at Elias word as Elias had told the king before the drought beganne At the ende of the three yeares and sixe moneths of drought 1. King 18.1 the Prophet Elias was commaunded to shewe himselfe to king Ahab and albeit hee was greatly disswaded so to doe by Obadiah whom hee met in the way yet the Prophet was resolute solemnly protesting to Obadiah As the Lord of Hostes liueth in whose presence I stand I will surely shew my selfe vnto Ahab this day 1. King 18 15. Meeting therfore with Ahab and beeing challenged by him as the author of that famine and troubler of Israel he discharged himselfe and protested before the King that God plagued the whole Land because hee and his Fathers house had forsaken the commaundements of the Lord and followed other Gods And to iustifie his speech he offered to prooue before all Israel on the danger of his owne head that the king and the Land were but seduced and abused by the Prophets of Baal and that hee would prooue by no worse meanes then by miraculous fire from heauen which should shew them whose sacrifice was accepted assuring them of raine aboundantly after their conuersion to the true GOD for which cause at this time hee was sent vnto them To this the King gaue his consent and by the perswasion and motion of Elias sent by his Princely authoritie for all Israel that they should gather themselues together in mount Carmel together with the Prophets of Baal 450. which were dispersed throghout all the tribes of Israel the prophets of the groues 400. which did eat at Iezabels table The King the chiefe heads of the people of Israel and the prophets of Baal being thus assembled together in mount Carmel Elias commeth to the people and saith thus vnto them How long will yee halt betweene two Opinions c In the which words of the Prophet I obserue foure speciall things worthy of consideration Diuisio First he reproueth the Israelites for their halting consciences betweene two religions Secondly hee declareth vnto them that they cannot serue both Baal and God together and that religion is not a thing indifferent Thirdlie hee exhorteth them to constancie in religion and in following of God Fourthlie the successe which followed this reproofe of the Prophet In the reproofe of the Prophet I obserue these foure points First who it is that reproueth Elias Secondlie the persons whom he doth reproue The people of Israel Thirdlie the person before whom King Ahab Fourthlie the thing he reproueth in the people their wauering and vnconstancie in matter of religion In the person of Elias The person of Elias wee haue to obserue the great zeale constancie and boldnesse which should bee in the ministers and preachers of the Gospel For vnto them it belongeth to preach the preachings the Lorde hath bidden them and to proclaime his vengeance against sinners yea euen to stand at the gates of paradise with a flaming sword in their mouth against obstinate and vnrepentant sinners That which the prophet Micheas saith of himselfe Mich. 3.8 that he was full of power by the spirit of the Lord and of iudgement and of strength to declare vnto Iacob his transgression and to Iacob his sinne was as truly verified in his owne person whom neither the Courtlike perswasions of the Eunuch that went for him nor the consent of 400. Prophets nor the fauour of two Kings nor the danger of his owne head could driue him from the word of God And when the Eunuch had said vnto him behold now the
common people to imitate such vices as they see in their Princes vnder whom they liue And let this suffice to haue obserued in the person of Ahab Touching the people whom the Prophet reproueth in this for their halting consciences and doubling in matter of religion we may see the pronenesse and inclination of mans corrupt kind and nature to the most abominable vice of idolatrie True it is that mans nature at the first had vnderstanding graunted to the end that the truth might be learned by them and the true worship of the one God the onely Lord and maker of all But the diuels malice craftily came in place and caused men to forget their owne estate and the maiestie of God for their owne imaginations So that flesh delighting in her owne deuises hath made vs prone aboue all other faultes to superstition and wicked worshippings Sundrie lawes and ordinances almightie God deliuered to his people to be kept yet concerning none other matter did he giue either mo or more earnest and expresse lawes than those that concerned the true worshipping of him and flying of idolles and images and idolatrie and yet it is strange to consider how the Iewes the onely chosen people of God notwithstanding they were so often and earnestly warned so dreadfully threatned concerning images so many times and so extreamely punished therefore should yet for all this like blinde men without all knowledge and vnderstanding dishonour and diminish the high maiestie of the liuing God by the basenesse and vilenesse of sundrie and diuerse images of dead stones and stockes and mettalles to whom they bowed and gaue worship The meanes how the people of the Iewes fell to such grosse idolatrie was partly by the inclination of their owne corrupt nature and partly occasioned by the gentiles and heathen people dwelling round about them which were idolaters for thus the Prophet Ezechiel