be but a brokeÌ„ staffe as Esay termes weake helpes and will in the end plunge mans soule in desperation in conflict and in hel Such peace tasted Franciscus Spira of that died in desperatioÌ„ tasted Ecchius of that dying vttered desperate wordes tasted Sadoletus of that dyed in a weake fayth tasted Latomus of that roared like an Oxe in his death bedde and as some thinke tasted Bish. Gardiner of Those of that Church do fremere vt vrsi do rore like Beares and those of our Church and those that be the members of our faire woman they doe as the Prophet sayth Gemere vt columbi Mourne like Doues Thei die therfore like our Sauior Christ Ego vado ad patrem taking death to be no more but a passage to the father They die like Paule There is layde vp for me a crowne of glory They die like Steuen Lord I betake my soule to thy handes They die like Polycarpus Lorde make me a partner of thy resurrection They die like Luther God is the great Byshop of my soule let him take carke of my soule They die like Caluine 〈◊〉 haue holden my peace Lorde because thou hast done this This woman this Church bringeth warre to the body and warre to the soule and therefore she is 〈◊〉 foule woman Againe if sinne do make foule and vncleane then is this woman that wayâ—… very foule and vncleane to In respecte oâ—… sinne Tertullian Hierome call Rome Babylon But if they will be so impudenâ—… as to denie their vglie monstrous racâ—… of sinne then let Barnard speake that sayth There is no healthfull place in that Church froÌ„ the toppe to the toe â–ª Nay go ye then to and speake euen ye Italian writers speake Boccas speake Petrach speake Mantuan and speake Pallengenius Howbeit it is vaine in mâ—… to bidde them speake who commonly throughout all their workes doe burste out into most bitter spéeches agaynst the enormious life of the Church of Rome But admit these men had neuer spokeÌ„ any one word agaynst that church yet doo but loke ouer Bales booke of Votaries and a boke called A Cataloge of witnesses agaynst the Pope of Rome and then I doubt not but you will subscribe that this church of Rome is a most sinfull woman In the meane time vpon the witnessing of so many witnesses in great earnest I tell you that she is a most sinfull woman and therfore spiritually a most foule and deformed woman Those thinges that they obiect to our church are but freckes and speckes in comparison of the Botches and Biles of theyr owne church And for our further purgation I report me to a litle booke of Master Caluine de scaÌ„dâ—…lis nostrae ecclesiae of such reproches as may be intended against our church Now if they will say that their church is fayrer because she is trimly attired because she hath curious copes and veluet vestmentes sensing and singing and much ioly ringing it may please them to vnderstand that all this fayrenesse is not fayrenesse from within the church but an outward fayrenesse and a paynted fayrenesse And all those reasons which Peter Martyr in the booke of kings doth bring that a woman ought not to paint her face may be alleged agaynst them that they ought not to paint theyr church And if euer they will proue theyr church to be a fayre church they must first make this good that painted beawty is a good beawty And thus much haue I sayd in these two poynts that Christes church is a woman and hath womanhead that Antichristes church is a drab and a shamelesse brothell that Christes church is fayre that Antichristes church is foule And now let me speake of the church and of the authoritie of the church which I coÌ„fesse to be some because here the church or fayrest of women is asked and doth geue answer of the beloued and doinges of christ Touching theyr argumentes whereby they would geue so great an authoritie to the church they be light and nothing such as they are estéemed To come to their first argument which is Thou art Peter and vpon thee Peter I will build my church â–ª it doth not serue for theyr turne euen by the testimony of the better sort of the fathers For Augustine vpon Iohn sayth Non a petro petra sed petrus a petra The rocke taketh not name of Peter but Peter of the rocke And agayne he sayth I will build thee vpon me and not me vpon thee Such like wordes hath Origen and so Hierom to Iouianus who in an other place sayth that the church is fouÌ„ded vpon all the Apostles But they haue an vnuincible argument out of S. Augustine I would not beleue the Gospell except the authoritie of the church did moue mee I will not expound S. Augustine nor they shall expouÌ„d him but S. Augustine shall expound S. Augustine And here I let them vnderstand by S. Augustine that he vseth to spâ—…ake in the preterimperfectence for the preterplupâ—…ctence So in the first booke of his confessions and â—…enth chapt speaking of his youth he sayth thus Non enim dicerem nisi cogâ—…r Which can not be truely expounded but thus Non didicissem nisifuissem coactus I should neuer haue learned except I had bene driuen thereto Agayne in the second booke and third chap. he sayth Erubescerem for Erubescebam I should blush for I did blush soo that there hée straineth the moodes In