shal he regard the desires of women Which place S. Hierome exê‘oundeth Ideo Antichristus simulat cactitatem vt plurimos decipiat Therefore dooth Antichrist faine or pretend chastity that he may deceiue many Thus farre they disagree from the originall of Gods worde But they vse commonly to saye the Churche was then in her minoritie and infancie afterwarde she was better informed So when Christ and the Apostles and the Doctours please them they shall rule the matters they shall be holy Doctours and holy Fathers if not they shall not bee paternes to folow but children infants They vse them as marchants vse their counters for that counter which now standeth for a pound anon after shal be remoued and made a simple halfpenny Yet notwithstanding they cry Fathers Doctours Church and yet indeede do al things contrary to the Church of Christe contrary to the Doctours and fathers of the Church Two principall thinges there be that seeme to beare vp the whole brunt of the religion that hath bene in the world of late time the one is the Masse and thinges thereunto belonginge the other is the authoritie of the Pope These two I wyll breefely compare to the first originall onely running ouer certaine special branches of them both in as few wordes as I can deuise And as touching the Masse if there be any man here that hath any good opinion of it and is also learned and able to iudge let him thinke with himselfe what Doctour or father in the Primitiue Churche euer vsed or taught vs to vse a priuate Masse what Doctour or Father euer hearde of 10. 20. or 30. Masses in one Church said at one time what Father or doctor euer taught the Priest to communicate for other Chrisostome noteth it is an errour to say y â— SacrameÌ„ts receiued of one may do good to others that receiue them not What Father or Doctor euer taught that hoc facite was hoc sacrificate What Doctour or Father euer taught vs that the bread is transubstaÌ„tiate into Christes bodie I assure you that worde was neuer hearde of vntill nowe within litle more then 300. yeeres vnder Innocentius the thirde What Father or Doctor taught vs that there remaine accidentiasine subiecto that Christes body is in a C. thousand places at once that the Priest should holde the bread ouer his head and turne his backe to the people that the Sacrament shoulde bee hanged vp in a canopie for the people to adore What father euer taught vs that their communion bread shoulde be rounde because the earth is rounde That the Priest shoulde kisse the Altar because Iudas kissed Christ that he should wash his fingers because Pilate washed his handes That hee shoulde knocke his breast iu token of the theeues repentance vpon the Crosse Those thinges haue bene written by Durande Bonaâ—enture and Innocentius and others like of late time but the Fathers in the Primitiue Church neuer heard of them Yet some men of late time haue beaten into your heades y â— these many other like thinges haue come by succession euen froÌ„ the primatiue Churche and from the Apostles But so the coniurers and Sorcerers saye that their books of coniuration and sorcerie came from Moses from Enoch and from Abel Plutarche writeth that Theseus Romulus Hercules and other like Princely gentlemen indeede were Bastardes and were be gotten of fathers of very lowe degree but after they came into honour and estimation the people because they knew not whose soÌ„nes they were thought they had come from heauen and therfore they called them the sonnes of the gods Euen so these thinges that I haue here reported nowithstandynge in deede they are base borne yet because they haue stollen into the Churche and haue bene had in honour some men haue taughte you they haue come euen from heauen and therefore they haue fathered them vpon Christe and his Apostles But in the meane season they haue not dealte iustlye with you but haue done wronge both to Christ and to his Apostles Hierome writinge vpon Aggeus sayeth Quae absque authoritate testimoniis Scripturarum quasi traditione Apostolica sponte reperiunt at qué confingunt percutit gladius Dei The Sworde of God stricketh those thinges which men fynde out and deuise of them selues without the authoritie testimonies of the scriptures and deliuer foorthe as if they came by the tradition of the Apostles Againe what Catholique Father taught vs that the Pope is the head of the Church aboue kings aboue Councils aboue the word of god greater and of more authoritie then the Apostles that he cannot erre that the whole world is his diocesse that he may not be iudged what soeuer hee doe although he drawe a thousande soules downe into hell that he is neyther man nor God but a mixture medled together of God and man Al these thinges our later