testifieth of them that they were wont to say Eze. 20.32 we will be as the heathen and as the families of the countries and we will serue wood and stone We see how the Iewes forced Aaaron afore his brother Moses could descend from the mount to make them a golden calfe Vp say they to Moses Exod. 32.1 and Aaron make vs goddes that may goe before vs. Ezechiel affirmeth that when the Israelites were yet in Egypt they had rebelled against the Lord and had not cast away the abominations of their eyes nor yet forsaken the idolles of the countrie Yea when they were in the land of Canaan they had no sooner tasted of the sweetnesse thereof but when they saw euery hie hill and all the thicke trees they offered there their sacrifices Eze. 20 28. and there they presented their offerings of prouocation there also they made their sweete sauour and powred out there their drinke offerings We may reade and see in the booke of Iudges that notwithstanding God sundrie times most grieuously plagued them for their idolatrie yet still they went a madding after their idolles We see that after the zealous kings Ezechias and Iosias had reformed religion and reduced it to his ancient puritie the people were so prone to the contrarie that immediately the people after their decease returned to their vomite againe Yea when the ten tribes were brought to Captiuitie for seruing God otherwise then he would the tribe of Iuda was not by this their brethrens plague amended nor when they were brought vnder yoke themselues they considered any whit the cause of their distresse which was the forsaking of the Lord their God When they were in Babylon they went as neere as they could to the rites of gentilitie and returning againe into the land of promise vnder Antiochus they fell againe Such is and such hath alwaies been the violent perswasion of errour and such is the force of superstition that assoone as euer occasion is ministred our corrupt nature inclineth to it desiring alwaies of our selues to attemper goddes seruice to our outward senses That blessed impe our late Iosias K. Edward the 6. was no sooner departed this life but the common people of the land as though they had neuer heard of God neuer heard any Preacher that shewed them the good and right way were mad after pilgrimages pardons c with other such idle toyes No maruaile then if al men generally being as wel inclined of their owne corrupt nature to spirituall fornication as to carnall and that the nature of man is no otherwise bent to worshipping of images if he may haue them and see them then to whoredome and fornication in the company of harlots no meruaile I say if so many occasions being ministred partly by the Priests and Iesuites remaining in prisons and lurking in diuerse parts of this kingdome and partly by the comming in of forraine Embassadours into this land which are in right permitted to haue the free vse and exercise of the present Romane Religion there are so many of our people specially of women a sex euer too credulous and apt to beleeue which are like the idolatrous Iewes euen mad in running to heare and see a Priest say Masse which Masse they are strongly borne in hand that it is the most precious treasure and inualuable iewell that euer Christ left to his Church that the want thereof is to be redeemed not onely with the losse of an 100 markes but with the losse of an 100. thousand liues But to speake of the Masse as the truth of the thing requireth and as hereafter I will more largely proue this I say that the popish Masse as now it is vsed in the Church of Rome is a very sea of abominations a gulfe a hel of iniquitie the vilest villaine that euer crept into the Church of God being so many waies derogatorie to the death and bloodshedding of Iesus Christ wherein poore simple soules are forced to attribute diuine honour to a peece of breade which the Papists teach them to call their Lord and their God and also made beleeue that the very hearing of a Masse is auailable vnto them ex opere operato that is onely because it is said and done and lastly that the Masse in all respects of power and vertue is as auailable and effectuall for the remission of sinnes as was the sacrifice of Christ vpon the crosse the absurditie of which positions shall receiue a iust confutation when I come to lay downe such arguments and proofes as may be produced out of the word of God for the disprouing of their daily Sacrifice of their Masse Hauing thus farre spoken of the person of Elias and of the person of Ahab and of the people whom the prophet Elias thus reproueth The thing hee reproueth it remaineth now that I speake of the speciall thing which hee reproueth in them that is their halting betweene two opinions not being resolued whether God were the Lord or Baal Which may seeme the more strange that this people which were the seede of Abraham the Lords owne
