an eare left were so effectual to deceiue al sorts of men that knowing this we cannot meruaile if poperie were spread far wide He did the Pope very profitable seruice which first found out this ground to builde on It bare vp their building a great while But after that the light began a litle to appeare when men had gotten once a sight of the scriptures in a knowen tongue they woondered to see the world so deluded in so much that euen amongst themselues such as had any small freedome of iudgement spared not plainely to auouche that this ground was but mire and slough altogether vnfitte for spiritual building Why that booke should be called a golden legend saith Viues for so it was intituled I doe not knowe sith it was written by a man of an yron mouth and a leaden heart and is altogether full of most shamelesse lies Erasmus likewise At this day saith he euerie bodies dreames yea the dotages of sillie women are read amongest diuine Scriptures 19 The last ground which they haue and the fairest to the eye is their traditions Vnder the name of doctrine receiued from Moses by word of mouth without writing that is to say tradition the Scribes and Pharisies were able smoothlie to carie away anything til Christ recalled all things to the Lawe the Psalmes and the Prophets til he opened the scriptures And as in other grounds so in this the Pope hath found by good experience that they cannot stand longer than the scriptures lie secret and vnknowen 20 He therefore that buildeth vpon these grounds hath cause I thinke to besturre hand and foote that men may be alwaies kept off from the scriptures For whatsoeuer is builded vpon these grounds by the scripture it is ouerthrowen The scriptures haue prescribed an holie communion they vpon their foundation haue reared a blasphemous Masse The scripture maketh baptisme the consecrated seale of mans saluation They vpon their foundation haue builded the baptisme of belles and shippes The scripture saith Christ was offered vp but once they vpon their foundation haue erected an altar whereupon he is daily offered vp The scripture wil haue the scriptures to be read of all men prayer to be made with vnderstanding Christ to be a full satisfaction for sinne worship to be doone vnto God alone They vpon their foundations haue builded a doctrine that forbiddeth Gods people to reade his word that teacheth them to powre out their prayer in a tongue which they cannot vnderstand that hath found out a way to satisfie the wrath of almightie God in this life by penaunce and after this life by indurance in Purgatorie a doctrine that commaundeth them to call vpon Saints and soules departed to worship the worke of their owne handes to say to a peece of bread My Lord my God If these doctrines of theirs did not containe as they doe most manifest impietie yet all religion builded vpon such grounds must needes be vaine and friuolous For although we offer vp neuer so many sacrifices though we keepe all the daies in the yere holie though we pray and giue thankes and doe almes yet except we knowe that herein we shewe obedience to the lawes and statutes of our God we doe but tire out our selues in vaine Wil God reward those things wherein he taketh no delight Or taketh he delight in any thing and hath not shewed it Or hath he shewed it and not in scripture Doubtlesse they worship him but in vaine which either teache or practise the precepts of men for the Lawes of God That they teache or practise the precepts of men they wil not graunt yet the most that possibly they can alledge to prooue any one of these things to be of God is this Such or such a father saith that this or this being not written is neuerthelesse Apostolicall And they knowe that the witnesses whom they cite in matters of tradition doe sometimes checke and contrarie one another In the controuersie that was betweene the East and West Churches concerning the feast of Easter the one part alledged tradition to prooue their custome and the other part tradition to prooue the contrarie It might be that neither was Apostolicall both could not be when eche gainesaide other Yet both must be if al be Apostolicall which the Fathers haue saide is Apostolicall If al be not where is the certaintie of these grounds Why doe they murther burne and persecute from place to place as many as make any doubt of these things which are grounded vpon so fickle and weake foundation 21 But to leaue the