the eight chap. he sayth Si tunc amarem poma illa qua furutus sum which cannot be expounded thus If I then would haue loued these aples which I haue stolen but thus If I had then loued those aples which I had stolen so that we must reade amarem for amassem I had loued for I should loue â–ª In the tenth chap. he sayth thus Ego solus illud non facerem which must néedes be expounded thus I would not had done so So that héere we haue facerem for feciscem the imperfectence for the pluperfectence No otherwise must néedes be sayd Euangelio non crederem that is non credidisceÌ„ The Papistes say I would not beleue the Gospell except the authoritie of the church did moue me to it I by the circumstances of that placâ—… by likenes of these other places do say it can not be expounded but thus Non crederem Euangelio id est non credidiscem Euangelio So that the mere and vnbroken sense of S. Augustines wordes be these I should not had beleued or I should neuer had beleued the Gospell except the authoritie of the church had moued me thereto So that all the authoritie that they can gayne for the church out of this place is but this The church was an introduction to Sainct Augustine to beleue the Gospell therfore it is of more authoritie then the Gospell So they may say that the starre did shew the wise men the way vnto Christ therefore the starre hath more authoritie then christ â—…o Iohn
killeth body and soule Peter loued Christ best of them all this the worlde most of them all Peter woulde not haue captaine Cornelius to croutch to hym this will haue Kinges Keysers prostrated at his féete Peter could brooke to be blamed of Paul this will not be blamed though he draw thousandes to hell Peter had neither golde nor siluer this hath shod his concubines ritch Palfries with siluer Peter had caetera that is giftes and graces this hath neither gift nor grace but onely to say I am ritch and welthie and I sit like a Queene Peter wept bitterly by way of repentance at the cockes crow this neuer repeÌ„teth the greater part of Christendome crying crowing agaynst him Peter was somewhat ambitious for the Primateship because he had left all and followed Christ this leaueth nothing nor followeth Christ and yet his ambition is infinite Peter would not haue him selfe washed of Christ this man will not haue him selfe iustified of Christ but by his own merites Peter would haue his head washed beyond Christes commaundement this man enlargeth Christes commaundementes euen at his lust Peter did sinne with loue towardes his Maister forbidding him to goe vp to Ierusalem the Pope will haue his to suffer nothing and to liue most pleasauntly in all thinges Peter denied Christ thrise the Popes life is nought but a denying of christ Peter when his Master was in ieoperdie sayd beholde two swordes the Pope when there is no ieoperdie to Christ but vpon his own lust vnshetheth many thousands of swordes Peter went with an vneuen foote to the Gospell the Pope with a most croked fâ—…te or rather is a very Nemrod to chace away the Gospell Peter would not blame those that tooke his part in Iudaisme the Pope will strike league with the stewes if they will be Popish inough and Romishe Catholike Thus if Peter be a little foule the Pope is ten times more foule Where Peter is fairest y Pope is foulest If Peter be fayre the Pope is foule The Pope is the head of this woman therefore this woman hath a foule head therefore she is a filthy Church and a foule woman Againe if the Deuill be foule then the Bishop of Rome is a foule head and so this woman is a foule woman The probation of this is to proue a likelihode and great agréement betwixt the Deuill and y Bishop of Rome Now me thinkes that in déede there is a great agréement For the Deuill is called Sathan that is an hinderer the Pope is Christes greatest hinderer and chiefest hurter Againe the Deuill is called Diabolus that is a sclaunderer the Pope sclaundereth vs whilest we liue and sclaundereth vs wheÌ„ we dye as the death of Luther Zuinglius c. The Deuill is called Inimicus homo that is the enuious maÌ„ the Popes rancor is the destruction of the Church It is sayd of the Deuill Sathan fell lyke lightning it is said of the Pope and his vidi stellas cadentes e câ—…lo The Deuill was a lier froÌ„ the beginning it is sayd of the Pope that he speakes great things that is lies and blasphemies The Deuill did not stand in the truth no more did the Pope according to that saying This day is poyson entred into the Church The Deuill is a roaring Lion So the Pope so his Spanish Inquisitors The Deuill is that Serpent which persecuteth the woman in the earth the Church in this earth hath no such persecuting Serpent as that Serpentine persecuter of Rome Paule when he inueyeth agaynst Elimas and calleth him the Deuils sonne in the Actes of the Apostles he séemeth to expound this worde the Deuils sonne in thys definition Plenus omni dolo c. A maÌ„ full of all maner of disceite an enemie of all iustice and one that ceasseth not to make ill the right wayes of God. This definition toucheth the Pope of Rome most néerly in euery point If this be the