spotlesse as though nuw by this one thing all their sinnes had bene purged and cleane put away Yea moreouer lying now at the point of death they commanded their executours to see them buried in a Franciscan Friers weede being verely persuaded that the Diuell had no power at all ouer any man that was lapt cloathed with that holy garment so brought to his graue The same men in those dayes hauing buried their wiues and being nowe widowers thought that it was lawful for them to take vnto them a concubine the Magistrate wincking at so great wickednesse and in the meane while howe many yeeres did they for all that liue in so filthie a life being touched with no godlie sorrowe and griefe of their minde for their sinnes neither abandoning nor casting off their concubine neuer purposing to liue chaste afterwades Onely in a certeine feigned and hypocriticall repentance and to satisfie the commandement of the Bishop of Rome they came once a yeere to the Lordes table but howe worthily and howe faithfully the matter it selfe doeth declare with what fruite any man may easily coniecture by Saint Paules commination And yet in the meane time they seemed to themselues to bee verie faire and good Christians Such was the blindnesse of former times and such examples tooke the Laie people from the Priestes Neither could they freely enough finde faulte with the people whome they did corrupt by their yll example nor condemne easily in the Laietie that which any other man might iustly reprehend in them For I pray you with what face shoulde the whoremaister exhorte an other to chastitie the impenitent to repentance hee that is defiled with all kinde of wickednesse exhorte an other to holinesse Or what can his authoritie preuaile who is deprehended found faultie in the same vices which he reprehendeth in other men which him selfe doth indeede accuse his owne faultes whilest hee chideth other men not so guiltie as he But let vs returne againe to our purpose The same men of those dayes were woont alwayes to carrie and beare aboute with them in their bagges a seale of waxe consecrated by the Bishop of Rome which of the imprinted image or figure they did tearme Agnus Dei that is to say The lambe of God being verely persuaded that that same seale had in it a principall power and a wonderfull vertue by reason of the blessing of Christes vicar by which there was diuinely from heauen inspired into those kinde of seales a certeine secret vertue against all thunderclappes lighteninges and tempestes and I can not tell what other euilles Such a vertue they attribute to their Easter waxe candels and to those which are consecrated vppon the feast day of the Purification of Marie also both to blessed salt and blessed holie water in which thinges they thinke there is a power and vertue to driue away euill Spirits and Diuelles Such a like superstition there was amongst the Iewes and a vaine credulitie of that name which they call Tetragrammaton which being engrauen in gold they supposed that whosoeuer carried that about with them should be safe and sure by the vertue and efficacie thereof from greate and many mischiefes The like superstition also is that which one Serenus Samonicus writeth of that ridiculous name Abracadabra that being written after a certeine manner in a paper and hanged vpon the necke of him that is sicke of an ague doth by little and little driue away the disease The same men of that time iudged those to be good woorkes which there is no man at this day but will confesse they were full of superstition and idolatrie as for example these vowed Pilgrimages gadding into woddes and hilles the redeeming of the Popes bulles the woorshipping of images and pictures the adoration of images the bowing of the necke before Churches perfuming before the altars of Saintes the burning of franckincense and waxe candels the fulfilling of vowes giftes hanged vpon the pillers of the Church the adopting of housholde gods superstitious fastes choyce and difference of meates abstinence from milke cheese butter flesh egges thred bare apparell contemning despising of marriage often watchinges lyinges vpon the ground babbling of prayers which they did not vnderstand voluntarie vexing tormenting of their bodies the offering of an hired wages to the Stationaries that scratch scrape for monie the election into the couent fellowshippe of Friers building of Monasteries founding of Masses ordeining of altars memories anniuersaries the wearing of an image of waxe consecrated by the Bishop of Rome inuocation to dead men for helpe the hanging of the Gospell about their necke the walking of the stations of Rome supplication to the couerings and cushinges of Saintes the sprinkling of holie water the tasting of consecrated salt the bearing about of images in publike processions the worshipping and kissing of vncerteine relikes long tedious songes in the Church the houres of our Ladie satisfaction for sinnes the Euening prayer of the virgine the censing of hearbes and boughes the profession of a Monasticall life voluntarie beggerie and who can