foundation whereupon they builde their doctrine if in the rest we finde them as corrupt as in this they haue beene declared weake surely then we may boldly affirme that the Church of Rome is rather a sinke of all abhomination than a fountaine from whence those liuing waters or a storehouse wherein that heauenly foode whereof the Prophet Esay speaketh may be had Let vs therefore nowe consider the end as wel of our religion as of theirs Let vs viewe the marke whereat eche part doeth shoote Whatsoeuer men doe they doe it to some end And the qualitie of things which are doone to any ende is iudged to be good or bad by the ende whereunto they are doone Hereof it is that in scripture things otherwise highly commended as prayer fasting and almes deedes are most bitterly reprooued when they tend to bad ends As there is but one author from whom all things are so there is but one end vnto whom al things should encline and bend themselues God is Alpha the first from whom all other things haue their being and beginning wherefore in reason he is Omega the end and finall cause of all things vpon him they must attend and seeing they are not of themselues therefore they may not serue themselues but for the glorie of him by whom they are From hence a rule may be gathered to iudge betweene pure religion in deede and that which is vntruely so called For that religion no doubt is best which most aduaunceth the glorie of God and that which taketh most from him the worst Ipsi gloria in Ecclesia In the Church of God all glorie is giuen not to men but to him This is the song of the true Church of Christ Righteousnesse O Lord belongeth vnto thee but vnto vs open shame 22 Wherefore touching our selues we teache with the blessed Apostles and Prophets that by nature we are the children of wrath that corruption is bredde and setled within our bones that we are both borne and begotten in it that with it all the powers and faculties of our nature are infected that still it cleaueth fast vnto our soules and although the deadly sting be taken from it yet there it sticketh as long as life doth endure so irkesome and so grieuous that it forceth the most vpright and perfect to crie Miserable man who shall deliuer me
committed Some by killing of Christ the first begotten sonne againe sacrificing him afresh as they thought vpon their hill altars for the dead and the quicke But they were deceiued Some by the mediation of Saints departed robbing Christ of his office who is the onely mediator and intercessor betweene God and man Some haue thought to make amendes for their sinnes by buying popish pardons by taking their walkes in long pilgrimages to dumme and senselesse idols in such like not only vaine but impious deuises of mans foolish braine Thus sundrie haue sought out sundrie ways some blasphemous and some of them ridiculous to appease the wrath of God prouoked by their sinne The Israelites doubted by what meane to satisfie for their sinne what God would accept they could not tell they were altogether vncertaine which way to please him And truely it is lamentable that there bee so many euen nowe in the cleare light of the sauing Gospell which doubt by what meanes they may bee saued and in this doubtfulnesse many still followe their owne fantasies and through ignorance are led into the high way of damnation Wherefore such as are doubtful our Prophet Micheas clearely resolueth such as are out of the way he calleth into the right path such as are ignorant he instructeth and such as will learne hee offereth to teache what the good will and pleasure of the Lord is 6 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and acceptable to him surely not to take vpon thee to satisfie for sin thy selfe for that passeth thy power all thy righteousnesse being but filthinesse in the pure sight of God not to offer vp any sacrifice as being in it selfe propitiatorie for sinne for that Christ onely hath doone on the crosse and that but once and that for all hee is the onely sacrifice the onely priest the onely mediator the only redeemer The price of our saluation is neither golde nor siluer but the pretious bloud of the innocent lambe of God Christ Iesus shed for the sinnes of the worlde there is no other name vnder heauen whereby we can be saued God requireth therefore no satisfaction for sinnes at thy hands but at his he hath required it to the vttermost Christ is thine God hath freely