definition of the Deuils sonne he is vndoubtedly the Deuils owne deare sonne The Deuill promised Christ all the wealth of the world the Pope promiseth Bishoprickes Abbeyes Prebendes c. The Deuill is called a Whale because he ruleth in the tumultuous waues of the sea the Pope is a Whale because he beareth a swinge in the vaine waues of thys busie worlde The Deuill is called a Dragon because he deuoureth soules the Pope is a Dragon because he deuoureth both bodyes and soules The Dragon drew the third part of the Starres out of heauen the Pope withdrewe by liuinges and geuinges the third part of the best learned men in Christendome from the true doctrine It is sayd that the Deuill shoulde be let loose in y latter dayes Bibliander sayth that Pope Hildebrand was the Deuils selfe set at libertie So that now I say againe the Pope is a foule head because the Deuill is a foule head And this woman or Church of Rome is as foule as the Deuill because her head the Pope is as foule as the Deuill Againe those that preach and bring peace are sayre according to that Fayre are the feete of those that bring peace If those that bring peace be fayre then those that bring warre be foule But the Church of Rome hath alwayes brought warre both bodilie and ghostly therfore she is foule Now concerning this saying That the Church of Rome hath alwayes brought bodily warre it should behoue me to go downe by a long descent and to tell a long story what warriers and fire brandes of warre these Popes of Rome haue bene But to make a short speech and to make forward as fast as I can I say that the nature both of the most Popes and of this bloudy womaÌ„ Church of Rome is represented in the voyce of Pope Paulus who when he was offered either peace or warre he cryed out mightilye and loudly Warre Warre To let passe that which is past and to come to these our dayes What warres good people and rumors of warres what murtheringes and manquellinges hath this foule and vnpeaceable woman brought to passe in our times Fitly sayth Gregorie Nazianzene their glosing is of peace but their glory is in bloud through the bloudy féete of this vnquiet woman Low lieth now that Heroical personage Lewes Prince of Borbon This foule strompet hath eaten vp y young Prince of Spaine a Prince of hope and that goodly and godly Lord Regent of Scotland This foule strompet and most bloudy Church caryeth them all the day long like shéepe vnto the Shambles and in deede this wretched warly brothel maketh Christendome nothing els but a butcherie of Sainctes and a Shambles of Martyrdome But after a fewe yeares they shall answere God and vs Concerning spirituall warres thys woman doth bring it For touching peace of the minde and peace of conscience she neuer yet brought it She teacheth false lies of mans Iustice of SatisfactioÌ„ of contrition of supereâ—…ogation of bulles indulgences tendringes Papall and tendringes Legautine which all thinges
winde which the vngodly do licke which the Serpent doth eate euen such dust iâ—… Adam such dust is man such dust are alâ—… men and harken to it all men Rich mâ—… are ritch dust wise men wise dust worâ—… shipfull men worshipfull dust honorablâ—… men honourable dust maiesties dust ex â–ª cellent maiesties excellent dust Seraâ—… that had a thousand thousand men anâ—… Xerxes that made y sea land with ships â–ª are both of them dust Alexander thaâ—… called him selfe Gods sonne was dust Senacherib that wrote him self the greaâ—… king was dust The Bishops of Româ—… that write theÌ„ selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All these be dust The Latin Doctoâ—… that call theÌ„ selues authenticall doctorâ—… magistrall doctors seraphicall doctors and irrefragable doctors dust He of Rome that called him selfe most holy most blessed Gods vicar Christes pewfellowe more then a mere man and many great names dust Man is dust all men are dust And besides that all men be dust and base and badde dust yet there is a further thing that in this dust of theirs they are full of miserie And therefore where as in the Hebrue toung a Bée hath her name of the order of her working and an Adamant for strokes bearing golde for being yelowe a Grassehopper for eating a Lambe for hauing soft woll a Doue for supplenesse a Horse for hynning and iolitie of his head a Serpent for curious marking and an Ant for gnawing man hath but two names and y one is Adam that is redde earth the other is Enoshe that is miserable And so these fathers almost in that order that I will rehearse them called their sonnes Seth called his soÌ„ne Enoshe that is miserie Enoshe called his sonne Cainan that is lamentation Cainan called his sonne Mathusalem that is pearsing death Mathusalem called his soÌ„ne Lamech that is pouertie Lea called her sonne Bononi that is my sadnesse These foreelders had foretasted in their own bodies the miseries of mans nature and not doubting but their sonnes should tast of the same they shope them names according But if men will not beleue by their own experience that men are miserable then let men listen to the voyces of men Abraham sayth now and than Domine tu