rehearse all the rest of that trash Now what authoritie of the mysticall Scripture haue these woorkes What witnesse of Gods worde Where is there any mention at all of these thinges in the writinges of the Prophets and Apostles Finally what either commandement or example is there extant any where in the holie Scriptures for these Moreouer what do they auayle to religion Of what force are they to obteine saluation What rewardes are promised and proposed to them Who either of the auncient Diuines taught these thinges or who in the first and Primatiue Church did euer obserue them Last of all what necessitie I pray you is there of these either to the amplifying of Gods glorie or to the profite and commoditie of others Thus verely it is plaine and euident how greate a mist of darkenesse there was spred ouer all mens minds in former times seeing that of those which had the charge to teach others such thinges were inculcated into the eares of the people indeede shadowed after the shape of sanctitie and holinesse but to say the trueth onely foolish deuises of men Such were in old time amongst the Iewes those thinges which they had added and put to the Lawe which our Sauiour Christ mentioneth so often in the Gospell as for example broade philacteries long fringes of their garments often washinges of their handes and of pottes babbling of prayers ambitious fastes and other such like thinges How much better had it bene to haue inculcated and beaten those thinges onely into their heades which come neerer to true godlinesse and wherein mans saluation consisteth Such we knowe are those good workes in deede both verie acceptable to God and worthie of a Christian man which both the Table of the ten commandements doeth teache and Christ doth command and the Apostolicall doctrine doth
Emperour himselfe This kingdome of Antichrist from that time forward grew mightily specially vnder the Emperours of Constantinople and namely vnder the Emperour Constantinus Pogonatus or Barbatus and vnder the Emperours of Germanie Henries and Frederikes Now in this time of darkenesse it is much to be maruelled vnto what vile slauerie and thraldome Emperours and Princes were brought by the Bishop of Rome Some of them being resolutely persuaded by the Romish Cleargie that the Pope was Christes vicar vicegerent yea halfe a God refused no Popish subiection One waited at his gate barefoote and barelegge another was tied fast with chaines vnder the Popes table there to picke vp crumbes like a dogge another suffered him to set his feete vpon his necke another held his stirrop when the Popes holinesse vauted vpon his horse another was thrust into a Monasterie and made a Monke In such slauish subiection were Princes in those dayes Then in deede the Churche of Rome the whoore of Babylon was gloriously in open rule but the true Churche of Christ was not in any visible gouernment no more than it was in the time of Elias the Prophet And this was that the Scriptures might be fulfilled and founde true which say that there should be an Apostasie or defection from the faith that is a generall reuolting from true Religion that iniquitie shoulde haue the vpper hand that no man should haue the libertie of his life but he that should take vpon him the character or mark of the beast O wofull and lamentable times O most miserable and vnhappie dayes And yet the Papistes at this day crie with open mouth most impudently The Catholike church The Catholike Church saying that it hath alwayes bene to be sene at Rome They tell vs with shame inough that the Pope can not erre that his faith is Catholike and pure without all blot or blemish and that if we beleeue iumpe as he beleeueth we shall surely be saued But we will neuer beleeue Antichrist nor run to Rome albeit sometime a faithfull citie to inquire after our faith and Religion We wote well that now it is and hath bene a great while the sinke of all sinne and iniquitie in the world the verie seate and habitation of Antichrist himselfe We will not haue that proude Italian Priest to be our Doctour and generall Scholemaister a man made of all abhominations and whoredomes We will not lay the foundation or ground-worke of our faith vpon the glorious name of any mortall man whatsoeuer We see the end of all Poperie to be ignorance We see they derogate and detract all from Christ and his Passion and attribute their saluation to Masses to mens merites to Saintes prayers to Pilgrimages to vowes of virginitie to their owne good workes and to a thousand other trifling toyes We see they preferre mens traditions inuentions before the truth of Gods word We can shewe if neede be at what time and by which Popes euerie parcell of Papistrie was deuised He that will make a true Anatomie of it and examine it from point to point shall finde that it tendeth wholy to gaine and no whit to godlinesse To be short we knowe by the Scriptures of God that their Religion which forbiddeth marriage and meates is a doctrine of Diuels This was the miserie and infelicitie of former ages in which times notwithstanding God had his