Fathers haue written of the Pope and yet I leaue a hundred things vntouched Thus farre haue they gone from their originall and paterne But what greater disorver can there bee in the Church of God then when Antichrist shall come and sit in the place of God There is an olde fable of Antichrist that when he commeth he would turne trees vpside downe and do such like wonders But the markes whereby Antichrist shall be knowne indeede are otherwise set downe in the holy Scriptures In his comming abhomination shall stand in the holy place and trueth shall be throwne downe in the earth I knowe many men are offended to heare the Pope pointed out for Antichrist and thinke it an vncharitable kinde of doctrine therefore I refraine to vse any such names and only wyl reporte to you of other by what tokens Antichrist when he commeth may bee knowne Gregorie as it were in the spirit of prophesie writing against Iohn bishop of Constantinople saith Rex superbiae propè est quod dici nefas est Sa cerdotum est praeparatus exercitus The king of pride is at hand which is vnlawful to be said an army of priests is prepared By these tokens saith Gregorie you may know him hee shalbe the prince of pride and he shal haue an army of priestes to wayte vpon him In another place he saith Quisquis se vniuersalem sacerdotem vocat vel vocari desiderat in elatione sua Antichristum praecurrit Whosoeuer calleth himself the vniuersal priest or desireth so to be called in the pride of his hart is the forerunner of Antichrist These words were written by Gregorie more then 900. yeeres since If there were euer any that might be knowne by these tokens which was or is the prince of pride is called or desireth to be called y e Vniuersal priest or B. or hath an army of priests I leaue y t to your iudgemeÌ„t whether the same be he whom Gregorie describeth or some other I pray God to lighten the eyes of al the world that all the world may spie him and the man
of al them that speak agaynst vs that touchinge the very substance of religion wee teache nothinge this day but that hath bene taught before by Christ him selfe set abroade by his Apostles continued in the Primitiue Church and maintained by the olde and ancient Doctors And in one or two wordes onely to giue a taste of the same that thereby ye may the better iudge of the rest Wee saye that in the Sacrament after the consecration remaineth the substance nature of bread and wine The same saith S. Augustine S. Chrysostome Theodoretus Gelasius others Gelasius wordes are so plaine as no man can denie them Non desinit esse substantia panis vini There leaueth not to be the substance of bread and wine Thus wrote they and were Catholiques We say that Christes last Supper must be vsed as a communion frequented with more then one So Christ ordeined it so y ◠Apostles the Primitiue Church and all the olde Doctors practised it and neuer was there any of them that euer made mētion of a priuate Masse Thus did they and yet were they Catholiques We say the holy Communion or sacrament of the breaking shedding of the body and blood of Christe ought of necessitie to bee vsed vnder both kindes Thus did all the Doctors vse it And Gelasius an old father saith that otherwise to vse it is open sacriledge And for y ◠space of 1000. yeeres after Christ there can no example be found to the contrary Thus did they and yet were Catholiques We say the publique prayers ought to be in the common tongue that the Bishop of Rome ought not to take vpon him to be the head of the vniuersal Church that the prince is of right by the authority that god hath giuen hym the hiest ruler of his Church and Realme as well of the ecclesiasticall officers as of the temporall And all these thinges bee aduouched confirmed by y e examples of the primatiue Church by the olde general Councels and by the Doctors And the contray here of shall neuer be proued nor by old father or Doctor nor by aucient councel nor by example of y ◠primatiue Church nor by any sufficient authoritie of the Scriptures I leaue the rest for it were an infinite labour to say as much as might be saide Thus they taught thus dyd they were catholikes alas are we sayinge the same onely because we say y e same become heretiques that was once true is it now become false that was once Catholique doctrine is it now at last become heresie O mercifull God was it thy wil y t thy trueth should be true but for a season vntil there should come men to decree the contrary If we be heretiques that teach the same that the olde Doctours of the Church taught what then are they that teach contrary to the Doctours Christ our Sauiour to reproue the Pharises thought it sufficient to say to them Hoc Abraham non fecit This thing Abrahā