â—…iuisicasti me Lorde thou hast quickned me If Abraham were now and than quickned in his life time then Abraham through miserie was now and than dead in his life tyme then Abraham had his part of miserie in his life time Father Iacob sayth Dies mei pauci sunt mali i. My yeares are but a fewe and those full of miserye Dauid calleth him selfe a dead dogge the sonne of death a worme and no man a wretch and one that is crooked euen to the end one that hath his loynes full of illusions and no health in all hys fleshe And generally of mans miserie he sayth The dayes of our yeares in them selues are three score and ten yeares but if one rub out whilest fowerscore whatso euer is more it is but trauell sorow Iesus the sonne of Sirach pronounceth in many wordes vpon mans miserie but I will make them short Occupatio magna saith he creata est omnibus hominibus c. It is a great adoe that all men haue in this worlde and a heauie yoke there is vpon all the sonnes of Adam euen froÌ„ that day that a man commeth out of his mothers wombe vntill that day that a man returne vnto his common mother the earth from him that weareth purple and beareth the crowne downe to him that is clad with meanest apparell there is nothing but garboyle and ruffle and hoysting and lingring wrath and feare of death and death it selfe and hunger and many a whip of god Salomon sayd that he was wery of his life because that all that euer he saw vnder the Sunne was nothing but vanitie and griefe of the ghost Iob sayd that he had vaine dayes and toylesome nightes When I sleepe saith he I say when shall I rise and then againe must I looke for night and be filde with sorrowe whilest it be darke The Prophet Elias sayth I haue liued inough I pray thee Lord take away my life Ionas say It is better for me to die then to liue Ieremy cursed the day that he was borne Our Sauiour Christ was sene often to wéepe but neuer to laugh Paule sayd Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from the prison of this death Augustine telleth of pitiful tragedies past in his youth whilest he and his mother Monacha waÌ„dred vp and downe Hierome writing of hyâ—… life with his Monkes sayth that there was forrowâ—…s in his face and Iseickles from his lippes with continuall sorrow Origine is thought of some to haue dyed for pure harty sorrowe Basill was made olde and vnprofitable before his tyme for Gods Church for trauell and for sorrow Chrysostome calleth the daies of his life the daies of hys sorow Nazianzene saith in his EpigraÌ„mes that his earthly body dyd beare downe his heauenly soule and asketh wherfore his mother did bring him forth into so blacke and miserable a day Barnard in his second booke of consideration writeth on this fashion Consideranti quid sis occurit tibi homo nudus et pauper c. Considering with thy selfe what thou art there comes before thine eyes a man naked poore and miserable mourning that he is a man blushing that he is naked weping that he was borne of a woman for therefore he was a sinner lyuing a short time and therefore he is fearefull replenished with many miseries and therfore he weepeth and is a wretch And verily and in déede he is full of many manifold miseries the miseries of the body the miseries of the hart miseries in doing miseries in suffering miseries whilest be waketh miseries whilest he sleapeth misery it is to what so euer he turnes him selfe Alas Alas euery sonne of Adam is but to much miserable Neither can Adam or Adams sonnes continue yet or goe on in this misery but they must be deliuered of that base and bad earth and of this misery that though they of their owne folly did delight in it yet it must néedes be so that there must bee a seperasion All is misery that they do enioye neither can they long enioye that misery They are ashes and they must returne agayne to ashes Iob sayth that our house of clay and our foundation of earth must be broken vp Paul very learnedly doth call the day of his death the day of his dissolution Dauid sayth that man must goe agayne into his dust Dauid dying sayth I do go the way of all earth And doo not thinke that because I say Adam is red earth and it is sayd that Adam is ashes and shall returne into ashes therefore none but red earth and red men shall dye Of a truth it is so that Adam that is red earth and Melancthon that is blacke earth and Leucthon that is white earth must dye too