Church though not alwayes subiect to mans senses in which ages God raised vp euermore some good men which inueihed bitterly against the Popes intollerable pride and tyrannie as namely Hilarie Bishop of Vienna in Fraunce Paulus Cretensis and Iohannes Lampeon both Bishoppes denied his supremasie the Church of Rauenna in Italie would not acknowledge the Pope for her head Nilus Archbishop of Thessalonica writ a learned booke against the Popes primasie Afterwardes in Italie yea euen in Rome Arnoldus Brixianus an eloquent man oppugned stoutely the Popes primasie and tyrannie Counsels and Synods condemned the Popes supremasie after whom God raised vp here in England a valiant stoute souldier Iohn Wickleffe and in Bohemia Iohn Hus Hierome of Prage with many others as histories record and witnesse But at the length when it pleased the great goodnesse and riche mercie of God to take compassion on the world then drowned in darknesse he renewed the heauenlie light of his Gospell by which Antichrist of Rome should be reuealed and by little and little vtterly destroyed Then he raised vp mightie Capteines to make warre against that spirituall Pharao whom he appointed like Moses and Aaron to safe conduct vs out of the land of Aegypt out of the house of bondage out of the sorowfull seruitude of Poperie in comparison of which that Aegyptiacall slauerie was great libertie To this end and purpose he raised vp in this most happie and blessed age sundrie learned Diuines as namely Martin Luther Zuinglius Oecolampadius Caluine Peter Martyr Bucer Bullenger Gualter Theodore Beza Chemnisius Hemingius Riuius Zanchius Daneus Cranmer Ridley Latimer Hooper Bradford M. Iewell M. Nowell M. Iohn Foxe with infinite others both Englishmen Scots Frenchmen Germanes Italians Spaniards and Danes Surely this the happie age which Chrysostome fortold speaking of the last times Ad nullam rem fugient nisi ad Scripturas alioqui incident in abhominationem desolationis Then saith he will they flee vnto nothing but vnto the Scriptures otherwise they shall fall into the abhomination of desolation To whom agreeth S. Hierome writing vpon the Prophet Nahum And Gregorie prophesieth plainely of our time thus Ecclesia post eosdem dies quibus deprimitur tamen circa finem mundi grandi praedicationis virtute roborabitur The Church saith he after those dayes wherin she is depressed and holden downe shall for all that about the end of the worlde be strengthened with the great power of preaching Which thing is come nowe to passe in these dayes as we may see how that the preaching of the Gospell hath greatly preuailed against all the raging persecution of the Papistes the Lordes name be praised for it As oft as we thinke vpon this Gospell we dare auouch that these latter times are better times that this age is a golden age For if Aristides the iust was called Graecorum foelicitas that is The happinesse of the Graecians we may more worthily call Christ our felicitie and if the age wherein he liued was called Aureaaetas that is A golden age because iustice flourished in it verelie we may more iustly call this our age a golden age because the glorious Gospell of God shineth nowe most clearely in the eyes and soundeth most shrilly in the eares of all Israel O that men would therefore praise the Lorde O that men would acknowledge before the Lorde his louing kindnesse and his wonderous woorkes before the sonnes of men Thus we haue seene the chiefest happinesse of this our age to be the preaching of the Gospell of God amongest vs A
part also of our happinesse at this day may consist in the garnishing of good learning which is come to a wonderfull ripenesse I pray God that for our vnthankfulnesse it decaie not And not onely liberall artes and sciences excell nowe more than euer they did by reason of Printing which as wise men say is of all Gods externall benefites one of the greatest but also Manuall or Mechanicall trades are come to such a perfection as the like was neuer heard or read of before But because there is no great doubt of this which our aduersaries also doe confesse I will stand no longer vpon it In the happinesse of this our age the Lord in his manifold mercie hath made vs Englishmen most happie of all other nations vnder the Sunne For first whereas before we sate in darknesse and in the shadow of death he hath blessed vs with the light of his holy Gospell so that now we are a people set at libertie to the end we should shewe foorth the vertues of him that hath called vs out of darkenesse into his maruellous light Secondly he hath blessed vs with a gratious and a religious Prince a Phoenix amongst women kinde vnder whom we haue had the Gospell in great peace these twentie yeares the Lorde frame our obedience to it in all holinesse and blesse our Souereigne with a long prosperous and zealous reigne ouer vs Thirdly the God of all peace hath blessed vs with a straunge wonderfull and miraculous peace For we sit here quietly when as all the worlde beside almost is in an vprore Our Halcionij dies our calme and peaceable dayes doe farre surpasse and