giuen thee both him and with him all things that are his If thou receiue him through a true faith thy saluation is sealed and thou art safe For as many as haue receiued him to them hee hath giuen power to bee the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name If thou confesse with thy mouth and beleeue in thy heart that thou art deliuered from thy sinne by that one oblation of Christ offered vpon the crosse that his merite hath made thee the childe of his father and the inheritor of that kingdome which he hath prepared for as many as are his then applie thy selfe to liue after the will and commaundement of him that hath doone so great thinges for thee shew thy faith by thy life let it appeare and be seene in thy works that thou art in deede the louing and the iustified childe of God readie desirous to obeie and doe his will And least in thy working thou shouldest followe thine owne phantasie and doe that which is not acceptable in the sight of God hee hath laide out thy way before thee 7 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee Surely to do iudgement and to loue mercie to humble thy selfe to walke carefully with thy God Wherein we first learne this lesson that no seruice wee doe to God can please him but such as himselfe in his woord hath prescribed he will be serued as he hath commanded in his lawe and not as thou hast deuised with thy selfe That seruice which God in his word doth not require at thy hands if thou offer it him it is in vaine thou offerest The Lord hath not asked it and he wil not accept it of thee In vaine they worship me teaching doctrines the precepts of men It is not for nothing that God was so curious in platting foorth the Tabernacle and so precise in commaunding that all thinges without exception should be doone according to that patterne Was God so careful ouer an earthly a corruptible house think you No His meaning was to teache vs that in the spirituall Tabernacle in matters of religion perteining to the seruice worship of God all things should be doone according to the rule of his owne will which is set downe in his written woord For hath he not saide in the Lawe What I commmaund thee that onely shalt thou doe thou shalt neither adde nor diminish He that addeth God shal adde vnto him all the plagues he that taketh away God shal take from him all the blessings conteined in that booke The doctrine of Christ saith Clemens Alexandrinus is most absolute neither wanteth it any thing God is well pleased when men are so religiously affected that they dare not swarue a haires bredth from his word S. Cyprian saith The foundation of all religion and faith is laide in the woord of God And S. Ierome That which hath not authoritie out of the woord of God is altogether as easilie refused as prooued Which rule of religion if the Latine Church had as wel obserued as it is both in the scriptures often giuen and often commended by the godlie fathers the Church of Christ had neuer beene burthened with so many vnprofitable traditions and newe inuentions of men so many superstitions so great idolatrie so ouglie pollutions had neuer found entrance into the house of God In the scriptures wherein is conteined all that is good and all that which God requireth or accepteth of we finde no mention either of the name or of the thing of the Masse the Pope Purgatorie praying on beades hallowing of bels either any such like popish trashe In summe fewe parts of their religion haue any one stone from thence to be founded or built vpon For where doth God require any one of these or the like at our or their hands That which is required in his name is this To doe iudgement and to loue mercie c. Wherein is fully comprised our whole duetie both to God and man 8 To doe iudgement This sentence receiueth sundrie expositions and each of them yeeldeth vs sundrie good lessons Ierome vnderstandeth by dooing of iudgement dooing all things with reason and ripe consideration God himselfe giueth an example hereof and applieth himselfe to our senses that he may instruct our mindes herein For minding to powre his plagues vpon Sodoma and Gomorra those sinfull cities hee saith first with himselfe I wil goe downe nowe and see whether they haue doone altogether according vnto that crie which is come vnto me or not that I may knowe It was rashnesse in Iephthe to promise without exception whatsoeuer should meete him first and hee