bare witnesse of the light and therefore was of more authoritie then the light it selfe So in the first of Peter and the third chapter it is sayd That men should be wonne to the word without the word by the conuersation of women so that the conuersation of women should be of more authoritie then the word But it must be considered that this argument is not good The authoritie of the church to Sainct Augustine being a puny and a nouice in matters of religion was greater then the authoritie of Christ therfore the authoritie of the church is simply greater then the authoritie of christ No more then this argument Iohn was in better credit with the Iewes then Christ when he â—…are witnesse of Christ therefore Iohn his witnessing ought to be the better Or this argument womens conuersation moueth some men more then the word therfore it doth moue or ought to moue simply more then the word But euen as Iohn that bare witnesse of Christ did confesse that he was not worthy to loose Christes shoe latchet no more the church though it beare witnesse of Christ in respect of credit and authoritie is not worthy to loose Christes shoe latchet And euen as when Christ put forth him selfe and began to be knowen to the people Iohn said it behoueth me to waxe lesse and him to waxe greater so when the church hath geuen a man to vnderstand of Christ and that Christ beginneth to appeare vnto vs the church decreaseth in authoritie and estimation like Iohn and Christ increaseth and waxeth greater in authoritie and credit Euen so do the Samaritanes in the fourth of Iohn that were brought to Christ by the woman of Samaria say thus we do not now beleue for thy talke for we our selues haue heard and do know And yet S. Augustines case and ours is not like For he was moued by the authoritie of that church which perswaded him to the Gospell the authoritie of the church of Rome doth bend it selfe and is directed to moue vs onely to the church of Rome Besides that that church did compell no man as he writeth to Fundamentus in the 4. epistle the church of Rome doth compell vs to beleue theyr church or compell the soule to forsake the body Agayne they reason that the Church shall be a citie standing vpon a mountayne and therfore it must alwayes be visible and no church say they is so but the church of Rome The very true exposition of thys place is this as it may appeare by all good expositors that the Apostles are called the citie vpon a mountayne the salt of the earth So that the true meaning is this a good Apostle is salt and therfore let him season a good Apostle is a mountayne citie or a high citie and therfore let him shew and shine so in workes that he may glorify God his heauenly father And in déede this text is expounded naturally thus and without violence For it is very straunge to a diuine to thinke that Gods church should be a mountayne citie or a mounting citie a high thing or a renounded thing or a thing glorius in the world For the church of God is represented in the burning bush of Moses it is neuer without fiery persecution it is like the white horse in the Apocalips that is alwayes chased with a red horse it is like the Arke of Noah that is tossed in the sea and this is tossed in the world it is compared to the Moone that waxeth and wanteth by the presence or absence of the Sunne It is like Iacob that sleapeth on a stone It hath semen sanctum subsistentiam eius holy seede and holy men the substance and not commonly great personages and solemne personages the substaunce I know the church of God is oftentimes famous but that is thus ascendamus in montem Domini c. Let vs go vp vnto the mountayne of the Lord and he will teach vs of hys wayes The teaching of Gods wayes maketh Gods church a famous mountayne If Gods wayes be not truely taught though she sit vpon seuen hilles as the church of Rome vpon seuen hilles shée is not a famous mountayne but an ignominious valley Then they reason thus Christ prayed for Peter that his fayth shoulde not faile therefore Peter nor the Pope can erre Christ prayed likewise for all those that shall beleue hereafter then they may thus conclude that all those which haue do or shall beleue caÌ„ neuer erre TheÌ„ they reason thus Dic ecclesiae Tell the Church 〈◊〉 say that must be done when it may be done In the time of Constantius whom would they tell but Arrius for he bare all the countenaunce of the Church hys Church stoode then rather vpon a mountaine then any other Church for it was the highest and most mounting in mens eyes They reason againe that y Church is a pillor But I reason that Christ is the rocke Take away the rocke and downe comes y pillor The rocke is well inough without the pillor the pillor can not be without the rocke But besides all this they haue a perilous interrogation by which alone they thinke to master all the worlde to make vs all starke dumme and for euer to locke vp all our lippes and that is In such and such yeares where was your Church And this is that choking interrogatorie where was your Church I aunswere them euen from the very Articles of my Créede Credo sanctam Catholicam ecclesiam I beleue that there hath bene is and shall be a holy catholicke Church My sense can not shewe it and therefore I beleue it for if I sée it belief is in vaine for where sense faileth and can go no further there beliefe beginneth Nor is iâ—… necessarie that I should froÌ„ time to time sée the Church but I should from time to time beleue there is a holy catholicke Church But in déede they and such like brimme persecutors haue of so long time kept vnder the Church that we are driuen to beliefe onely for they haue left scarse any sense or memory of the true members of Christes Church But they cry still a loude Where was the Church I tell them that it is sayd of God Tu es vere Deus absconditus Thou art verily a hidden God. So the Church is oftentimes hidden The husband of an hidden condition and the spouse of an hidden condition Where was the Church Christ stoode in the middest of them and they knew him not The Church was in the middest of them and they knewe it not Where was the Church Venient dies in quibus raedices aget Iacob There shall come dayes in which Iacob shall take roote Where was the Church when the Church had taken no roote Where was the Church Erat in vobis sed non erat ex vobis It was amoÌ„gest you but it was not of you Where was the church Ubi duo vel tres congregati erant in