minde and be buried with that honour that fewe of his ranke and sorte was euer before Who could euer haue thought that after such a straunge and a most cruell massacre in France about the yeare 1572. there should haue beene remaining so much as any one Protestant aliue and yet notwithstanding all that crueltie though fewe in number forsaken and destitute of all worldly assurances being brought as it were to nothing haue yet strangely and indeed miraculously lifted vp their heads againe to the terrour and confusion of their proudest enemies Againe how can we conceiue it possible that the citie of Geneua should euer be able to hold out so long against so many intended inuasions and plottes by the Duke of Sauoie entending their vtter ruine and desolation but that the hands of their armies were strengthened by the hand of the mightie God of Iacob their strong redeemer who maintaining their cause against the rage of their enemies compassed them about with many ioyfull deliuerances hiding them as it were a shaft in the quiuer of his most carefull and mercifull prouidence What was purposed and intended by that inuincible Nauie of the Spaniards in 88. the Christiā world can witnesse that it was nothing else but to bring this noble Realme of England into slauish bondage And did not almightie God the sonne stand vpon our gard by getting himselfe honour vpon Pharao and vpon all the Egyptians euen vpon that great Armado which had beene so long in preparing so that their Altar-God their Crucifix God their Capitolian God were not as our God our enemies being iudges sundrie of the souldiours of Spaine confessing that during all the time of the fight at sea Christ had shewed himselfe a plaine Lutherane But let vs looke a litle further into the exceeding fauour of God shewed in particular to the late Queene Elizabeth how many and sundrie times was her dearest blood sought and how neere the bloudie traitours haue beene to the very execution of their diuelish designements some of them and more then once or twice in neerest and priuate places with their murderous weapons in their hands and yet behold how still they were preuented the Lord striking them with such a suddaine trembling of heart and astonishment of minde that they had neuer the power once to lay violent hands vpon her If all this doe not suffice for proofe of the truth on our side and not with the Papists let goddes speciall fauour miraculously shewed to the Kings maiestie that now is and his exceeding blessings vpon this our countrie by his most happie entrance vnto this crowne and successe to this kingdome be to vs as it is indeed an argument that the religion professed this day is the true religion acceptable to God conformable to his word but as God in all ages hath shewed his power in the miraculous and gracious deliuerance of his Church and protection of his holie and eternall truth so did it neuer more cleerely shewe it selfe then in the wonderfull and mighty deliuerāce of our gracious K. Iames the Queene the Prince and the rest of the royall braunches together with the Nobilitie Clergie and the Commons of this Realme by the pouder-Traytors the papists appointed as sheepe for the slaughter And let thus much be sufficient to haue spoken touching the strange and wonderful things which almighty God hath shewed in these last daies for the honour of his Gospell for the better satisfaction of them which as yet stand in doubt whether the Gospel we preach be the onely true Catholike faith of Christ But besides those men which stand at a stay and are not yet resolued which religion I meane ours or the papists is truest ther is risen another generation of men that are of opinion that there is no reall difference between the doctrine of the present Romane church the religion of the protestāts so make a fauorable compromission that the questions of religion betweene vs might easily be accorded which I take to be a thing altogether impossible the Papists standing in such termes of opposition against vs as they doe I remember my selfe preaching at a certaine countrey parish some three yeeres agoe a simple countrey man commeth vnto me and thus beginneth to question with me Syr your preachers make vs simple men of the countrey belieue that there is a wonderfull great difference betweene the new old Religion Pray Sir saith he what oddes is there betweene Our Father and Pater noster None at all said I but onely this that the one is in Latine and the other in English You haue answered right saith he and so I am perswaded that there is no other difference at all betweene the Masse our English Communion but onely that the one is in Latin the other in English And of this opinion it seemeth ther be manie which thinke and are perswaded that our religion and the religion of Rome are all one for substance For satisfaction therefore of them which thinke our English Communion and the popish Masse all one for substance I will set downe certaine reall differences whereby it may euidently appeare that the doctrine of the popish Masse neither hath nor can haue any agreemēt at all with the Lordes supper I speake at this time to men of great vnderstanding knowledge iudge yee what I say First whereas all the seruice and sacraments in S. Pauls time were done in the congregation in a knowne language the whole seruice of the Masse is saide either in the Greeke or Latine tongues not vnderstood of the common vulgar people Christ both gaue bread and likewise commanded them saying Drinke yee all of this the Church of Rome will at no hand suffer and permit the Lay-people to drinke of the Cup calling them Heretikes and Calixtions that desire to receiue the Cup together with the bread in the celebration of the Lords Supper By