meane while dooth feede them onely with humaine traditions with prohibitions that nothing may be saide to the contrarye neither may be enquired for the truth out of the saide Scriptures confounding the trueth of Gods worde with his decrees and statutes The which things teach vs manifestly the loue and kindnesse of such a sheepheard towards his flocke that insteed of feeding it with the wholsome doctrine propounded in Gods worde and refreshing it with the sweete waters of Gods graces the which are conueyed into our hearts by the pure and sincere preaching of his worde doth rather cast it downe into the pit of errors and superstitions depriuing the common people most vniustly from the reading of the holy scriptures and keeping them thereby in ignorance The peoples ignorance whereby they cannot be resolued of their saluation prescribing vnto them an infinite number of traditions as if the scriptures were not sufficient to saluation yea accusing them most blasphemously of imperfection and of obscuritie against the plaine testimonie of S. Paul 2. Tim. 3. vers 16. 2. Tim. 3.16 For the whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to conuince to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes This it is that opened our eyes that mooued our heart and setled vs vpon the right way from the which we erred by our corrupt nature The profit of God his worde and this doth manifest vnto vs the mysteries of saluation For as Chrysostome an olde Father very well teacheth Wee must onely beleeue the holy scriptures by this doore enter both sheepheard and sheepe who enters not through it is a theefe for it is a propertie of the diuell to adde somewhat to the commandements of God and beholde therefore how clearely God commands Deut. 4. ver 2. Deut. 4.2 to content our selues with this rule for to discerne by it the truth from falsehood Yee shall put nothing vnto the worde which I commande you neither shall yee take ought there-from that yee may keepe the commandements of the Lord your God which I commaund you Shall we desire a more expresse charge The Romish doctors part in this play But why doe our doctors of the Romish Synagogue notwithstanding all this They take their refuge to traditions of men without yea against the worde of God adding vnto it and detracting from it according to their pleasure They say the holye Scripture is not perfect enough she is obscure and hard to be vnderstood but we must explicate and cleere her with our traditions but I pray you what other perfection can they finde for vs to come to saluation Let vs here what the Apostle saies 2. Tim. 3. vers 15. Thou hast knowne the holy scriptures of a childe which are able to make thee wise vnto saluation through the faith which is in Christ Iesus And in the Gospell of Saint Iohn chap. 20. vers 31. we are set twise to the scriptures But these things saith he are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is that Christ that Sonne of God and that in beleeuing yee might haue life through his Name Dauid the Prophet considering the same Psal 119. verse 103. and 105. saith How sweete are thy promises vnto my mouth yea more then Honie And againe Thy worde is a Lantherne vnto my feete and a light vnto my path Yea but is it not say they a commendable thing to serue God according to the institutions of our Fathers and to keepe vs by them Is it not a thing agreeable vnto GOD to worship his Saints to goe in Pilgrimage to fast whole Lent to confesse to heare Masse c. But I pray you vpon what ground is this built and who requires such at your hands if wee will serue GOD let vs serue him according to his worde let vs enquire for his holye will and hauing found it let vs follow it obediently for truelye there was neuer so base a maister but hee would be serued according to his will prescribed vnto his seruants or disciples concerning their duty Wherefore shall we then deteine from God his right who hath reuealed his holy will vnto vs in his worde and the meanes how he will bee serued by vs. If then we will be obedient vnto him let vs seeke nothing in our selues to please him nor also the institutions of the Fathers to followe them according to the commaundement of GOD giuen to the Israelites Ezech. 20. verse 31. Walke yee not in the ordinances of your Fathers neither obserue their manners nor defile your selues with their Idols I am the Lord your God walke in my statutes and keepe my iudgements and doe them For as God saith in the 55. Chapter of the Prophet Esay verse 8.9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saieth the Lorde For as the Heauens are higher then the Earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts aboue your thoughts And in the 15. Chapter of Mathew the 9. verse But in vaine they worship me teaching for doctrines mens precepts But let vs turne our selues to him seeing hee dooth inuite vs so kindely by his worde and as Cyprian an olde Father saith Cypr. Epist 3. lib. 2. Let vs not beholde those thinges that haue beene done and teacht before our times if so be wee will followe Iesus Christ but let vs before all things cast our eyes on those thinges which Christ who was before all men hath commanded to be done by vs following rather the trueth then custome And although an Angell from heauen should Preache you an other Gospell then I preache vnto you let him bee saith the Apostle an Anatheme Gallathians 1. Our Doctors holde to the contrarie by Popely authoritie that all those are execrable that doe not holde for good their institutions and humaine traditions But is this so wonderfull deere bretheren that such men shewe themselues so haynous enemies against the trueth and the holye Scriptures seeing they bee so bolde as to come thus farre that besides all their blasphemies against the worde of GOD Robbing of Iesus Christ to vnder-creepe and to robbe from Christ his office and honour that onely appertayneth vnto him before God his heauenly Father to accomplishe the worke of our gracious redemption stealing awaye a parte of his sacrifice by their merites and indulgences drawne out of the treasure of the Romish synagogue which as they saye is full of the merites of the Apostles and holye Martyres and of their workes of supererogation this they make the poore ignorante people beleeue Those now that haue great store of money and goods for that is it that maketh their chimney to smoake the spit to broache their roast meat buy of the same thinking to get therby saluatiō and thus according to their pleasure doe distribute for money the bloud of Iesus Christ wherein they are like