truth is this that you cannot abide to here the truth In king Herodes house my lady Herodiada could commaund halfe a realme for footing and frisking Amos spake of those in kinges houses in his 6. chapter when he spake thus ye that sleepe in beddes of Iuory and play the wantons on your conches ye that warble to the tune of the Viall and quaffe of wyne by whole goblettes full ye that supple your ioyntes with the best kinde of oyle haue no carke vpon the smart of Ioseph In kinges houses coÌ„monly be such of the time But I will shew them of a better new apparell and if they once take conceite in that they will easely here vs speake agaynst these trifels and esteme them as trifles And though it be but one sute of apparell yet Iwys it is better then all the gorgious wardrobes that be here in our Quéenes court and Tertullian hath shaped them that sute In hys â—…ooke of the attire of women he writeth â—…hus Prodite vos feminae c. Come ye forth ye wemen hauing your bewties bettered with the helpes and ornamentes of the Apostles taking whitlines of simplicitie rednes of shamefastenes hauing your eyes paynted with shamefastenes and your spirites with secresie putting into your eares the word of God tying to your neckes the yoke of christ Put vnder your neckes to your husbands and ye shal be well apparelled Haue alwayes what to do in your handes and fasten your feete at home and ye shall be better liked of then if ye were in golde Clad your selues with the silke of sinceritie with the satten of sanctitie with the purple of probitie Thus prune pricke ye vp your selues and God him selfe shall become your paramour Concerning both mens womens apparell this may be sayd Sainct Paul sayth God made meates and God made the belly and that God will destroy both the meats and the belly So say I God made apparell and God made the backe and he will destroy both the one and the other Yea those heades that are now to be sene for their tall and bushy plumes and that other sex that haue fire fresh golden caules so shéene and glosing geue me but an hundred yeares nay halfe an hundred yeares and the earth will couer all these heads before me and mine owne to And thus much of apparell And now of the effectes of being naked which is to blushe or not to blushe The cleare and crimelesse conscience doth not blushe A criminous conscience doth or should blushe So Adam afterward blushed and the Publican durst not lift vp his eyes And Paule writeth of the sinnes of the Romanes In quibus nuÌ„c erubescitis For which sinnes ye Romanes do now blush Iesus the sonne of Sirach saith that we should blushe of whoredome before father and mother to make a lye before a Prince to sinne before the people to offend before the congregation to do vnrighteously before a companion or frend to be reproued for geuing or taking to lye with a mans elboes vpon the bread not to salute one that hath saluted to looke vppon harlots to turne away thy face from thy kinsmen to loke vpon other mens wiues to trifle with maidens to take and not to geue to vpbraide thy frend with that thou hast geuen to brute fames abroad or to disclose secretes These thinges sayth he are shamefull thinges and matter of blushing More then these thinges he doth not rehearse But the catholicke and common corruption of this world doth yeld forth farre many moe blushing matters and mutch greater blushing matters O if I should go about to bid all states sortes of people to blushe and if I should do it as it should be done in so many pointes as I should bid them I should finde it a too too colde occupation and a déede of least thankes but of that I least recken But I say very truely that if my fleshe were flesh of stones if I had that ruffling toung which Esay had or that noble eloquence which Nazianzene had or that heroicall spirite which Martin Luther had If my toung were many tounges my mouth an hundreth mouthes if my voyce were of good strong iron and my sides of steddie brasse yet it were in vaine for me to vndertake to make a great number of enormious malefactors to blushe so gracelesse are their foreheades and so vntaught to blushe Howbeit to those that be of a more honest nature and prone to repentaunce I will make most fayre besechinges and pray them most hartily to remâ—…ber their manifolde former sinnes the filthinesse vglinesse and vncleannesse of sinne to blushe at that which is past and to be ashamed of that which shall come And I will tell ye one generall way the which if ye take ye shall not blushe neither in this life neither