Christs institution the Priest and the people should both communicate together but in their Popish Masse the Priest is suffered to eate and drinke all alone the people standing by and not partaking the Lords supper with him Christ at his Maundie instituted a Sacrament of thanksgiuing and commaunded vs by eating and drinking to be partakers of his bodie that was wounded and of his blood which was shed the next day for the remitting and pardoning of our sinnes But the Church of Rome hath turned this Sacrament into a Sacrifice And whereas the Sonne of God saide Take this and eate it in remembrance of mee the Church of Rome saith take and offer this to bee a propitiatorie sacrifice for the quicke and the dead Christ tooke the bread in his hands blessed it and gaue it to his Disciples but hee did not say looke vpon it kneele and knock vnto it and worship it with diuine honour all which the church of Rome commandeth to be done in their popish Masse but as Christ took the bread so he left it bread whereas the popish
grounds of religion wherein both sides doe agree that the papist himselfe might resort vnto it without any scruple or scandall if faction more then reason did not preuaile A third difference betweene our forefathers and our Romish recusants is this our forefathers neuer for their part euer vnderstood the mysterie of popish iniquitie but in singlenesse of their hearts embraced the generall doctrine of the Gospel concerning saluation by faith in Christ those damnable and treasonable positions which the Church of Rome proposeth to be holden as verities of the Catholike faith were neuer knowne in the daies of our forefathers that is these fundamentall points of popish religion viz that the Pope is gods vicegerent here on earth and therefore superiour to the King of England That it is the Popes power to depose the King of England and depriue him of his crowne That the Pope may absolue his subiects from their oath of allegiance to him That at the Popes commandement the people are to take armes against him That it is both lawfull and meritorious before God to kill and to murther any Christian Prince if he fall into tyrannie or misbeliefe The secrets of this occupation were neuer so much as heard of in those daies I meane this king-killing and Queene-killing Doctrine of the papists for proofe wherof I will alleadge vnto you one famous and memorable example as I find it recorded In the wofull warres with the Barons when King Iohn was viewing of the Castell of Rochest held against him by the Earle of Arundel he was espied by a very good Arcubalaster who told the Earle thereof and said that he would soone dispatch that cruell tyrant if he would but say the word God forbid vile varlet quoth the Earle That we should proue the death of the holy one of God What said the Souldiour swearing a monstrous oath he would not spare you my Lord if he had you at the like aduantage No matter for that quoth the Earle Gods good will be done and he will dispose thereof and not the king an answere fitting and beseeming that most noble Earle far contrarie to the practise of our powder-Traitors and likewise contrarie to the practise of the late popes of Rome who haue beene so farre off from sauing and sparing the life of Christian Kings and Princes that as Pope Hildebrand gaue the first president they haue hired Assacinours to murther them to lay violent hands vpon them as it is plainely to be proued by the practise of Pius quintus Gregory the thirteēth Sixtus quintus who not onely resolued that parricide of Princes was lawfull but promised both earthly and heauenly recompence to such as would offer their seruice to kill and murther them The truth whereof is clearely to be iustified by the letters of Cardinal Como written to William Parrie wherein contrarie to the manifest voice of God himselfe Thou shalt not kill he encourageth him to the slaughter of his liege Ladie and Mistrisse as to an honourable and holy exploite The last difference and oddes which I obserue betweene our forefathers our Romish recusants is this that they as they were generally forward and very zealous in that religion which they professed so were they as carefull to seeke all the good meanes they could to come to the knowledge of the truth they fasted often they praied much they were most diligent resorters to the house of prayer knowing that it was the place that God himselfe had made choise of to haue his name called on they would reade all such good bookes as possible they could come by for their better instruction in the knowledge of God and as it is recorded and storied of many of them they would sit vp all night in reading and hearing not caring for any expenses or charges so they might attaine to come by such bookes in english as they descried they would not sticke some of them to giue fiue markes for a Bible to reade in and many of them most willingly would giue a loade of haie for some few Chapters of Saint Iames or Saint Paul in English And therefore wee conceiue this good hope of them euen of all such who sought so carefully to vse al the good meanes whereby they might attaine to the sauing knowledge of truth although deceiued in some points yet that they had mercy shewed vnto them and doe rest in peace with God and that the same God who gaue them some