not vnto Simon Peter but Simon Magus of whom is spoken in the 8. chap. of the Acts and treade vnder feete the sacrifice of Christ by the damned sacrifice of the Masse The Masse a damned Masse I name it damned and with good reason for if Satan in any article sheweth himselfe impudent deceitfull and malicious it is in this point For what is the Masse but a manyfest and damnable prophanation of the merites of Iesus Christ yea such a prophanation whereby not onely the body of our Lord Iesus Christ is againe here on earth killed being neuerthelesse ascēdid into heauen glorified by God his father and placed to his right hand commeth to be broken of a man as being comprehended in a peece of dowe but also the greatnesse the full satifaction the vertue the eternity of his merites are vtterly reiected The scripture to the contrary teacheth vs manifestly to fly such a monster of errors admonishing vs that we obtaine onely by the blood shedding of our Lord Iesus Christ once done at the Crosse saluation and not by the damned sacrifice of a priest who offers againe and teares in peeces as a cruell hang-man the body of our Lord Iesus Christ that it is by his onely sacrifice done for vs as the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 1.30 But ye are of him in Christ Iesus who of God is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption That according as it is written he that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord Whereof the Apostle testifieth in the 9. to the Hebrewes making a comparison betweene the sacrifices of the olde Testament with the sacrifice of our Lorde Iesus Christ shewing the difference of the one to the other opposing the imperfection and mutability of the one for they were renewed euery yeare to the perfection of the eternity of the sacrifice of our Lord Iesus Christ And therefore reade the new Testament ouer and ouer you shall finde no where one word I say not onely of the Masse which is an inuention of Satan but neither of any Propetiatory sacrifices of what kinde soeuer they be but of the onely sacrifice of Iesus Christ Psal 110.4 who being anoynted of God his father to bee an eternall priest according to the order of Melchizedeck hath voluntarily giuen ouer himselfe vnto the death and for euer reconciled vs with God the father If then the matter be thus cleare what shall our Docters reply to maintaine their Masse which is vtterly conuicted by these places of the holy Scripture for they cannot hold the words of the Apostle for trueth vnlesse they accuse themselues of this their abuse the reason is euident for if the Leuiticall sacrifices haue beene vnperfect and not sufficient to wash away the sinnes of the children of Israel because it was necessary to iterate renew them often how much the more shall the Sacrifice of our Lord Iesus Christ bee of small estimation before God his father when not onely euery yeare but also euery day yea almost euery houre it must needes by a priest be itterated and renewed And loe this is the doctrine of that great vicar of Iesus Christ of his Bishops and Supposts or Cardinals c. Consider once the substance of this faire sacrifice which is figured in the Masse but why do I call it a sacrifice seeing it is nothing els but a manifest deuision of Christ and his merites for as the Apostle saith Heb. 7.22 Where no shedding of blood is there is no sacrifice Marke once briefly the doctrine wherewith they nourish the people when they speake concerning saluation they keepe them depending on their tradition and merits of men where the scripture contrariwise testifieth most euidently that we cannot please God in any sort of our selues or by our merits but that we obtaine saluation onely by faith that it is his pure goodnesse as we read in the 3.4.5 and 10. chap. to the Romanes and in the 2. 3. to the Ephesians where the Apostle excludeth cleerely all these commeritors when he sayes By grace are ye saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God Not of workes least any man should boast himselfe in the 3. to the Phillipians vers 8. I esteeme saith the Apostle speaking of his owne person hauing thousand times more reason to boast of perfection and holinesse of his workes then our Papists haue now a dayes I esteeme saith hee all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I haue counted all things losse and doe iudge them to be doung that I might winne Christ Shall we desire a cleare and manifest testimony for to humble our selues before God and so to lift vp our harts vnto God for to craue mercy from him But the wickednesse of the Romish cleargy is so great and the poore people is so blinded that they neuer examine themselues and the vnworthinesse of their merrites which be not at all yea insteed that they should cry out with the Prophet Dauid in his 143. Psalm vers 2. Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified they flatter themselues bring to an account before God their merrites and worthinesses to be saued by them or at least partly Wherein we haue to marke the great deceitfulnesse of Satan who knowing our sicknesse and our weaker part and obseruing that men by nature is giuen to an idle presumption pleasing of themselues and that man flatters commonly himselfe he propounds vnto him his merrites and good workes to this end that putting his confidence on the same hee might forget to imbrace the grace of God which saueth vs in Iesus Christ and therefore if any doctrine be mingled with the deceite of Satan Iustification by merrits the deuills Doctrine it is this doctrine namely of the iustification of the poore sinner before God for if he could once take away the trueth of this Doctrine which is the foundation of our saluation he might soone come to the ende of his purpose and intent seeing that without this there is no more any life for the poore sinner no mercy no couenant no promise but in a word eternall damnation if we will trust in any manner on our selues or haue opinion onely of any merrite The death of Papists a good thing to obserue From whence I pray you come so many sobs so much weeping so many teares and to be short such an vnbeliefe and incertitude of saluation in the article of death not only amongst the common people but also amongst the Priest and teachers yea such a despaire that they condemne themselues hauing no feeling of the salutary grace of God is not the reason because they considering and diligently examining their owne workes finde nothing that can subsist before such a iust iudge Surelye it is so for they are all but infirmities and stinking pollutions And this is the
of the minde in the elect as through the efficacie of faith which is a presence of things absent a vision of things inuisible an hypostasis of the misteries of eternall saluation Loe this is the truth of this sacrament contrary to mans tradition But time will no more suffer me to repeate the erronious absurdities of this tradition Purgatory Now of Purgatory which they dote vpon it is contrary to the washing and purging of Christ his precious bloud shed vpon the crosse applyed through vertue and secret operation of the spirit and receiued through a liuely faith But these are but Monkish absurdities to imagyne that the vnspeakable dignity of the Sacrifice of Christ is not perfectly able to blot out our offences to reconcile soules vnto God and to iustyfie before the throne of iustice it is surely a great deminyshing of his mercy grace vnspeakeable fauour a too much eclypsing of the inmatchable glory of the Ocean of his compassions I leaue behinde for breuity sake a Chaos of like errours most humbly beseeching the Lord to haue mercy vpon the ignorant to enlighten thē in his knowledge and to confound those that maliciously warre against the truth I will be no longer a captiue in Babilon thus to haue no remembrance of Sion nor remember my selfe And for that I cannot sing the Lords song in a strange land in this pernicious Babilon nor vpon her bankes which do ouerflow with abhominations I will make riuers of mine eyes with a sweete remembrance and contemplation of the spirytuall Ierusalem notwithstandyng all aduersityes which clense vs from vitious imaginations from all superstitions and idolatryes and to the ende I may worship one onely GOD and beleeue in his gospell renouncing all humane inuentions which faith is gyuen vnto vs by the holy ghost through the preaching of the holy Gospell as it is witten in Saint Iohn 3. Mathew Chap. 16. To the Romans Chap. 10. and in the Actes Chap. 16. and in many other places which to shun prolixity wee will not now name This profit therefore commeth of tribulations And surely I may well say that which I my selfe haue experimented a few dayes past wherein I was tormented with an infinite number of imaginations caused in respect of the absence of my parents to see my selfe in a strange countrey to here the Papistes murmure and ordinarily speake against me with threats and slaunders but howsoeuer I did pray vnto the Lord for those that persecuted me and for mine owne comfort and consolation for it was the true meane to fortifie me the more in the trueth of the Gospell as at this present I do with my eyes behold fresh comforts and new effects of the holy ghost in my soule bidding me perseuer in the obedience of the worde of life This was the purpose of Esay who saide O Lord in tribulations we will seeke thee and of the Prophet Dauid Fill their faces with shame and reproch then they will seeke thy mercifull name By the mouth of the Prophet Osee saith GOD himselfe In their troubles and anguishes they shall rise vp and acknowledge me By Ezechiell My Zeale shall be taken from thee and J will cease and will no more be angry with thee God giueth vs manifestly to vnderstand in this place that hee is angrye the more with vs when hee doth not punish and chastice vs with tribulations for then he sheweth not the loue he beareth vnto vs. Saint Iohn saith in the Apocal chap. 3. that those whom he loueth he chastiseth a great consolation doubtlesse Esay Chap. 43. When thou shalt passe through the waters the riuers shall not couer thee and when thou shalt tread vpon the fier it shall not burne thee This is represented vnto vs in Exodus 14. when the Hebrewes passed through the red sea in Daniel 3. when the young men of Babilon were cast into the burning flames God could well haue hindred them from casting the three innocent young men into the fire but he the more to shew his mighty glory and for the saluation of his own people suffered them to be throwne into the fier without receiuing any dammage or hurt In like maner the Lord doth shew greater mercy vnto me in chastising me with tribulations giuing me patience and spirituall strength then if he had deliuered me from the outragious ignominies and aduersities aboue said For I well knew that when I was in tranquillity and rest he had as it were forgotten me but so soone as hee laide his crosse vpon me I knew that I was his creature bought with the inestimable