in that day when shame and confusion shall come vpon the wicked if ye take it not blushing and confusion of saces shall be yours for euer and that is out of the Prophet Dauid Tunc non erubescaÌ„ cum respexero ad omnia mandata tua Then shall I not blushe sayth he when I haue a regard to all thy coÌ„maundementes To him that would auoyde that shame then the which there is no greater punishment he must not be a mongrell or a meane man but he must runne to all the commaundemeÌ„tes euen as the Cherubins did ouerlooke all the propitiatorie euen as the Paschall Lambe was all eaten vp so sayth Iames in his second chapt He that offendeth in one of these is giltie of all So in the 20. of Deuteronomie he is cursed that doth not all Gods commaundementes Those Kinges of Israell that tooke downe the Idoll of Baal and yet worshipped y Calues of Ieroboam are despised of god Tertullian in a booke of the Trinitie sayth thus You must not leane vnto one part and leane from an other part He shall not holde the perfecte truth who â—…tteth out any portion of the truth Nazianzene to the Arrians sayth Aut totum honora aut totum abijce Either honour Christ wholy or cast Christ wholy away I can not abide halfe holinesse I would haue thée wholy holy Agayne as we ought to runne to all Gods commaundementes embrace all the truth so we ought to do it with all our body with all our soule and with our toung that we ought to beleue the truth and to speake the truth There be many Gospellers at these dayes that will be content to take that name and as they say beleue so but they will not make their talke of Christ or of diuinitie for that is no gentlemanly talke no fellowlike talke no courtlike talke But the truth is the truth must be beleued the truth must be talked If they be ashamed to talke of Christ before men Christ will be ashamed to talke of them before his heauenly father Tertullian in his booke of prescription against heretickes saith thus It is not expedient for him
the eleuenth chap Assumam mihi duas virgas I will take to me two whippes that is many whippes But what is Gods backe That which the prophet Nahum sayd in his 3. chap. to Niniuy Uox flagelli et vox impetus rotae The voyce of a whippe and the voyce of a rumbling wheele the praunsing of horses the iumping of chariotes The horsemen lifting vp both the the brandishing blade of the sworde and the glistering speare many men wounded many corpses and carcases without number But what is Gods backe That which the prophet Malechy sayd in hys third chapter Accedam ad vos in iudicio I wil come vnto you in iudge ment and I will be a swift witnesse agaynst al of you But what is Gods backe That which I will tell you Our wickdnesse shall eate vp this best religion eate vp our best most deare and naturall prince eate vp all our good counsellors all our wyse and faythfull preachers and eate vp all that good is in this common wealth This is Gods backe This this good christians is Gods heauy backe Heauy it is God wott to those that shall féele it â–ª and I dare not say to England that it will be any lighter because England will be come no better But when that heauinesse shall come vpon England which hath come vpon other realmes for the same causes that it may worthely come vpon England let England then remember it was foretold her that God had a heauy backe And let no man here present or where so euer else thinke that it was womanish or childish in hagar to wéepe Quia vidit tergum Dei â–ª because she did see Gods backe for if God doo turne his backe so long vpon England as he hath turned his face vpon England Quis mirmidanuÌ„ dolapuÌ„ue aut duri miles â—…lissi temperet a â—…achrimis What Mirmadon souldier is he or what souldier of Dolap land or which of flintie Vlisses souldiers that shall be able to forbeare wéeping Nay it will wring teares from the eyes of the most retchlest Atheistes and obdurable Papistes in all this realme be they neuer so forlorne and flintie But these thinges be heauy things and matters of wéeping howbeit if men will reforme themselues to do better I will speake more chéerie and swéeter For if Adam will know the basenesse badnesse of his metall the misery that he hath in this base and badde fleshe that long he can not tarie in this base bad and miserable fleshe if being thus heauie and ouerloden he will resort vnto Christ the comforter if as God hath permitted the vse of weapon to man so weapon may be worne vnshethed to the strengthning of the realme and warres may be fought that Gods prayses may be quietly celebrated in great congregations if Princes and Magistrates will weare their weapons to purpose and draw them out for Gods sake if the safetie of the people may be minded and names of mildenesse and mercifulnesse not blind Princes eies and withdraw them froÌ„ their duties if Gods enemies and lawlesse leude persons may be punished if Papistes who be so may truely be taken to be greatest traytors to God and greatest to the Prince and féele and be fed accordingly if men will labour to lead such liues that they nede not to blushe if those which haue loued euill will fall to some honestie and blushe and be ashamed of that which is past and likewise shame to do the like hereafter if they will so runne to all Gods coÌ„maundementes and so intirely and without hypocrisie with zzeale and courage of spirite professe God with all the functions of body and soule as they ought to do then no more of Gods backe we may dry vp our teares God him selfe most willingly will do away his own backe â—…arken O louing and loued Christian brethren we shall escape Gods backe Gods heauie backe we shall sée Gods face Gods cherefull face as the Prophet Dauid sayth We shall see the braue beutie of our God. 