excell the ciuil peace either of Solomon in Israel or of Augustus in Rome Fourthly God hath blessed vs with maruellous prosperitie and plentie of all things such as our enimies enuie at God graunte that England may bee thankfull for all these spirituall and temporall blessinges and that Italie Spaine France Flanders and other nations may in his mercie bee partakers of his Gospell and of our peace with the fulnesse thereof rather than in his iustice so to punish vs as to make vs againe companions of their spirituall darkenesse in the last place and greatest measure This most happie state of ours forreigne nations doe enuie and specially Papistes who haue banded them selues together in an holie league as they tearme it to roote out Gods Gospell from amongst vs and to bring in againe Mariana tempora But the Lord bee thanked their Kalendar doeth fowly faile them their golden day or rather bloud red day in their Rubricke is not yet come I beseech almightie God who is able to confounde their deuises and wicked practises against his Churche that it may neuer come Your Honour is not ignorant howe that there bee some whose wisest parte in them is their hoarie haires who so highly aduance and commend the former ages that like vnthankfull wretches they vtterly mislike and discommend this our age wherein we liue In this consideration I thought good to oppose set this booke of Riuius against them entreating of the happinesse of this our Age whiche Argument as I thought it woulde bee most acceptable and gratefull to your Honour so I now am bold to present it vnto your fauourable protection as a seale and sure testimonie of my louing duetie towardes your Honour not doubting but that you will mightily mainteine and defend the happinesse of this our age against all malicious Papistes carnall Gospellers and wrangling Sycophantes This I trust you will doe being enabled as you are not onely with great learning but also with great authoritie which your Honour hath well deserued The Lorde giue vnto you as he did vnto Solomon an vnderstanding heart to iudge aright to discerne betwixt good and bad betwixt happinesse and miserie The Lorde keepe and continue your Honour safe and sounde that you may be still a stay vnto Religion a godlie wise Counseller vnto your Prince finally a fauourable Patrone and friendly Maecenas to all good learning and learned men Your Honours to command William Watkinson A briefe Admonition to the godlie Christian Reader ALbeit good Christian Reader this present discourse bee a continuate style wherein one thing necessarily dependeth vpon an other and albeit it bee not diuided and distinguished into Chapters as the common sorte of bookes published at this day are notwithstanding I trust that those Marginall notes which I haue set to the booke as certeine Statuae Mercuriales are able as a skilfull guide to direct thee vnto all the particular pointes of this booke as well as if it had bene parted into Chapters I haue also added for thy comforte and commoditie the places and sentences of Scripture which the Author had not quoted at all This booke will I hope bee a good staffe and stay to thy faith amongst these strifes and contentions about Religion in these dayes There is nothing in it but sounde and sincere doctrine which wee professe and a detection of the wandering wayes of the Church of Rome Bee alwayes thankfull to our good God for restoring to vs his Gospell which is and ought to be the onely ioy of our dayes If thou doest finde thy faith by this excellent treatise any whit encreased and confirmed the Author and the Translatour thinke them selues sufficiently recompensed and rewarded See that thou courteously accept their zealous endeuors giue all the glorie to God alone whose name bee blessed for euer Amen I please all men in all thinges not seeking mine owne profite but the profite of many that they might bee saued To the noble and famous man Iohn Schlenitz his deare friende Iohn Riuius sendeth greeting THat which so often heeretofore I haue desired and besought in prayer of our most gratious and omnipotent God to come to passe to witte that the Papistes might at some time or other bee so euidently manifested and disclosed to the whole worlde and to all mortall men of what nation soeuer to this end and purpose that the complaintes of our men against them might not seeme any whit vndeserued on their behalfe that now at the length I doe both incredibly reioyce that I haue by the singular benefit of God obteined also render vnto the immortall God as greate thankes as I can for it For when as certeine of the Papistes now of late dayes did painte out old superstitions with such deceiptfull shadowes as it were and counterfeite collours that euen the very wisest much more the foolish and vnwarie multitude was by that meanes brought into errour verely I feared to what issue the matter would grow vnto at length yea and I was greatly affraid lest that they which haue a good while agoe bene reclaimed from impious superstition to the godlie and sincere worship of God and to the pure religion of Christ being by little and little bewitched by the writinges of our aduersaries woulde againe like blinde men rush headlong and fall