length become doubtful and vncertaine like a tale that passeth from man to man and is told as many waies as there are men to tel it Againe if once it be graunted that there is any part of the Lawe of GOD vnwritten if entraunce once be giuen to Lawes that passe by the word of mouth I would know when we should be able to say Nowe we haue all the statutes of God these we must obserue but moe we may not receiue The Marcionites they haue a doctrine as they say receiued from the Apostles by tradition without booke Valentinus he likewise vrgeth very stoutely Christ had many thinges to tel his Disciples which as then they could not beare and therefore his doctrine may not be tryed by the booke It is a tradition Let any thing but the written word of God take place in matters of faith and who seeth not that the very mainesea of heresies must needs breake in vpon the Church of Christ These are as we suppose causes iust allowable and sufficient in the indifferent iudgement of reasonable men why we should deliuer you no doctrine concerning faith religion but onely that which is in Scripture why we should admonish you to beware of bread sowred with pharisaical leuen and to feed vpon that which ye know came down from heauen to shun broken cisternes to come to the wel of liuing waters as here ye are exhorted by the Prophet 13 At this the aduerse part doth greatly storme they cannot abide to haue controuersies iudged onely by the scriptures They which make scripture onely the ground and foundation of faith are no fit builders for the Church of Rome When Constantinus required that those matters about which the Church was then veriehoat in contention might be decided onely according to those things which are written the aunswere of Hilarie was Hoc qui repudiat Antichristus est He which refuseth this is Antichrist Why then doe our aduersaries flie this kinde of triall why refuse they to goe to the lawe and testimonies there to be iudged The reason is rendred by the Prophet It is because there is no light in them They haue chosen to them selues another foundation than that of the Prophets and Apostles Wherefore as Herode to couer the basenesse of his stocke and to the end that in time he might be thought to be of the bloud royall burned the sacred monuments and bookes of the Iewes wherein the lineal descents pedigrees and genealogies of the kings of Israell were described so they to strengthen the authoritie of their base and ilfauoured grounds doe endeuour not onely in word and writing by contumelious and reprocheful termes to discountenance but also if the power of God were not greater than theirs by fire and flame to destroy for euer the eternall testament of the sonne of God We charge them with no corner attempts we haue seene the burning of these heauenly records we haue seene the verie handling of the booke of life punished with bitter and cruel death May we not iustly say to that man of sin as S. Augustine to Petilian Iudas Christū carnalem tradidit tu spiritualem furens Euangeliū sanctum flammis sacrilegis tradidisti Iudas betraied Christ in the flesh but tho◠in the spirite In thy furie thou hast deliuered the holy Gospel vnto heynous flames 14 But what are the grounds for which they haue thus furiously bent themselues against the writings of the holy Ghost The grounds whereupon they build such doctrines as cannot stand with the scriptures of God are fained miracles the record and witnesse of fowle spirits precepts of men muddie legends vncertaine traditions which grounds so long as the light of the Gospel shineth in mens eies so long as we haue the scriptures to direct vs in our iudgement are easily perceiued to be but bogges and false grounds but take away the scriptures put out the light and in darkenesse who can descrie what they are This is the onely reason why Antichrist doth so much striue to hoodwinke the worlde by conueying the scriptures out of sight 15 By the scriptures we learne that the comming of that wicked one shall be with power and signes and lying wonders and in all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse which when we heare it giueth vs plainly to vnderstand that miracles are rather to be taken for causes of reasonable suspition than infallible proofes of true doctrine But the Pope wel perceiueth that if the scriptures may be buried his miracles wil then stand him in good stead As soone as Philip preached the things that concerned