neuer did Therefore are you not the children of Abraham Euen so may we truely say to such as holde not themselues contented with this doctrine these things that you do Saint Augustine neuer did Saint Hierome neuer did none of the ancient fathers euer did the Apostles in the Catholike primatiue Church neuer did therefore yee are not the children of S. Augustine ye are not the children of S. Hierome ye are not the children of any of the olde catholique doctors ye are not the children of Christes primatiue Catholyke and vuiuersal Church It may not become me to sette order in these thinges yet if it were lawfull I woulde wysh that once agayne as time shoulde serue there might be had a quiet and a sober disputation that eche parte might be required to shew their groundes without selfe wyll and without affection not to mayntayne or breede contention for I trust it should be the way to take away al contention but onely that the trueth may bee knowen many consciences quieted and the right stone tryed by comparison of the counterfaite For at the last disputation that should haue bene you know whiche partie gaue ouer and would not meddle Some will saye the Iudges wyll not be indifferent And alas what man that doubteth his owne matter wyll euer think the Iudges indifferent Let the whole worlde let our our aduersaries them selues bee Iudges heerm affection put apart let our aduersaries themselues be Iudges What can wee offer more if this bee not sufficient what can there be sufficient Pompeius a noble Gentleman of Rome at what time he shoulde goe into the fielde against Caesar that then was his enemie and some of his counsell told him he lacked men and should neuer be able with so small a number to stande in fielde agaynst Caesar beinge well furnished Tushe quoth hee when so euer I shall but beate the ground with my foote I shall by and by rayse vp a swarme of souldiers Afterward it befell that Pompey was vanquished and glad to flee Then Marcus Cato an old gentleman and one of his army sayd to hym O sir remember your promise you lacke men now let vs see your swarme of Souldiers It is wel knowne that it hath bene spoken both in this place and in other lyke that al the Doctours and al the general councels were against vs. Nowe the armie is discomstted nowe they stande in neede of men nowe let them call for their Doctours and Councels if they come but with one sufficient Doctour or Councell they may haue the field I speake not this to boast my self of any learning but the goodnes of the cause maketh me y e holder Neither woulde I haue in this behalfe said so much as I haue sauing that the matter it selfe very necessitie inforced me so to doe Alas it were great pitie that Gods trueth shoulde be defaced w t priuy whisperings It were great pitie that whole houses shoulde be ouerthrowen mēs consciences wounded the people deceiued Gods trueth and the loue thereof pulled from your heartes his woorke blasphemed as if it came from Beelzebub w tout any good ground without any authorytie of the Scripture without any example of the Primatiue Churche without Counsell without any auncient Doctour or father But they haue another kinde of learuynge which because wee haue not therefore they say we are vnlearned For if controuersies might haue bene tryed by learnyng you shoulde neuer haue seene the Masse agayne after it was once downe If there euer come another change as I pray God wee may neuer see nor surely euer shall wee vnlesse our vnkindnesse pull downe Gods plague vppon vs but if a change come suche a one as they looke for you shall see with what argument they wyll proue their Masse We reade that Christ dyd put the Pharises to silence yet afterwarde when their tyme came they sayde We haue a lawe and by our law he must die But Gods name be praysed no persecutions no
his word is heauy in vs through our heauines Orig. sheweth how dangerous y e state of theÌ„ is where the Gospel is not preached Such a Church can not stand before the abominatioÌ„ of desolation stedfast or without danger of seducing And therfore Christ compareth his church to the weakest things that be Sometimes hee calleth it a vine which vnies it euermore be propte and borne vp looked vnto pruned of it selfe is not able to stande but falleth to the ground groweth wilde Sometimes he likeneth it to a flocke of sheepe which without attendance is ready to take infinite maladies Sometime to a shippe which if it be not wel prouided on euery side if it be destitute of light of sunne starres is in daunger of the rocke and windes surges of the sea Sometimes to the moone which hath no light but from the sunne What needeth more proofe in a matter being of it selfe so cleere Christ himselfe Daniel