Saint Cyprian vnderstand that place in his second booke against the Iewes so doth S. Hierome likewise which we haue declared in another place so doeth the Authour of that Epistle De viro perfecto whosoeuer he was that wrote it I wote well that to this day it hath bene vsed to be read in their Bibles Ipsa conteret caput tuum that is to say She shall bruse and breake the Serpentes head as though it ought to be vnderstood of the woman and not of the seede of the woman So Prudentius may seeme to haue read and vnderstoode it when he saith Author ipse doli coluber Plectitur improbus vt mulier Colla trilinguia calce terat And a little after he saith thus Hoc erat aspidis atque hominis Digladiabile dissidium Quòd modò cernua foemineis Vipera proteritur pedibus Edere namque Deum merita Omnia virga venena domat But as I saied before all this is to be referred to the seede of the woman which is the childe of Marie to wit our Lorde and Redeemer Iesus Christ as Irenaeus interpreteth that place Yea and Saint Cyprian readeth it thus Ipse conteret caput tuum He c. hauing respect rather vnto the sense than vnto the woorde So likewise the Greekes say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say He shall bruse thy head that so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being put in the Masculine gender may be referred to the sonne of the woman who is Christ that is to say respecting rather the meaning of the place than the bare woorde And Hierome vpon Genesis hath noted that it must be read so out of the Hebrue text that it respecteth the seede to whose iudgement as many as at this day are excellent and skilfull in the knowledge of the tongues doe condescend and agree And that our aduersaries may the lesse doubt of this as all our sayinges and doings are suspected of them Picus Mirandula a man most famous in the age wherein he liued doeth also witnesse the same thing Yea and Prudentius in another hymne doeth referre this promise to Christ neither doeth he vnderstand it any otherwise than we doe at this day For amongest other things thus he writeth of the death and punishment of Christ Vidit anguis immolatam Corporis sacri hostiam Vidit fellis perusti Mox venenum perdidit Saucius dolore multo Colla fractus sibilat Quid tibi profane serpens Profuit rebus nouis Plasma primum perculisse Versipelle astutia Diluit culpam recepto Forma mortalis Deo Here verely Prudentius the Christian Poet declareth that the sonne of God taking vnto him the shape and bodie of a man whilest he voluntarily offered him selfe to die did breake the head of that Serpent which by his craftinesse and subtile sleightes had deceiued the first parentes of mankinde and that by the sacrifice of his owne bodie vppon the Crosse he made an attonement for the fault and crime which our first parentes had committed But let vs proceede and goe on forward to the rest Heretofore the common sorte of Christians knewe nothing at all of the Priesthood or Bishoppricke of Christ who hath both instructed vs in wholesome doctrine and satisfied for the sinnes of mankinde by the sacrifice of his owne bodie whilest he sacrificeth vp him selfe vppon the altar of the Crosse and who daily and perpetually prayeth vnto God for our safetie and saluation Nay they knewe not in those dayes sufficiently the difference betwixt the newe Testament and the olde betwixte the Lawe and the Gospell betwixte Moses and Christ which thing bringeth a great light to the whole Scripture Neither did they thinke aright which a man might woorthily maruell at of iustification because they did beleeue that good woorkes did almost onely auayle to the obteining of forgiuenesse of sinnes to the satisfaction for crimes committed to the obteining of righteousnesse to the deliuerance from death and hell fire briefely to the obteining of eternall blessednesse Therefore they both trusted to their owne merites and put their confidence in their good woorkes and good deedes and satisfied of themselues sufficiently for their sinnes and thought that heauen was due vnto them for their honest actions Neither wanted there Monkes and Friers who would sell their idle and superfluous woorkes of supererogation if there were any that would redeeme them with monie So much some men did attribute to their owne merites and good woorkes Yea they knewe almost no difference betwixte that righteousnesse of faith whereof Saint Paule entreateth to the Romanes and that politicall righteousnesse which conteineth the ciuil discipline of vertue manners which thing the bookes of our aduersaries doe plainely and openly testifie Neither were they sufficiently taught heretofore concerning the abrogation of the lawe neither could they once vnderstande or suspect by what meanes wee are deliuered from the execration and curse of the lawe by Christ Neither knewe they sufficiently that distinction of a feigned and deade faith which Saint Iames testifieth to bee the faith