price of his owne bloud who hath iustified me through his vnmeasurable mercy and heauenly grace Thus much dooth the scripture teach vs when it saith that the King of Babilon saw three young men walke in the middest of the fiery flames singing praises vnto God that they were accompanied with an other resembling the sonne of God For tribulation taken with patience procureth God to come to vs and be our defender being free and loose from papisticall dignities and ambitions who with inuentions of rich Altars beautified with idolles of golde and siluer with many thousands of other superstitions doe hinder men from attaining to the true knowledge of the Gospell or grace The imitation of the Apostles Actes 5. causeth wise men to reioyce in their afflictions standing in great feare of prosperity Saint Ierome compareth tribulation to Jonas his whale when others thought she swallowed him vp to kill him she swallowed him vp to saue him Saint Gregory saith that like as perfumes layd vpon coles declare their force and good smell so men doe shew the fortitude of their vertues passing through the flouds of aduersity Saint Barnard saith that as woll is to be carded wherwith fine and pure cloth is to be made so must the life of the iust bee tormented to the end their knowledge prooue more excellent Saint Chrisostome saith that vertue surmounteth in patiently abiding that affection is the true hauen of heauen Saint Gregory prooues it God himselfe in Saint Mat. Chap. 7. saith that the way that leadeth to life is straight narrow but that which leadeth to death is very large thereby meaning to inferre that those who would obtaine glory must first passe through many tempests difficulties And surely it will be an vnspeakable contentment vnto vs if wee consider that those passages are by Iesus Christ who is the way of glory and let vs not wonder if they be set with thornes but rather thinke and consider of him who hath first passed them and whither hee at last resorted In the booke of Wisdome it is written that the Lorde had made knowne the right way together with his kingdome vnto the iust O Lorde I beseech thee at this present to shewe me the right way that I erre not For I doe stedfastly beleeue that Iesus Christe liuing in mee abolisheth the curse of the lawe condemneth sinne mortifieth death he alone is peace
before the blessed Sonne of GOD Christ Iesus a Lambe without spotte in whom there is found no guile nor sinne seeing that euery sacrifice is receaued in respect of the Sacrificer as it is written in Gen. 4. The eternall had respect to Abel and his offering I omit for breuitie sake a thousand other absurdities that followe after this newe sacrifice of the Masse and likewise a whole worlde of horrible and most abhominable villanies which are to be found in the order of these Sacrificers as well regular as secular which sufficiently declare of what stuffe both themselues and their sacrifice are made I will not heere saye any thing of the grosse and beastlye ignorance which is in many though they be respected and honoured like great Doctors of the people and gouernours of soules which blinded as they are they leade with themselues into the pit of perdition I neede not likewise to make knowne to you the vitious life and scandalous conuersation Of Monks and their liues and too too notorious of the religious and Monkes meere abusers of the people who in Cloisters and Monastaries are nourished in idlenesse and entertained with the labour and sweate of the poore and simple people who conceiuing too good an opinion of them doe oftentimes take the very breade out of their owne mouthes to giue it to them which they abuse ouer wantonly through excesse and gluttony But to returne to their chiefe leader Patriarche Whē this deceiuour vsurpeth supreame authoritie ouer the lawes doctrines and documents of the sonne of God accusing them of insufficiencie and lacke of power to demonstrate vnto vs the Soueraigne good saying in a worde that the holy Scriptures are imperfect what doth he else then depriue him of his doctorall robe But the truth is and so it behoues vs to beleeue assuredly that as Christ Iesus hath sent vs from the euerlasting Father as a most wise Maister with charge and power to bring men to their saluation so hath he likewise by his doctrine laide open most sufficiently the way and meanes therevnto Traditiōs Whereby certainely is ouerthrowne all the host of traditions all this Iliade and infinite number of humaine inuentions and vnwritten doctrines forged in the shoppe of this deceiuer Pope aboue the Scriptures by the which he doth not onely surpasse but is also contrary and opposite to the deuine and wholesome doctrine and precepts of Christ Iesus a most sufficient Maister and teacher the true Messias both God man Pope is Antichrist accomplishing that which S. Paule foretolde of him that he should oppose and lift vppe himselfe against all that which is called God 2. Thes 2. No lesse doth he of the royall dignity of Christ Iesus whereof hee depriues him attributing it to himselfe as well in heauen as earth vsurping and chalenging the full authority to dispose after his fancie of the whole Church as well tryumphant as militant Hence it comes that this proud and arrogant deceiuer Canonising saints takes vpon him to make Saints to canonise those that seeme good vnto him deifying them in such sort as that the siely ignorant people cannot know nor discerne Christ Iesus among this rable of saints and eftsoons it falleth out that the bodies of those are honored and superstitiously adored by men in this worlde whose soules are tormented by the diuils in hell He taketh also power ouer Angels Pope commaundeth Angles and all the happy spirits of the celestiall court to commaund them what could he vsurpe more in heauen vnlesse he would banish and driue God himselfe if he could