measure of knowledge and would require of them according to that which they had and not according to that which they had not did receiue them into the number of his blessed and elect But the case of our recusants is a cleane other case They refuse almost al manner of conference with learned men they will not nor in deed dare onely for the feare of displeasing the Popes holinesse resort to our Churches as for 11. yeares together in the raigne of the late Queene of most precious and worthie memorie all the papists of this kingdome did and that without any scruple of conscience vntill they had receiued a countermand from the Bishop of Rome commanding them vpon paine of the blacke curse to come no more to the Church they are forbidden to reade the Scriptures the Bishops in Queene Maries daies caused it not onely to be accounted heresie but to be proclaimed fellonie for any lay man to haue an English Bible in his house for his priuate solace and comfort the learned treatises written by our men they permit not their Disciples once to reade but interdict them euen to many of their Seminarie Priests no maruaile then if taking this course the Iesuites and Priests keepe their lay followers in a perpetuall ignorance of true religion hauing once framed them to this principle that it is a deadly sinne either to reade the bookes of the Protestants or to heare their sermons or to be present at their seruice or to communicate with them in any religious dutie whatsoeuer And let thus much be spoken touching the Prophets reprouing of the Israelites for wauering and halting betweene two opinions It followeth in the next part to make proofe vnto you that God and Baal cannot both be ioyned together in one seruice There is a speech of Socrates greatly commended by S. Augustine De consen Euang. Li. 1. cap. 18. vnumquemque deum sic coli oportere quomodo seipsum colend m praeceperat That is euery God was to be honoured as u he himselfe had giuen in commandement Vpon which principle the ancient Romanes in the time of Tiberius the Emperour grounding themselues albeit they did admit the religion of all other gods yet by no meanes they could be induced to receiue the religion of the God of the Hebrewse The reason was this they saw it necessarie that either all their idolls must be excluded and onely the true worship of God entertained or hee onely not admitted the rest to be honored For by the word of God they found
purchased for vs eternall redemption Heb. 9.12 there needeth no more propitiatorie sacrifice to be made for sinne Where there is remission of sinnes alreadie obtained there is no more offering for sinne there needeth no more sacrifice to be offered Heb. 14.18 But Christ hath beene offered once to take away the sinnes of many Heb. 9.28 and by his owne blood he hath entred once to the holy place to obtaine eternal redēption for vs Heb. 9.12 Therefore the Masse cannot be a propitiatorie sacrifice for sinnes seeing alreadie by the death of Christ we haue remission of sinnes Lastly without blood and shedding of blood there is no forgiuenesse of sinnes Heb. 9.22 But in the daily sacrifice of the Masse there is no shedding of blood for they call their Masse an vnbloodie sacrifice Therefore in the sacrifice of the Masse there is no remission of sinnes and so by consequent the Masse can be no true propitiatorie sacrifice Thus we see how the doctrine of the popish Masse is ex diametro repugnant to the doctrine of the Apostle and to the whole order and institution of the Lords Supper A third very materiall and substantiall point of the Christian Catholike faith impugned this day by the present Romane Church is this that contrarie to the expresse words of our Sauiour Christ thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely thou shalt serue Math. 4.10 contrarie to the commandement which the Angel gaue to Iohn when he fell at his feete to worship him See thou doe it not Reue. 19.10 I am thy fellow seruant and of thy bretheren which haue the testimonie of Iesus worship God contrarie to the examples of Peter and Paul and Barnabas Act. 14.15 Which vtterly refused all manner of adoration Paul and Barnabas renting their clothes crying out to the people of Lycaonia O men why doe ye these things We are euen men subiect to the like passions ye be and preach vnto you that ye should turne from these vaine idolles vnto the liuing God which made heauen and earth and the sea and all things that in them are Act. 10.25 and Peter speaking to Cornelius Who at his first meeting of him fell downe at his feete and worshipped him said thus vnto him taking him vp stand vp for euen I my selfe am a man contrarie to the continuall and constant practise of the ancient Catholike primitiue Church of Christ which as S. Hierō witnesseth did neither worship Sunne nor Moone nor Angell nor Archangell nor Cherubin nor Seraphin nor any other name that is named either in this world or in the world to come least they should serue the creature in steed of the creator who is God blessed for euer contrarie to the determination of Gregorie the great and first of that name who also himselfe was Bishop of Rome and therefore his voice to be accounted as an oracle of God who albeit hee did well like the hauing of images in the Church yet he vtterly condemneth the idolatrous