of diuelles and of the true and liuely faith which thou maist call if thou wilt both the Euangelicall and the iustifying faith ▪ and which Augustine termeth the faith of Christ and the faith of Christian grace For as often as they heard faith named they dreamed that it was either that naked bare historicall knowledge of things comprehended in the Scriptures or else the profession of religion they were vtterly ignorant of that assured trust of Gods grace and of remission of our sinnes and of the mercie promised for Christs sake which one onely faith is in deed the true Christian faith by which we both call vpon God and boldly approche and come vnto him and finally haue peace with God through our Lorde Iesus Christ as the Apostle saith Neither heretofore knewe they any difference of woorkes yea they reuerenced as much both the rites founde out by men and also that childish Paedagogie of ceremonies as they did the woorkes prescribed by Gods lawes and those woorkes which are necessarie to saluation Neither could they iudge what difference there was betwixt veniall and mortall sinne Neither knewe they in what point the kingdome of Christ differed from the Popishe common weale or the true Church from the false Church Neither knewe they what difference there was betwixt fasting and choyce of meates Finally they thought that by Gods lawe onely the outward factes and that ciuil iustice were required they sawe not that the whole and most perfect obedience of the heart towardes God was exacted and required of vs So by that meanes they stoode in great admiration at the vaine shadowes and similitudes of good woorkes they did not beholde the solide and expresse image and picture of true righteousnesse It remained now that we should bring foorth more matter concerning the abuse of ceremonies
to trust onely to Gods fauour and clemencie Thus you haue heard what woorkes we doe inculcate and beate into the eares and mindes of men They finde great fault with vs for this that we teach that it is a good woorke to sweepe the pauement or floore to hew downe trees or to cleaue wood and such like sith that the Ethnikes also and Pagans doe that As though it bee not a good woorke though it seeme a base and contemptible labour whatsoeuer a man doth according to Gods commaundement in his office and trade of life Therefore that seruant which at his maisters commandement heweth wood and the drudge or kitching slaue which carrieth out of doores all the filth in the house doeth verely a worke no lesse acceptable to God than he which preacheth prayeth and singeth And why so because looke whatsoeuer God him selfe hath commaunded to bee done he doeth well accept it as contrarily he refuseth and reiecteth those thinges concerning which he neuer gaue commaundement in any place Wherefore this must bee beaten into the eares and mindes of all men which our aduersaries are not ashamed to blame vs for that euerie man endeuour to defend duely to doe rightly that office function which he beareth And wherefore I pray you should a maide preparing her maisters dinner or making beds lesse please God than a sacrificing or Masse Priest which mumbleth vp his Mattins or hourlie prayers seing that shee doeth obey Gods commaundement whereas hee only obeyeth mens prescript Yea that I may vrge them more If a seruing man being commaunded of his maister who is to ride a soudeine and a necessarie iournie to dresse his horse and to make him readie would in the meane season be present either at seruice or at the Sermon must hee not be thought to doe yll For howe could hee well doe it sith that he ought not to refuse to doe his maisters will in those matters which are not repugnant to Gods preceptes as S. Paule in his Epistle to the Ephesians Colossians and to Titus and S. Peter in his former Epistle teacheth If hee therefore doe amisse as we must confesse why shoulde any man contemne those woorkes whiche our aduersaries affirme that the very Ethnikes doe hauing but nature for their guide It appeareth I wis how litle or nothing of Christian matters they vnderstand who dare reiect make no account of the woorkes of godlie men whih albeit they are to the shew vile and abiect they are notwithstanding commaunded of god Who can denie but that it is an excellent and a not able woorke to be at a Sermon And yet for all that a baser and a more abiecte woorke must be preferred before it to witte the dressing of an horse if neede so require So the whole reason is altered and changed that looke what the Ethnikes also doe by natures lore that same must be preferred before that which Christians onely doe How much rather doe you thinke that to be preferred before those ambitious woorkes which are done before mens eyes and which vaunte and boaste them selues in mens sight such as are these Monasticall feigning of pouertie beastlie garmentes long and superstitious fastes prayers of Masse Priestes and songes in the Church whiche they doe not vnderstand voluntarie rentinges and manglinges of their bodie and such like Therefore how foolishly doe they yea how