from thence But alas what authority takes he vpon him here vpon earth what exceeding great tyranny and cruelty dooth he exercise Some he excommunicates anathematizeth others he taketh the temporall spirituall sworde hee deposeth Kings and Monarches from their thrones to bee short being seated in the Temple of God hee causeth himselfe to be worshipped as God 2. Thes 2. But oh Lorde Iesus when wilt thou discomfit and bring to confusion this wicked vsurper by the breath of thy wrath when wilt thou abolish him by the brightnesse of thy comming when shall this beast with his false Prophet be cast into the pit or lake to the end she do no longer seduce the world Apo. 19. When shall that houre come wherein we shall vnderstand great consolation that voyce of the Angell crying alowde Rome is Babilon She is fallen she is fallen that great Babilō Apo. 18. O lord when shall it come to passe that the great nations and kings of the earth shall haue drunke enough of the wine of the wrath of her fornication and haue spewed foorth all the venome which already thy haue sucked out of her cuppe As for my part I am weary and tired therewith and therefore I renounce her I detest and abiure her in the presence of this Church of God both now and for euer louing rather to endure the Crosse of Christ in the bosome of his lawfull spouse then enioy the pleasures and ioyes of this world betweene the armes of a shamelesse strumpet who hath so long time deceiued me through her fooleries But againe I renounce and abiure now and for euer both her and all her doctrine in so much as that it is against the expresse word of God blasphematory Apostatique superstitious and as farre from the meaning of Christe our true maister as darkenesse from light as falshood from trueth vice from vertue most humbly beseeching almighty GOD thorough the entralls of his mercy and through the most precious bloude which his sonne Iesus Christ hath shed for me that he will not lay to my charge the faults of my youth nor iudge me according to the sinnes of my ignorance but rather pursuing his mercy begunne in me he will pardon all my offences committed by me either in works words or thoughts and in others through examples and wicked superstitious doctrines and that it would please the same God to worke so that those who hetherto haue beene wrapped vp in the palpable darkenesse of error and ignorance and luld a sleepe vnder the shadow of the winges of that strumpet hauing beene drunke with the wine of her fornication may now awake out of that profound sleepe and slumber of death to tast how little soeuer it be of the sauourous fruite of life and drinke onely a glasse of the delitious waters of the foūtaines of immortallity which streame from the house of God into the assembly of the elect for then I do assure my selfe they will forthwith abandon the venomous Cisterns of that defiled strumpet and most malicious deceiuer For this end therefore O mercifull father and euerlasting God we power out before thee euen from the bottome of our harts our humble petitions for that the compassion we haue of so many poore soules which she causeth to be drunke poysoned with a deadly poyson couered ouer with an agreeable sweetnes makes our eyes
and retire from her Forasmuch as if we beleeue workes to be sufficient we must wholy deny Iesus Christ and say that his passion was without fruite which were a sinne against the holy Ghost And therefore now doe I purpose with all my affection to withdraw me from this Laban or idolatrie as did the good Iacob with an infallible beliefe that her promises are vaine and deceiuing and I doe knowe my nature to be so depraued and corrupted that it were impossible for me to attaine saluation through my workes according to her cursed counsell And that which I finde more detestable is that notwithstanding the perfect wisdom of holy writ whereunto the Prophets Euangelists Apostles and the sacred word of our Sauiour Iesus Christ doe beare recorde that in beleeuing them we shall haue life euerlasting the scope of our desires and tipe of true felicitie and contrarywise a curse and Anatheme pronounced against those that shall eyther thereunto adde or diminish Apoc. 22.21 Yet our aduersaries against this celestiall trueth the onely foundation of faith do approoue a thousand traditions and vnwritten doctrines Humaine traditions forged vpon a mortall anuile in the shop of humaine wit But O prodigious thing oh monster of our age vnknowne to the most peruerse hereticks and fullest of impietie One Archicoriphee and as it were a Patriarke of others hath not blushed to write nay which is more to imprint and publish not without horrible blasphemie a little Treatise of the insufficiencie of the Scriptures Insufficiencie of the scriptures Where is then the perfection of them which is so highly commended by the Apostle who saith It is not permitted to know aboue that which is written 1. Act. 1. Cor. 4. no not if an Angel should speak otherwise Gala. 1.5 Could they not or ought they not or had they not the knowledge or durst they not fully reueale vnto vs the mysteries of truth concerning saluation Surely it were sacriledge to thinke it and Atheisme to beleeue it Alas what would become of so many religious soules since the worldes infancie vnacquainted altogether with the inuentions of Romaine Bishops brought forth but since a few forepassed ages Let vs assure our selues that that which is the first whether it be prophecie or the written gospell is most true and sufficient to saluation otherwise what should wee beleeue where should we ground our selues whereon would our faith laye holde if we should follow mans inuentions Euery man is a lyer and cursed be he that trusteth in the arme of flesh Men would teach against Gods worde that the sonne of man God and man Transubstantiation is vnder the forme bread in the