worshipping of them alleaging for proofe thereof the place of scripture before named Lib. 7. episto cap. 109. thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue All this I say notwithstanding the Church of Rome this day euen in this cleare light of the Gospel maintaines and defends the worship and adoration of Angels the worship of Saints departed the worship of the images of the trinitie the worship of the crosse and crucifixe the worship of images which they set vp in their Churches to the intent the people may attribute diuine honour vnto them and lastly the worship of their breaden-God their sacrament of the Altar as they terme it whom they call their Lord and their God crying out to a peece of bread O Lord O God O Lambe of God that takest away the sins of the world haue mercie vpon vs and receiue our praiers And verily were there no other cause to induce all good Christians to depart from the fellowship and communion of the Church of Rome this one doctrine of adoration wherein they teach the common people to call the sacrament their Lord and God and so by giuing the honour of God to a creature that is no God to commit grosse and manifest Idolatrie this point alone were cause sufficient for them to detest both them and their religion for euer Iere. 2.27 For what oddes I beseech you is there betweene those blind Iewes which said to a stocke thou art my father to a stone thou hast begotten me and those wilfull and blind Papists which cry vpon the Sacrament of the Altar in substance a base and corruptible creature Lord I am not worthie Lord be mercifull to me a sinner O Lord O God O Lambe of God receiue our praiers The one sort the H. Ghost hath traduced for a memorable and detestable crew of idolaters and so may we by the like reason and vpon as good ground and warrant condemne all the Papists liuing this day for most vile and shameful idolaters for adoring and worshipping a peece of bread O most horrible idolatrie Tully himselfe being an heathen man could say Who was euer so very a foole De natu deorum as to beleeue the thing he eateth to be his God The very children in Grammer Schoole can tell vs that the heathens that adored Bacchus and Ceres which first found out and taught the vse of breade and wine whereas before they had fed on achornes and dranke water yet notwithstanding they were neuer so foolish or so besotted as to giue godly honour to bread and wine By this then which hath bene alreadie spoken it is clearely proued that there is no compatibilitie betweene Protestancie Poperie and that the diuersitie betweene vs is of so materiall and needfull points that if they be right wee are wrong if wee be right they are wrong both they and wee cannot be both together Catholike members of the true Church The reason why wee cannot account Papists for members of the true Church is because they maintain sundry points which go directly against the Christian faith they doe not content themselues onely with Christ nor with his Sacraments but set vp other mediatours in heauen other doctrines and sacraments on earth Besides that as I haue alreadie proued they adore the creatures of bread and wine in steede of Christ They bow their knees to painted carued images they ioyne nature with grace mans merites with Gods mercies vnwritten verities with holie scriptures their owne satisfactions with the blood of Christ and so directly impugne sundrie fundamentall points of the Christian faith which generally otherwise they will seeme to hold Obiect But I heare some man saying vnto mee if the case be such the differences so great betweene the religion of the Papists and our religion how is it possible that any Recusant papist now liuing can be saued Solut I answer that as in the rebellion which Absolom made against his Father
Dauid there were manie true subiects of Dauid that went after Absolon to take his part in their simplicity 2. Sam 15.11 as the scripture recordeth knowing nothing whervnto the trecherous plottes of Absolon did tende So no doubt charitie moueth mee to thinke that there are manie in this Kingdome honest men blinded with some opinions of poperie as in the questions of the real presence or in the number of 7. Sacraments or in the doctrine of Auricular confession or some such schoole question not knowing or belieuing all pointes of poperie which indeed is the very mysterie of iniquitie Of such I say that in the simplicitie of their harts thinke of the Popes doctrine no otherwise then Dauids subiects did of the rebellion of Absolon I will not dispaire but verily hope that such may be saued notwithstāding their misperswasion in some points of religion which doe not destroy any article of faith and Christian beliefe But as for the rest of our wilfull recusant papists which both erre in the foundation hate the truth of the Gospell reuealed vnto them which hate instruction and stop their eares against the word we offer vnto them holding the infallibilitie of the Popes iudgemēt the vniuersalitie of his jurisdiction and power to dispose of the Kingdomes of the world which belieue free will to performe and to do the actions of vertue without assistance of speciall grace which holde and maintaine perfections of inherent righteousnesse satisfactions merites of condignitie propitiatorie sacrifice of the Masse