Peter and Paul gaue vs warning that this confusion should come to passe in y e church of God We see with our eyes how farre we are straâ—ed from the original We see what darknesse and blindnesse hath beene euen in them that shoulde haue ruled the sterne Good men haue had their eyes opened and haue poynted to vs that the pâ—lâ—te of the shippe a long time hath beene Antichrist The auncient and olde Doctours in their time foresawe that this great captiuitye and confusion was comming euen vpon them Our fathers of later yeeres though our Aduersaries and Patrones of the contrary cause yea the Bishopyes of Rome and their chiefe pillars doe coufesse that the patterne and original hath not beene kept Discipline whiche is the greatest bond of the church hath beene broken I pray God it may now bee restored The Sacraments that Christ left for our most comfort haue byn miserably mangled and defaced Our prayers haue been without spirite and veritye and so abused that indeede they were no prayers What greater proofes or authorities doe we looke for Now then can there bee anye man so wilfull that will say there hath been no disorder in the churche or that Christ himselfe and his Apostles if they were aliue coulde rule the church in no better sort then it hath beene and is by the Pope and his Cardinals But me thinke I heare some say The church cannot bee so forsaken it is the house and temple of God it is the spouse of Christe Christ made her a sure promise that he woulde neuer forsake her Ero vobiscum vsque ad consummationem soeculi I will bee with you to the end of the worlde All this is true yet is it not true that euery particular churche of the worlde shal be established for euer For was not this temple that Salomon built the temple of God yet was it ouer throwen and burnt down to the grounde by y â— Chaldees Iupiters image was set vp in it by Antiochus It was afterward ouerthrowen by the Emperour Titus yet was it the temple of God Gods house is a house of prayer yet Christ saith Vos fecistis speluncam latronum You haue made it a denne of theeues The Lord made choise of his Uine he loued it it was a chosen heritage yet Ieremie saith Many pastours haue destroyed my Vineyard troden my portion vnder foote of my chosen place they haue made a desolate wildernes Hierusalem was called the holy city yet is shee charged that shee hath played the harlot and done shamefully The Iewes called themselues the people of God but Christe calleth them the Synagogue of Satan The Church of God is called the holy place yet Christ saith the abhomination of desolation and S. Paule saieth the man of sinne shal stand in the holy place If we beleeue Christ and his Apostles that forewarned vs hereof if we beleeue the old doctours if we beleeue the writers of later yeeres if we beleeue such as God hath stirred vp in our time to reuiue his Gospel if we beleeue our aduersaries if we beleeue our owne senses anâ— experience let vs confesse that the Church hath byn defaced with abuses let vs giue God thaÌ„ks that of his great mercies hath restored it and lee vs euery man endeuour to reediffe it God had mollified the Kings hearte to bee gracious towards them he had deliuered them he had restored them home to their countrie hee gaue them Prophetes to call vppon them and a godly Prince to rule ouer them but the people cried out The time is not yet come that the Lordes house shoulde be buylded Here must I touche the causes that withholde men from the buylding vp of Gods Temple not al that may be reckoned For that wold require more time but onely the chiefest that shall come to hand The first seemed to be dispaire of the cause For they sawe it was a long trauayle from Babylon to Hierusalem They had beene spoiled of all they had and were poore and the greatest part euen of their owne people forsooke them and would not returne home with them Theyr enemies were strong and laughed them to scorne and hindered their buildinges Others charged them with sedition and sayde if these men may once recouer their city they will paye no more tribute they will be no longer in subiection and this matter at length shall redound to the kings dammage Looke in your Chronicles and you shal find that the Iewes haue euer byn traytours Euen so when the man of God Luther was raysed vp by God to reforme the church a friend of his said vnto him O father Luther you shal neuer be able to preuayle the Pope princes and al the world are against you The matter is past recouery goe into your study say Deus miscreatur nostri EueÌ„ so wheÌ„soeuer it pleaseth God to build vp the walles of his teÌ„ple he chooseth out such y â— for their owne infirmities for the force strength of their enimies they might be discouraged