the kingdome of God and the name of Iesus Christ to the people of Samaria they forsooke the sorceries of Simon Magus and beleeued the doctrine of the scriptures But till then they all gaue heede to witchcraft and their generall iudgement of Magus was This man is the power of the great God 16 In the scriptures we are charged to heare Moses and the Prophets In the scriptures we finde that Christ refused the testimonie of an vncleane spirit In the scriptures we haue learned how to aunswere them which sende vs either to diuels or dead mens ghosts to be schooled and taught Should not a people enquire at their God From the liuing to the dead But let it be prouided that such sentences as these may be no more remembred and then what is it which the Pope may not confirme by his pale and grislie witnesses when men doe not heare of these scriptures they will easily finde as good reason as Saul to open their eares and to listen vnto Satan God aunswereth me no more neither by Prophets nor by dreames Therefore I haue called thee that thou maist tel me what to doe 17 How often are we warned in scriptures to take heede that we build not religion vpon doctrines of men How sharply are the Corinthians taken vp by the Apostle for pinning themselues vpon mens sleeues saying I am of Paul and I of Appollos But if this were concealed who would controlle the Pope for diuiding his traine for appointing some to be of Benedict some of Frauncis some of Dominicke for exacting more rigorously the strict obseruation of their rules than the keeping of the Lawes and statutes of God 18 So long as the myst of poperie was thicke ynough to stoppe the light of the scriptures of GOD the fabulous legends of Saints liues were thought as true as the Gospel There they had with maruellous cunning conueyance interlaced all points of popish doctrine which being barely taught would by reason of the grossenesse of them haue beene loathed in short time but being mingled with straunge and pleasaunt fables and so powred both into young and tender wits as the first licour wherewith their mindes were seasoned and into olde heads as the onely thing that might hold them euen then when all other entries of delight were shut vp so long as they had but
daungerous to admit vnwritten verities The Pope will not haue his doctrine tyed vnto this ground and why Hil. ad Constant lib. quem ipse tradidiâ— Ambros in Luc lib. 3. cap. 3. August contra liter Petilia lib. 2 cap. 7. The grounds of Poperiâ— Miracles 2. Thâ—ss 2. Actes 8. Foule spirites Esay 8. 1. Sam. 28. Precepts of men 1. Cor. 3. Legends Viuâ—s Annâ—t in Hieron de Ecclesiast scriptorib Traditions Doctrines builded vpon the foresaide grounds against scripture Religion builded vpon such groundes though it were not iniurious is notwithstanding friuolous vncertaine The second difference betweene true Christianitie and Poperie is in the ende Ephe. 3. Dan 9. Man is humbled by true doctrine touching original sinne Ephe. 2. Rom. 7. Thraldome of will Grace Workes Gal. 5. The truth seeketh to throw downe men and to aduance Christ. The Church of Rome seeketh her own glorie and gaine Iohn 5. She paireth diminisheth mans original corruption Psal. 51. Gen. 6. Shee boasteth of freewill Rom. 9. Cantic 1. Iustification by workes Psal. 143. Psal. 130. Of merites and workes of supererogation She desireth excessiuely outwarde pompe Eccles 10. She maintaineth it by vile merchandise She robbeth God of the honour which he shold haue by Faith Inuocation and Obedience Heb. 10. Prou. 28. Psal. 33. Psal. 46. Exod. 20. The third difference betweene true Christianitie and Poperie is in y e meanes and maner of proceeding 1. Tim. 4. After what sort men must come to the waters of life Ierem. 23. What commodities such as come shall receiue Iob. 30 Eccles. 9. Iob. 21. 2. Sam. 7. Luke 1. Acts 13. Ier. 33. The vse of Parliamentes Things to bee considered in the person of Samuel He was a Minister Iohn 6. Phil. 2. He was a godlie magistrate yet misliked by them ouer whom he was placed Exod. 15. 2. Sam. 17. Psal. 70. Crysippus Exod. 2. Demosthenes Themistocles Valer. Max. lib. 7. cap. 2. 1. Sam. 7. Rom. 13. He was both a Prophet and a Prince Luke 16. Exod. 4 2. Reg. 12. Things contained in the wordes of Samuel 1. The duetie of the minister 2. The duetie of the Prince 3. The dutie of the people 4. The punishmeÌ„t if this dutie be not performed Samuell zealous in Gods cause but milde in his owne 1. Sam. 15. Exod. 32. Iohn 2. By his owne example hee giueth ministers to vnderstand that it is their duetie to Pray to Teache His praier was earnest as appeareth by his words Be this sinne farre from me that I should cease to pray Luke 22. Psal. 6. 