pretended sacrifice of the Masse that his body is made of bread or at least that the substance of bread is changed into him that he is to be sought for betweene the hands of the Sacrificer Good God what absurditie is it to seeke the father of eternitie the creator of the world who hath the heauens for his throne respecting his diuinitie and who according to humane nature sits on the right hand of the father from whence he shall come visibly to iudge the quick and the dead to seeke him I say as great as he was vpō the crosse closed within a little morsell of dowe lesse than halfe a foote Should he be found where he is not What blindnesse trow you is this Let vs rather seeke him where he aduertised vs that he would retire himselfe and prepare a permanent habitation for those that are his he alone is a faithfull witnesse he alone is our Doctor to reueale his secrets Let vs go to the law of grace to the gospel that speaketh plainly and certainly hereof What is he so ignorant or foolish that would fastē to this corruption the prince of immortalitie seeing that the Sacrament is often subiect to the eating of Mice or Rats apt soone to corrupt I can alledge in testimonie of the trueth that which I saw at Lymoges in the Couent of the Iacobins the Prouinciall being come thither found an infinite number of formes or consecrated sacrifices much eaten with Rattes and wormes wrapt about likewise in cobwebs and againe in the said place the first sunday after the Octaue vnder pretence of religion the Subprior threw downe the box falsely and maliciously accusing those of the true religion reformed thereby minding to haue massacred them as a domestical seruāt of the said couent publickly confessed and therfore was whipped in the said towne banished the same In Leride a goodly town in Spain in the church of the couent of S. Dominick in my presence the proctor of the Couent being come into the city said Masse consecrated many Wafers to giue vnto the communicants wherof sundry were left whence returning to the Vestry one fell down which he treading vpon it claue to his wet feet without being able any way to pull it off but was mixed with the durt which could not be wiped away Foure Augustin Monkes were hanged in Seuel for that they said Masse and did not purpose to consecrate such is their extraordinary proceeding to cause the people to become idolaters to the bread and chalice Molon an inquisitor at Barselon after the consecration did cut the host with cissers Also Pope Sixtus the fourth in the towne of Florence commaunded that when the Priest held vp the host the people thē worshiping should be murdred which bloudie choler was put in executiō Pope Gregory the 7. hauing asked the Sacrament touching the reuealing of certaine things against the Emperor receiuing no answer threw it into the fire To be short Pope Victor the 3. a Bishop of Ebora and also the Emperour Henry the 7. were poysoned in taking the host and chalice Loe these are the absurdities and prodigious actes wherunto transubstantiation would subiect the glorious body of our Lord if it could preuaile Besides the Concomitācie which is falsly pretended therein Sacraments vnder one kinde is the occasion of the peoples priuation of the cupp against the ordinance of Christ who hath commaunded saying Drinke yee al. Mat. 26. and the practise of the Church 1. Cor. 11. and so they are depriued of consolation in participating through a liuely faith really the benefits of the bloud of our Sauiour for the remission of sins and confirmatiō of Gods couenant Now the taste of the substance of bread the sauour and odour of wine the inseperable accidents of the essence their true foundation and wherin they subsist doe teach vs that the signes abide in their naturall and essentiall proprietie not in their vsage which represēts vnto vs as a liuely image and really present and as an instrument of Gods grace the spirituall food the quickning refectiō the pledge of immortallity to the penitent faithfull soule bread being the communiō of the body the chalice sanctifieng the communiō of the bloud of life known receiued apprehended applied aswell throgh the secret operation
of Monks which he hath faithfully deuoutly serued This time being expired hauing obteind sufficient nūber of monks the aboue said Francis hath requested that according to the leaue by him heretofore graciously attained from the most reuerend Abbot he may goe into his owne quarter and countrey which ought not in good right to be denied vnto him I haue giuen and granted him leaue In witnesse whereof I haue written subsigned this presents with my owne hand and garnished it with the common seale of the congregation giuen in our venerable monestery of Sir Peter Celestine at Milan the 16. day of August 1600. I Sir Theophilus abouesaid with my owne hand and with another hand Sir Peter the yonger by consent haue subsigned We the Minister and Ancients of the reformed Church of Vendosme certifie to all to whome it shall appertaine that maister Francis Lemoyne sometimes a Celestine Monke of the order of Saint Benit hath in this said Church made publick abiuration of the errours of the Church of Rome and profession that hee will follow the true catholique and apostolique religion and signed the same with his owne hand Sunday the xxviii of Ianuarie Anno Domino 1601. whereof we haue giuen him this present certificate hauing required vs to stand him insteede with the Brothers whether he may addresse himselfe Done at our consistorie of Vendosme aforesaid the 29. Ianuarie in the yeare 1601. Solomean Minister Chauueau C. Iohn I. Garriner R. Ceuruoisier The Christian protestation of Francis Coupil Angeuin heretofore a Fryer in the couent of Chasteau Roux openly published in the reformed Church at Thouars vpon Sunday the ninth of September 1601. O How pleasing is the protestation of God so