and despaire Euen now that it hath pleased God to restore his gospel they that are of the contrary part crie out These men be rebels they woulde haue no magistrate they would haue al things in common Behold what they haue done in Heluetia beholde what they haue done in Germanie Looke out your Chronicles you shal finde that al the vproares and seditions which haue been these forty yeeres haue byn stirred vp by some of them But all this discouraged not the good Prince Zorobabel hee armed himselfe with Gods promise against all impossibilities and so called the people to the huylding of the temple And therefore GOD prospered him and moued the king Darius hearte to make proclamation that whosoeuer would withstand Zoroâ—abel in his doinges tymber shoulde bee taken out of his owne house and a gallowes made and he thereon hanged without redemption Euen so that man of GOD despayred not though hee same all the worlde against him but gaue the glory
saieth the Lord. There be certain bookes of our Lord vnto the authority whereof eche parte agreeth eche part beleeueth eche part yeeldeth there let vs seeke for the Churche thereby let vs examine and trye our matters This is the Rocke vppon whiche Christ hath builte his Churche against this Rocke the gates of Hell shall not preuayle Augustine speaketh this in a prety allusion Non me aedificabo super te sed te aedificabo super me I will not builde my selfe vppon thee but I wil builde thee vppon mee The same affirmeth Hierome Basil Cyril Hillarius and other the auncient writers It woulde bee too long to alleage any more onely I will recite vnto you Lyraes iudgement of these woordes more for that hee was one that fauoured our Aduersaries then for the weight of his authoritie Super hanc petram sayeth hee id est super Christum Vpon this rock that is vpō Christ ex quo patet quod Ecclesia non consistit in hominibus ratione potestatis c. Wherby it is manifest that the Church is not among men by reason of any Ecclesiasticall or Seculare authoritie or dignitie because many Princes and chiefest Bishoppes haue forsaken the faith therefore the Church resteth in those persons in whō are to be found true knowledge the confession of faith acknowledging of the trueth Wherefore the foundation of this building wherupon all the whole worke must rest must be Christ and his holy word for as Saint Paul saith No man can lay an other foundation then that which is layde already Iesus Christ The Emperour Domitian pretending a refourming of the Empire which afore his time Tyberius Caligula Nero and other wicked Emperours had spoyled and defaced asked a Philosopher one Apollonius Tyanaeus what order were best to be taken therein Apollonius made him aunsweare Sir if it please your Maiestie you must doe as the Musition had his Schollers doe Howe is that sayde Domitian Marye Sir quoth Apollonius there was a cunning Musition that set his Schollers to an ignoraunte and homelye minstrell to learne musicke of him but before hee sent them out hee gaue them this Lesson whatsoeuer you see your Maister doe see that you auoyde it he is vnlearned and his Lessons and manner of fingering nought therefore see you doe the contrary Euen so may I say whatsoeuer we see that they haue done that were our later fathers before vs that haue destroyed Christes Church let vs remember to doe the contrary Their foundation as you know and as they themselues confesse is ignoraunce let our foundation be Christ and knowledge of Gods word They haue pulled the Scriptures out of the peoples heades and handes that no man might see their doings Let vs exhort all men as S. Chrysostome Origen and other holy fathers did to reade the Scriptures that all the worlde may see our doings They buyld Gods worde vpon the Church let vs as Paule doth teach vs buyld the Church vppon Gods word They contrary to God contrary to his word haue made the Bishop of Rome supreame head of the Church contrary I say to the worde of God haue they made him supreme head of al the Church These are not my wordes but S. Gregorie who was himselfe a bishop of Rome saith of them Piae leges venerandae Sinodi ipsa Domini nostri Iesu mandata superbi atque pompatici cuiusdam sermonis inuentione turbantur The godly lawes the reuerend Synodes and the very commandements of our Lord Iesu are broken by the inuention of a certain proud and pompous name And thereof as Gregorie himselfe testifieth hath ensued Vniuersa pernicies An vniuersal destruction Marke I beseeche you and let it not out of your remembrance They say this is the key of the Church that one be the head of it to rule it and to gouerne and keepe in vnity all the rest But Gregorie which was himselfe a Bishoppe of Rome saith it is Vniuersa