childishly are they wise or rather foolish which prefer rites found out by men not ceremonies instituted by God before the dueties of men which walke as the Scripture speaketh in their vocation and calling Howe much better I pray you is it and more agreeable to religion if euerie man doe his duetie in that kind trade of life wherein hee is limited that in the meane time hee neither preferre him selfe before others nor despise other mens woorkes though they bee base nor thinke that they are lesse to bee set by and lesse to be esteemed than his Moreouer the Papistes obiect vnto vs so many heresies euerie where abroad saying that this renewed doctrine hath bene the cause and occasion of them What then Were there not both more heresies more hurtfull a greate deale in the Apostles times than there haue bene in our age Of which rhing wee might bring foorth Irinaeus and Epiphanius among the Greekes and Tertullian the most auncient Latine Doctour amongst the Ecclesiasticall writers as substantiall and sufficient witnesses Haue there not bene some at all times which haue both oppugned the true doctrine and also repugned and resisted godlie teachers Did not Iannes and Iambres resist withstand Moses the man of God in Aegypt as S. Paule witnesseth to Timothie Did not Baals Priestes resist Elias in Palestina Did not the false Prophets resist Ieremie Did not the Scribes Pharisies and high Priestes afterwardes resist Christ him selfe Finally did not both the Iewes and the false brethren and also the idolaters resist the Apostles Therefore the blame of so many heresies must not bee laied vpon the doctrine renewed but vpon the malice of men and of the Diuell The same you must thinke of troubles and 〈◊〉 raised at the preaching of the Gospell concerning which matter wee haue spoken more at large otherwhere in an other booke Last of all they obiect vnto vs our licentious liuing and they thinke that this instauration of Ecclesiasticall doctrine is the cause of our dissolute life The one of these two is truer than I would but the other is flatly false For it is the malice of Satan that fewe at this day doe tread that pathway of liuing which our Preachers painefully and diligently pointe vnto out of the precepts of Christ and out of the doctrine of the Apostles And surely our Preachers labour by all meanes possible to hinder and stoppe the course of sinne and wickednesse So farre is it that the renewing of holy doctrine should bee the cause of dissolutenesse loosenesse of life For wee doe exhorte men to repentance perpetually and to amendement of life wee will all men to flee from the anger to come and we bid them bring foorth fruites woorthily beseeming amendment of life Also wee shewe them certeine souereigne remedies almost against all sinne as it were against certeine diseases of the minde Hee that beareth priuie grudges or heartburning against his neighbour hearing this saying Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a manslear The railer and reuiler heareth this saying Whosoeuer shall say vnto his brother Thou foole shall be in daunger of hell fire And againe Cursed speakers shall not possesse the kingdome of god Hee that is impatient when hee is iniuried and which is desirous of reuenge doth heare this saying Loue your enimies wish well to them which curse you doe good to them which hate you pray for them which hurte and persecute you that you may bee the sonnes of your father which is in heauen c.
to minde these other superstitions almost innumerable we should now the more easily measure after a sort in our minde the magnitude greatnesse of Gods benefite especially if wee did remember that as yet there are euerie where verie many countries which are ouerwhelmed in most thicke darknesse of errours ignorance not differing at all from those nations which in times past were wholy giuen ouer to the worshipping of idols as well nigh all those people be at this day which with so great clamours outcries call for that state of religiō againe which they vaunt to haue profited so long the Christian common weale who desire that the ceremonies of their fathers may be worshipped which woulde haue the Emperour bring this to passe that looke what religion they receiued when they were children the same being old men they should leaue to their posteritie to be briefe who had rather embrace obserue the institutions traditions of their Elders old customes mens prescriptes than the rites of the Apostles than the veritie of the Gospell than the cōmandements of God amongst whom the Lombardicall historie is of more authoritie than the sacred scripture the Decretals than the Gospels the Bishop of Rome than the sonne of God Christ Iesus Therfore how greatly are we bound to God for instauring the doctrine of the Gospell in this our age What thanks ought we to giue render vnto him How greatly ought we to take heede bew are that we doe not by chaunce any thing vnwittingly which might offend the authour of this benefite What great care ought we to haue alwayes to labour trauell about those things which are gratefull and