often repeated in Ezechiel Ezechi 33.11 as I liue saith the Lorde I take no pleasure in the death of a sinner but rather that he turne from his way and liue I apply to my selfe in particuler the generall exhortation which he addeth turne you turne you from your wicked wayes for why will you dye O you house of Jsrael But for asmuch as it is not of free will or of course but of God who sheweth his mercy I also acknowledge before this holy assembly that I haue truely found mercy for being sometime past seduced by the sectaries of Francis D'assisa I yeelded my selfe to be perswaded to this protext of holinesse whereof they vaunt vntill such time as I had clad my selfe with the habit wherewith they so much deceiue the worlde I imagined that in clothing me with this weede I did put on the new man which as saith S. Paule Ephe. 4.24 after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse But I had not beene long amongst them but God gaue me the grace to know that I was deceiued both in workes and doctrine as for their workes I will not stand much vpon them but will tell you this onely by the words of the same Apostle I will no more participate with their vnfruitefull workes of darknesse and that it is a shame to name those things which by thē are done in secret And as for their doctrine I could neuer comprehend that God tooke any pleasure that the honour which appertained vnto him alone shoulde be transferred to the creatures after that I harde him say I am the Lorde Isa 42.8 this is my name and my glorye will I not giue to another neither my prayse to grauen Images But this is openlye done amongst them and without that I speake any further hereof all men know that they extoll their pretended S. Francis many degrees aboue Christ himselfe in the booke of conformities cōpiled by one of Pisa imprinted by their permission and procurement at Milan Moreouer I could neuer imagine how it could be possible that the merits of Christ could finde any place amongst the pretended merits of men so many workes of supererogation proceeding from the counsels wherby they perswade themselues to exceede the obseruation of the commandements of God and to haue sufficient for thēselues and others I am of opinion and do stedfastly beleeue Iob. 9.2.3 that that agreeth not with the saying of Iob how should man compared to God be iustified if hee woulde dispute with him he could not answere one thing of a thousand and with the saying of Iesus Christ who willed that we acknowledge our selues for vnprofitable seruants euen when we haue done all those things which are commaunded vs. Luk. 17.10 My conscience hath confuted me that I could not stand before God through my workes Wherefore I imbrace the remission of my sinnes in Iesus Christ and the iustification through faith onely reputing my habit and workes done amongst them for dunghill drosse to win Christ renouncing the traditions of men namely the Masse and all the superstitions and idolatries of the Romish Church to liue according to the word of God sincerely preached in the reformed Churches and hauing put off the habit off leasing with the leasing I beseech you to hold me for a member of Christ and with me to pray to him that it may please him to perfect his worke in me to his honour and glory the building of his Church and my eternall saluation assuring you that feeling that heartes ease as Dauid did after the remission of his sinnes I repeat in hart and voyce those his wordes Psal 31.2 O how blessed is he whose vnrighteousnsse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered oh how blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not his iniquity and in whose spirite is no deceipt I hope that God will giue me the grace that you shall know by my Godly perseuerance that there is not any in my hart or my mouth So be it The said Francis Goupil came foorth of the couent of Chasteau Roux is come to that of Thouars where he was receiued in vertue of his obedience written and signed vnder the hand of Cardinall Vicairra of the said couent wherin he giueth testimony of his honest life and religious conuersation as the originall beareth record kept in the said Church of Thouars We vnderwritten pastour and Elders of the Church of Thouars certify those to whom the same shal appertaine that the said Francis Goupil hath made profession of the true religion amongst vs according to the tennor of that which is aboue written and do pray the brothers to whome he shall repaire to hold him for a true member of our Lord Iesus Christ From Thouars the xviii of September 1601. Andrew Riuet Pastour Elders F. Guerineau P. Mausset F. Ferraut P. Pelleus The conuersion and confession of Lowys du Bois late of Rissijl Priest and preacher of S. Francis order within Dunkerke done publikly in the Citty of Leyden the third of Iune Ann. 1601. on Sunday after the Sermon Translated out of French and Dutch into English Luke 15. verse 6.7 Reioyce with me for I haue found my sheepe which was lost I say vnto you that likewise ioy