pernicies A generall corruption and plague of the Church Let vs according to Gods woorde according to the Canons knowe that as Cyprian saith Vnus est Episcopatus cuius a singulis in solidum pars tenetur There is but one Byshopricke part wherof is holden in whole of euery seueral Bishoppe And as Hierome saith Vbicunque fuerit Episcopus siue Romae siue Engubij fiue Constantinopoli siue Rhegij siue Alexandriae siue Tanais eiusdem meriti eiusdem est sacerdotij Whersoeuer there be a Bishop be it at Rome be it at Eugubium be it at Constantinople be it at Rhegium be it at Alexandria be it at Tanais they are al of one worthines they are al of one priesthood They set the Pope aboue kings princes against Gods word Let vs know that according to Gods worde euery soule must be subiect to y ◠higher powers In these things in al other the like in which they forsake y e paterne original in which they doe cōtrary to the scriptures to Christ and his Apostles contrary to the practise of the Primitiue Church and contrary to the sound iudgement of the auncient Catholike fathers grounded vpon the worde of God let vs remember whatsoeuer they do or haue done to doe the contrary For it is not possible by what meanes things haue growen to corruption that by the same meanes they shall euer bee wel restored againe After the Temple was builded or was in building and rearing Esdras the Prophete read the Lawe of GOD and sacrificed Oxen sheepe and Lambes and the people wepte in consider action that they and their fathers had so vnkindly offended God and deserued so extreamely to be punished at his hande So the good king Iosias after he had founde the booke of the Lawe and sawe howe highly both he and his fathers had offended God hee fell a weeping for the consideration of Gods greate benefites and our owne vnwoorthinesse canseth vs to mourne at the sight of our owne vnkindenesse Then they turned 〈◊〉 GOD repented themselues of their wickednesse and left suche vanities as they had walked in before So Christ our Sauiour when he began to preache the Gospell and to spreade abroade the vnspeakeable treasure of our saluation called vs first to repentance and said Poenitentiam agite appropinquauit enim regnum coelorum Repentye for the kingdō of God is at hād Zachaeus when he had receiued Christ to his table repented him of his excortion and made restitution Then Iesus sayd vnto him This day is saluatiō come vnto this house forasmuch as he is also become the sonne of Abraham So the Christian men in the beginning repented themselues and changed their whole life therfore were called Saintes as S. Paul vseth in many places to name them Vocatis Sanctis to those which are called Saints And sanctis qui sunt Corinthi To the Saintes which are at Corinth Plinie being a heathen and set by the Emperour to enquire of Christian men made report in
wonne Therefore we ought as our heartes were careful and desirous to see these dayes so by our thankefulnes to God for so great blessinge and by Christian and Godlye prouidence foresee such meanes whereby wee may longe hereafter enioye the same WheÌ„ Phydias had made the pourtraiture of Iupiter Pisanus he ouerlayed it with oyle y t it might continue fresh and greene and neuer putrifie When God gaue order to Noah for making the Arke he saide Thou shalt pitch it within and without with pitche that it might be sound and sure abide the waues He which chalengeth to himselfe that proude and wanton name to be called the head of y e vniuersal church after by litle litle he was gotten into possessioÌ„ was not behind hand by al meanes to maintaine keepe the same In this policie he tooke away the reading of the scriptures froÌ„ the people he made noble men princes his Cardinals He threw downe set vp changed whom what he would The kings states of the world y e bishops professors schollers in vniuersities preachers were brought to swere allegeaÌ„ce obedience vnto him I deuise not this the stories hereof are abrode y e oth which they tooke is known His authorite grew greater theÌ„ the authoritie of general councilles Nothing might be decreed in councels but what pleased him none might be admitted to speak in couÌ„cils but such as were sworne to him He had al law in his breast There was sometimes a proclamation made in Rome y t for considerations no man should erect or builde vp any theater that if any were set vp it shold be rased pulled down Pompeius a gentleman of great wealth noble courage did build a theater such a one as before had not bene seene which would receaue 2500. men contrary to y e proclamation order taken But dubtinge least the next maiestrates should destroy it he caused a place of religion to bee set vpon it called it the teÌ„ple of