2. Parâ—l 33. Exod 3â— 1. Sam. 1. Plato Matth. 15. He prayed for the prince the people 1. Tim. 2. 2. Sam. 10. 2. Sam 20. 1. Reg. â—1 1. Reg. 12. Ier. 38. The next dutie of the minister is to teache not what they list but the good right way Col. 1. Eph. 4. 1. Tim. 4. 1. Iohn 1. Matth. 15. Esay 30. Ier. 6. Deut 12. Iohn 14. 1. Cor. 11. Gal. 1. 1. Pet. 4. Such as doe not this worke should not be suffered to beare this office Zach. 11. Acts 1. 1. Reg 2. Punishment due vnto such as teach waies contrarie to that which is good right Deut. 13. 1. Reg. 18. 2. Reg. 10. Trip hist. lib. 9. cap. 25. The duetie of the Prince towards God and the common wealth How princes doe serue God as Princes 2. Reg. 22. Aug. cp 50. 2. Paral. 3â— 2. Paral. 34. Dan. 6. Dan. 3. The first point of kingly seruice vnto God is to purge his Church From false doctrine and Idolatrie 1. Sam. 2. Acts 17. 1. Mac. 2. From occasions of offence 1. Cor. 14. 1. Cor. 14. From Simonie Iohn 10. Heb. 5. Acts 8. Ambrosius 1. Tim. 5. The next point of princely service to God is to prouide that his people may be taught the way of saluation Matt. 28. 1. Tim. 2. Luke 10. Luke 16. Prouision to be made for teachers to that purpose 1. Tim. 5. Apoc. 2. Cic. de Off. lib. 1. Iohn 3. Tit. 1. The people to be constrained to heare what soeuer they pretend to the contrarie Luke 14. Aug. epist. 204. Acts 9. The duetie of the prince towardes the common wealth With the prince other officers must be ioyned of whose choise howe great care should be had Exod. 18. The power of princes if they list to vse it vnto good purposes Making of Lawes to remediâ— abuses in the common wealth Libertie of professing diuers religions is daungerous to the state Smaller abuses in attire dyet c. Corruptions in officers vnder the prince Deceit in the meaner trades of life Vsurie Adulterie Corner contracts without consent of parents The poore Deut. 15. Esay 10. Execution of Lawes Solon Valer. lib. 7. c. 2. Ier. 48. The duetie of the people towards God Psal 34. Towardes higher powers Rom. 13. Ios. 1. Psal. 2. Towards the common wealth Ier. 29. Greg. Nazian Subsidies Matth. 22. Rom. 13. Val. lib. 5. cap. 6. Exod. 36. The punishment if by the minister the prince and y e people y e foresaide duties be not performed Solemne assemblies ordained in the Church to the praise of God for speciall benefites Nehem. 8. Hester 9. 1. Mac. 13. Deut. 16. Psal. 118. As great cause of the like assemblies presently in England as euer any where Three things contained in this parcell of scripture aboue written Our vineyard hath florished The Church of God like a vineyarde which must first be cleansed then planted and thirdly fensed to the ende it may flourish The Church of England blest with an ouerseer wise and learned religious iust peaceful performing the aforesaid dueties therein Eccles. 10. Psal. 1. 1. Reg. 3. Psal. 44. Acts 20. The vineyard of England purged of Idolatrie and superstition Christ planted in y e vineyard of England The vineyard fensed with Lawes of discipline 1. Cor. 1. Esay 5. The fruits of this vineyard many one speciall which is peace both spirituall and ciuill The fruite of ciuil peace plentie The end why God sendeth these temporal blessings Exod. 16. Gen. 13. The plagues which follow temporal blessings when they are abused The vineyard deuoured by litle foxes Why the Church enemies are termed foxes why litle Iohn 18. Iud. 7. The Church enemies resemble foxes in foure properties In rauening In crueltie In wilinesse In casting an euil sauour Matth. 8. The meanes which they vse to destroy the Church force fraud force open secret open by fier and sword Apoc. 12. Secret force by trecheries sorceries poisonings Their fraud in perswading by arguments drawne from antiquitie Ier. 9. From the authoritie of their Church and Pope Col. 1. FroÌ„ the excellencie of their sacrifice From fained Prophecies Their fraude in perswading by promises of reconciliation 2. Cor. 5. Their stratageme of raising vp slanderous reports The foxes must be takeÌ„ To whom by whom Howe Why foxes must be takeÌ„ Deut. 13. Gal. 5. Acts 13. Exod. 32. Phil. 3. Tit. 3. They must be taken if it may be to