〈◊〉 â—…al sée it clap our haÌ„des to haue séene it We shall haue as much blessednesse in seing ioying in our noble Queene as euer 〈◊〉 Salomons seruantes had â–ª in seing the face of their soueraigne master Gods word shall ruÌ„ne our sunne shal rise our sunne shall set no more we shall wash our waies with butter hony and oyle wil gush out of our stony rockes Our peace shall be like a floud and the iustice of the land shall be like gulfes of the sea the seede of our people shall be as the heares of their head as the starres of the skie as the sand of the shores as the grasse of the ground our race shall neuer be raced out Our soule shall be led into a faire gréene field and Christ our great shepeheard wil make vs draw neare to the waters of comfort he will make vs lye down on the soft wholesome grasse he will take vs and féede vs and we shall be fedde full euen in the fatte mountaines of Israell he will kisse vs with a kisse of his owne mouth his right hand will take holde on vs and his left hand will vpholde vs he will call vs his beloued and let vs sleepe as long as we list we shall sléepe in great safetie for the Sunne by the day time nor y vs by the night time we shall though it be 〈◊〉 the Cockatrice and wâ—… â—…rample on the Dragon 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 Lion. God will so rauish vs in tâ—…â—…weetenesse of his ointmentes that our dayes shall be as the dayes of heauen The wisedome of God will delight to play amoÌ„gest the sonnes of men the strength of God will be the chariots and knightes of Israell It is in vaine for man to be agaynst vs for he will be our Emanuell that is God with vs To whome the prince of peace the father of eternitie the glorious messenger of the great coun cell be all honour and dominion both now and euer more Amen The argument or occasioÌ„ oâ—… thâ—… place of Script Gods word makes noble men and gentlemen Diuision The Sorbonistes Latin. Duke Alua. Gen. 36. A brow of dishonestie D. Coâ—… Two speciall causes of Papistiâ—…all ignoraunce Faultes in the vulgar translation in the Bible Good intent is not inough D. SauÌ„ders behauiour The Papistes haue not had nor haue the best learned men on their side Sanders sayth earnestly that Caluin is vnlearned Let him go about to shew how and he shall be answered Naâ—…istes had liued still without learning if it had not bin for protestantes Those argumentes are to be found out gathered by Iacobus Anderae Sanders reasoning The groundes of papistry The second part The church and a woman compared The names of Gods church in scriptures The beutie of y church The first reason to proue the church of rome foule Mahomets the Popes churches foule alike The Iewes church and Popes church foule alike The secoÌ„d reason The third reason Contrarietie betwixt old young Peter The same reason other wayes proued The deuill and hys pope semblable The fourth reason tâ—… proue â—…er foule The fifth reason The authoritie of the church I would not beleue the Gospell c. Marâ—…e this aunswere throughout I should not had beleued the gospell c. The Church an hiâ—… Citie Gods church not mounting but miserable How gods church is mounting famous Christ prayed c. Tell the church The church a pillor Where was your church The Church of Rome not the church Argumentes The aunswere of the Church of Rome in speciall pointes of beliefe The â—…nswere of the church Sinnes of this time Papistes sinnes Protistantes sinnes Sinnes of great men Sinnes of clergy Sinnes of Magistrates Catholicke sinnes Psal. 50. The boyes of Christes Hospitall The beggars outcry or rather the outcry of the beggars Ezech. 34. A man A Lily Pride dashed Salomon The deuision The first part who is naked The basenesse of man. All is dust In this our dust is much miserie Eccles. 40 Man can not coÌ„tinue in his base misery The second part what it is to be naked The Anabaptistes reasoning agaynst warre Reasons for warre Psal. 144 Poâ—…icy diuinitie would haue misedocrs punished I. Esd. 7. The prince may punish iustly and yet be milde and mercifull Psal. 101 3. Reg. 2. Psal. 101 In his Morals The first reason Papistes can not be good subiectes The second The third The fourth The fifth The sixt That Adam was without apparell Apparell diuided Mat. 11. Practises in kinges houses are not presidentes The condition of all Preachers that preach the truth Amos. 6. Gods backe Leuit. 26. â—…ac 3. Ierem. 5. Iich 1. Sophoni 1 Nah. 3 Malac. 3. An abridge ment of the 〈◊〉 All these speeches are in the prophets