Venus Whereby he prouided y t if any wold ouerthrow it because it was a Theater they might yet spare it for the temples sake for to pul down a teÌ„ple was sacrilege Euen so there haue bene proclamations cannons y t no man shoulde be called y e chiefe or y e head of al Churches or vsurpe such authoritie ouer others but when y e Pope built vp his supremacie against the meaning of suche canons hee preteÌ„ded religioÌ„ for his doing he sayde it was de iure diuino y t no man should presume or atteÌ„pt agaiÌ„st it y t so his power might coÌ„tinue for euer If they haue bene thus carefull to mainteine falshod how much more careful should we be to maintaine y e truth If they to aduaÌ„ce their owne kingdome how much more wee to set forth the kingdom of God to builde vp the Church of Christ And if they sought to do y t by lies by false meanes why should we bee slack to vse the right true good meanes wherby that good thing which God hath wrought for vs may bee established And albeit there be many wayes by which the kingdome of God may be mainteined as the fauour countenance of y e prince whiche so coÌ„forteth cherisheth y e Church as the sunne beames coÌ„fort cherish the earth knowledge learning discipline which are as the life the sinues without which the Church must needes fall asunder at this time I wil leaue to speak of the rest only stay vpon learninge which may truly be called y e life or y e soule of y e Church of christian religien How necessarie a thinge they haue counted learninge to the settinge foorth of Religion the stories of our old fathers of heathens and Christians in al ages doe witnesse They thought that neither Religion might stande without knowledge nor knowledge were to bee esteemed without Religion Charles the great that hee might the better plant Religion in Saxonie and Heluetia did erect many places for encrease of learning He knewe well that there was no other way better to establish Religion The Cathedral Churches before such times as ignoraunce and blindenesse grewe ouer all the worlde and brought in an vniuersal corruption maintayned schooles of learning that the doctrine which was taught in those places might bee defended agaynst the gaynesayers by suche learned men as were there bred vp The Princes of Germanie and the free Cities after they had receyued the Gospell they dissolued theyr monasteries which had bene harbourers for such as liued in idlenes and set vp Schooles and colledges which should be nourceries to breede vp learned men that might bee able to teache the people and to maintaine religion Whereby it came to passe that in shorte time they had great store of worthy and learned men This did they wel see that haue bene the enemies of religion therefore vsed all meanes to hinder the encrease of learninge that they might haue the better way to ouerthrow Religion For if learning decay it is likely that Religion can not abide Beare with me if I speake that whiche may seeme more fitt for some other place then for this audience the best here vnderstandeth me wel In other countries the receiuing of the Gospell hath alwayes bene cause that learning was more set by and learninge hath euer bene the furtherance of the Gospell In England I knowe not how it commethe otherwise to passe For since the Gospell hath bene receiued the maintenaunce for learninge hath bene decayed And the lacke of learninge will be the decay of the Gospel Would God it were not so or that yet before the faulte be incurable there may be some redresse Loth I am to speake yet the case so requireth that it is needefull to be spoken I truste I shall speak in the hearing of them that wyll confider it Maintenance of learninge whereby an able and sufficient ministerie may growe and be established in al the Churches of this realme is to be wished for The good estate of this noble kingdome y â— comfort of posterytie y â— staye of Religion the continuing of the Gospell the remouing of darknes hangeth vpon it One asked sometimes howe it was that in Athens so goodly and great a citie there were no Phisitians To whom this answere was made because there are rewardes appointed for them that practise Phisicke The same answere may be made for our times the cause why y â— Church of God is so forsaken is the want of zeale in theÌ„ that should either for their curtesie or for their ability be fosterers of learning encrease the liuings where occasion is and giue hope confort to learned men What said I increaseâ—nay the liuings and prouision which hertofore were giuen to this vse are taken away Haue patience if any such be here as I well know there are whom these things touch Suffer me to speake the truth