which giue Gods honour to images maintaine iustification by works and such like of such I say I may without breach of charitie affirme that if they so liue and so die in the armes of the whore of Babylon they can neuer be saued Obiect But the Papists replie vpon vs and further obiect that if the case of recusant papists be such why then say they we must likewise condemne all our forefathers to the pit of hell who helde none other but the same opinions wee holde this day Solut Touching our forefathers we both speake and thinke of them as charitie leadeth vs to thinke we take not vpon vs to know either the faith or repentance of them that died before our time and therefore we commit their iudgement vnto God We say with the Apostle 2. Tim 2.19 The foundation of God standeth firme and sure hauing this seale The Lorde knoweth who are his and according to the scriptures thus wee belieue of them all that such as helde the onely foundation which is Christ Iesus in a true liuely faith were all saued although they built vpon this foundation chaffe straw or wood and doubt not therefore 1. Cor 3.15 but that manie thousands of our ancestours euen in those times of great blindenesse and corruption holding onely the same foundation Iesus Christ were saued and so died the seruants of God notwithstanding they were misled and carried away with sundrie errours and superstitions for want of due knowledge of the word of God which their pastors and leaders should haue instructed them withall But for a further answere to this obiection I say that the case of our recusant Papists liuing at this day and the case of our fore-fathers liuing in times of great corruption are not peers nor nothing like at all The disparison is this our fore-fathers liued in a time of great blindnes wherein there was a generall decay of learning wherin all good liberall Arts and learning were abolished The skie growing euen darke with the mistie fogges of ignorance when their pastours and leaders were not onely Sir Iohn lacke Latines but S. Iohn lacke honesties who could neither speake Latin nor reade English nor vnderstand the articles of our faith nor any part of the scriptures clowdes without raine lanthorns without light salt without sauour blinde guides dumbe dogges that as one saith seeme to haue their soules giuen them in steede of salt to keepe them from stinking and what maruell then if the people being ledde by such blinde guides became blinde themselues and fell into sundrie errours But as for our recusant papists they liue in the learnedst age that euer was since the time of the Apostles when as the word of God and knowledge of sauing truth was neuer so plentifull and flourishing as now it is Againe the errours of our fore-fathers proceeded of meere simplicitie and want of iudgement Lib. I. de bap cap. 18. Of whome I may say the same that S. Augustine saide of Cyprian and his colleagues erring in the doctrine of Rebaptization That if they had bene in his time when vpon exact and full discussion of things it was resolued otherwise they would haue bene of an other minde So verilie if our fore-fathers whose zeale was exceeding great and a religious care to serue God had liued in these latter times and had seene the true groundes of our religion they would most willingly haue embraced the same truth we professe this day many thousands of them in their life time desiring to haue seene heard those things which wee to our vnspeakable comfort haue both heard and seene And howsoeuer manie of our fore-fathers were in some points deceiued yet it is manifestly to be proued that the worthiest and best learned men in former times thought no otherwise then wee doe in all substantiall pointes of Christan beliefe complaining euen as we doe of the intolerable burdēs which the Popes laid on them in those dayes wishing the remouing of such things as wee haue remoued But as touching the errours of our obstinate and wilfull recusant Pap they proceed of meere obstinacie pertinaciously defending most dangerous errours Hee that is deceiued Cypri ad Iuba and erreth of simplicitie may be pardoned but after the truth is once reuealed who so neuerthelesse continueth in his former errours wittingly and willingly sinneth without pardon of ignominy as being ouer borne by presumption and wilfulnesse And this I take to be the very case of all our recusant Papists this day So great an oddes there is betweene simple errour and wilfull defence Verily for my part I am perswaded that there is neuer a sober and learned papist in this land that can denie if he will truly say and as he thinketh in his owne conscience but that we are come as neere as possible we could to the Church of the Apostles and Catholike Bishops which Church was sound and perfit and spotted with no kind of idolatrie and haue directed according to their customes and ordinances not onely the doctrine this day professed in the Church of England but also the sacraments and forme of common praiers and diuine seruice established here among vs the psalmes we sing are Dauids the bookes we reade are canonicall the prayers we make are consonant to the rule and proportion of faith and true godlinesse And so it appeareth that our whole leiturgie with great iudgment and reasonable moderation was purposely so framed out of the