shall be in heauen for one sinner that conuerteth more then for ninetie and nine iust men which neede none amendment of life The Dedication To the reuerend Ministers Elders and Deacons of the French congregation in Middelborough Lowys du Bois vvisheth peace and saluation HOnorable brethereÌ„ the desire which I haue to testifie how much I esteeme my selfe beholding vnto your worships because when I came first out of he bottomelesse pitte of darkenesse yee haue not onely receiued me very friendly but also entertained hether to with your liberality This desire moueth me to giue vnto your worship not any thing worthy for such a benefit but that which I can onely giue at this present beseeching your worship to regard more the affection of the giuer then the smalnesse of the gift I send vnto you my reclamation from Poperie done publickelie in the citty of Leyden out of the which God by his infinit mercy hath brought me vnto a sound resolution and confession of the true religion for to liue and dye in it God which hath begun his worke in me accomplish the same also and giue vnto your honourable bretheren daylie increase in scripture and corporall giftes and by the same grace bestowed on me to call those which are yet drowned in the impurities of Poperie and liue in the middest of a Babilonicall confusion Leyden the 14. of Iune 1601. Your honours most humble seruant Lowys du Bois The Conuerssion of Lowys du Bois I Stand heere in the presence of God the father and his electe Angels and of this Christian congregation for to declare briefly what I haue beene in times past and of what minde and inclynation I am at this present and whereunto I hope to come by the grace of God Beeing now departed from the abuse of Popery which are an Aâ—ysme of impietie by which the name of God is so villanously prophaned and so sinfullie attributed vnto idols Beholde the reason why I am gone out of this daungerous labyrinth of damnable errors and there is no body hauing onely a smacke of knowledge of the trueth but he will with all his hart flie from the same and abhor it according to that excellent admonition giuen by the holy Euangelist Iohn in his Reuelation the 18. vers 4. Go out of her my people that ye be not pertakers of her sinnes and that yee receiue not of her plagues c. And euen as God in this spirituall Babilon and vnder this kingdome of Antechrist hath alwayes kept his elect so he doth drawe the same in conuenient time out of this pit of damnation darkenesse errour and ignorance for to bring them vnto him Such a one am I at this present by the grace of my God which hath opened mine eyes for to vnderstand the falshood and infidelitie of the Romish Church The authors institution of former life in the which I haue been nourished instructed amgoÌ„st the sect most superstitious order of S. Francis as one of the chiefest fauorites did exercise the office of a Priest offering the abhominable sacrifice in that Sinagogue notwithstaÌ„ding my hart being yet hardned my vnderstaÌ„ding vayled with ignorance I esteemed my selfe to be in the house of God and in the middest of his church and the wayes leading into damnation seemed vnto me good and vpright But now by the grace of God our Father who according to the great riches of his bountifull grace as the Apostle testified in the 2. Ephe. 2.7 The authors conuersion Chap. to the Ephesi and by the inward motion of his fauour hath so graciously drawne me out of the pit of ignorance to his knowledge mine eyes beeing opened and my vnderstanding enlightened I consider now how farre I was gone astray from the way of saluation beeing so zealous in the tradition and ordinances of the fathers with the Apostle S. Paule before his conuersion Gala. 1.14 The practise of Poperie is fained deuotion and an Ape play as he himselfe telleth in the first to the Galathians being in a house full of iniquitie and vncleanenesse where the truth of Gods word lies vnder foote although they seeme to maintaine the bookes comprehended in the olde and new Testament for to blinde so the eyes of the common and simple people the which the meane-while they doe occupie with humaine traditions which not onely are not to be found in the scripture which is the onely rule of trueth but are quite contrary and repugnant to the same making them to beleeue that it is sufficient if they continue sometimes religiously in their Ape-play ceremonies and church customes as there is the sweete singing in the Masse vespers and mattines not permitting that the mysteries of saluation conteyned in the scriptures should be vnderstood of euery one but that all should be plaide in an vnknowne speech fearing that Gods word being translated into the common language might bring full knowledge and vnderstanding to euery one therefore also they do forbid that no body should be so bolde as to reade the Bible and to haue it in their houses holding them for heretickes and suspect men which keepe it by them so bridle them with threatnings of imprisonment and of death in the name and by the commandement of the Pope The Popes part who being partly by deceit partly by more Barbarous tyranny by little and little crept into the middest of the Church boasteth himselfe to be O monstrous blasphemy the Vicar of Iesus Christ and the head of his Church sitting as God in the Temple of God as it is written 2. 2. Thes 2.4 Thess 2. robbing vnshamefully and attributing to himselfe the honour which the holy Scripture onely describeth to Iesus Christ the true head of his elect Eph. 4. 5. Col. 1. 2. in the 4. and 5. to the Ephesians and in the first and second to the Collossians vsurping not onely authoritie and violence against all right and reason ouer all the Monarkes and Princes of the earth so that they must submit their neckes vnder his feete The Princes slauery and are constrained with more then seruile seruitude and bondage to kisse the soule of his Pantoffles but also although it be vntollerable before God and men doth endeuour and seeke to gouerne most cruelly the poore soules and consciences of men 2. Cor. 1.8 contrary to the saying of the Apostle 2. Cor. 1. vers 8. charging them with innumerable burthens of humaine traditions and triflings excommunicating some men and some condemning by anathema forgiuing sinnes with full authoritie canonizing the Saints arrogating to himselfe power aboue the Angels Pope aboue Angels to commaund and to vse them for his messengers and according to the same authoritie accompanied with more then godly wisdome as he boasted doth teach and instruct his flock deliuering vnto them the right scense and meaning of the holy scriptures as the onely and supreame interpretor of the same leading them in all truth The