acceptable to God who loueth vs so entirely But how thankfull to God the common people are for this benefite alas it appeareth too plainly euidently at this day For the greater part of those men who would be accounted Christians without enuie be it spoken is giuen to gluttonie to surfeting to all kind of wickednes the maior part I say liueth nicely delicately riotously the greater number is carried headlong into all kind of pleasure intemperancie they loue they drinke apace they runne a whore hunting they snatch catch they filch steale they sweare forsweare they cogge and lie they defraude and deceiue in summe whatsoeuer ought not to be done that they doe Now amongst the Noble men vices preuaile beare too great a sway and to be briefe these especially Otia vina Venus venatus balnea lusus that is Idlenes wine Venus way with hūting bathes diceplay In Kinges courtes dronkennesse ruleth and reigneth and now to liue there is naught else but to vie drinking there In Noble mens gorgious buildings and goodlie houses nothing else almost by their leaues is done but daily diceplaying iollie tossing of beere potts daunsing to the sound of the Citterne or Lute I doe omitte let passe how that some of these Noble mē haue turned those possessions whiche by the liberalitie of their auncestours were left to the Church into their owne vse and suffer the miserable Pastours of the Church to dy almost for hunger so farre are they off from helping and releeuing them as much as in them lieth This verely is our gratitude and thankfulnesse towardes that singular and notable benefite of God which he bestowed vpon vs in taking away from among vs superstitions and in instauring holie and sacred doctrine No man truely can either declare in woorde or shadowe out in thought how excellent and how great this benefite of God is For now at the length we haue learned whiche is the holie Catholike Apostolicall orthodox and true Christian Church and what that communion of Saints is whereunto they must ioyne them selues in faith in will in opinion in prayer and in confession whosoeuer will be members of the people of God and of that mysticall bodie whereof Christ is the head in what parte of the world soeuer they liue in Nowe we haue learned that thing whiche almost no man heeretofore knew namely that all mē are saued by Christ alone no man by his owne merites that all men obteine saluation and eternall felicitie through the Mediatour the sonne of God not for the dignitie of their woorkes by whiche meanes verely both the Patriarches and also the Prophetes the people of Israel and finally all the godlie which haue bene from the creation of the world vnto this day haue bene saued For Christ as he that should come to bee the deliuerer of mankinde was promised from the beginning Wherevppon in the Reuelation there is that mention of the Lambe whiche was slaine from the originall of the worlde Therefore the Gospell or Euangell that is to say that forgiuenesse of sinnes reuealed and promised from heauen by the free goodnesse of GOD for the deliuerer to come hath bene alwayes euen from the verie beginning of mankinde though not yet in name and in woord yet in deed and in truth For this redeemer Christ is that seede of the woman promised vnto Adam which shoulde breake the serpentes heade that is which shoulde destroy the woorkes of the Diuell to witte sinne and death Hee is the seede of Abraham in which seede all the nations of the earth shoulde bee blessed Hee is that Prophete promised by Moses Hee is the sonne of Dauid who shoulde reigne ouer the house of Iacob foreuer This is hee whiche was shadowed by the Leuiticall sacrifices and foretolde by the oracles of the Prophetes Therefore wee haue all the godlie which haue bene euen from the beginning of the worlde ioyned with vs in the profession of the same faith For looke in whome the Patriarches the Prophetes and the people of Israel placed all their confidence in the Messias promised to them in the very same Christ nowe exhibited vnto vs both Apostles Martyres Confessours and finally wee all put our hope of saluation And this is the true Churche whiche wee haue learned out of this doctrine renewed this is that communion of Saintes which being as I saide before euen from the beginning of the worlde after the promise concerning the deliuerer to come was first propagated and continued in the Patriarches and Prophetes afterwardes in the Apostles Martyrs so on continueth perseuereth vnto this day by diuerse degrees orders of Christians professing the same faith perfourming shewing obedience to the Ministers of the Church The sonne of God our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ doeth by his woord and Gospell gouerne and by his holy Spirit helpe and assist this Church and this communion of Saintes O thrice happie and foure times blessed are they whiche ioyne them selues vnto the societie of this Church whiche hath the sonne of GOD for her President the Angels for her protectours the holy Ghost for her sanctifier finally all the godlie and electe of all ages as many as