woundes or diseases They be a curious sorte in searching out the life of others and slouthfull in correctynge their owne lyfe S. Ambrose saith Lauat lachrima delictum quod voce pudor est coÌ„fiteri The teare washeth awai that offence which shame would not suffer to confesse in speach The Church of God in Graecia neuer receiued it And Erasmus witnesseth it was not vsed in the time of S. Hierome Apparat tempore Hieronimi nondum institutam fuisse secretam admissorum confessionem It appeareth that in the time of S. Hierome which was foure hundred yeers after Christe secret confession of sinnes was not yet ordeined And Beatus Rhenanus a man of great readyng saith Tertullianus de clancularia ista confessione admissoruÌ„ kihil loquitur neque eam vsquaÌ„ olim preceptam legimus Tertullian speaketh nothing of this secret confession of sinnes and we reade not any where that it was coÌ„manded in times past By these testimonies of Chrysost August Ambrose by y â— obseruatioÌ„ of Erasmus Rhenanus it may appeare that this secret confession in the eare of the Priest hath not bene taken to bee necessarie and that it is not of Gods determinate appoyntment but an ordinance of man As the glose vpon the decrees something playnly confesseth Melius dicitur confessionem institutam fuisse a quadam vniuersalis ecclesiae traditione potius quam ex noui vel veteris testamenti authoritate It is better saide y â— confession was appointed by some traditioÌ„ of the vniuersall Church then by any authoritie or coÌ„mandement of the new or olde testament Nowe in a worde or two I wyll somewhat speake of sacisfaction or recompeÌ„ce for offences which we haue done wherby we satisfie make amendes to the full contenâ—ation of him that is offended Such a recompeÌ„ce the law required An eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth a hand for an hande a foote for a foote Such amends for such harme so muche for so much this was accompted due and lawfull satisfaction This is of two sortes either that which is done vnto God or that which is done vnto men We are neuer able to satisfie make amendes vnto God We must alwayes confesse that we are vnprofitable seruaÌ„ts vnworthy to stand in his presence by no meanes able of our selues to make recompence for that we haue offended him Our onely and ful satisfaction for our trespasses done against him is the blood of our sauiour Iesus Christ The thief vpoÌ„ y â— crosse called vpoÌ„ Iesus Lord remeÌ„ber me wheÌ„ thou coÌ„mest into thy kingdome He knew he had offended God but fouÌ„d not how he might make amends otherwise theÌ„ by the righteousâ—es of Christ Iesus answered him verely I say vnto thee to day thou shalâ— be with me in paradise Today that is by and by Hee refuseth hym not nor feareth hym that God wyll refufe him because he had done amisse and made no recompence but promiseth hym because he repented and beleeued that hee shal be saued Paul was throwne downe a persequutor and raysed vp a preacher What amends might he make in so short time Saint Ciprian saith Sanguis tuus O Christe non quaerit vindictam Thy blood O Christ looketh not for any reuenge And saint Ambrose Lachrimas Petri lego satisfactionem non lego I reade of Peters teares but I reade nothynge of any satisfaction he made For our whole life cannot sufficyently acquite vs from the guâ—lâ—inesse of one sinne much lesse is any man able to worke or deserue y â— forgiuenes of all his sinnes The only things that God requireth of vs wheÌ„ we haue sinned ar that we sorow for our sinnes and amende our liues So Iohn the Baptist spake to the Pâ—arisies Bringe foorth fruite worthy amendement of life So saint Paul calleth the Ephesians to make recompence for their former naughtines Cast of lyinge and speake euery man the trueth vnto his neighbour Let him y â— stole steale no more but leâ— him rather labour worke with his hands the thing that is good Other recompeÌ„ce god looketh not for at our handes But when the godly haue taken offence at any our doings that are euil wee must giue all heede to content their mindes reconcile our selues againe vnto them It hath bene an ancieÌ„t order in the Church of God that if any had openly offended the congregatioÌ„ he should come openly againe before them to satisfie them by amends There he fel downe on his knees confessed his fault wepte and lameÌ„ted for it prayed the brethren that they woulde forgiue him and would also praye vnto God to be mercifull vnto him There the whole congregation fell downe before God their heartes moulted their eyes gushed out in teares they helde vp their hands prayed together for him and gaue thankes to God that their brother which had bene lost was founde againe Such satisfaction was it which hath bene made to the Church of God The last of those which some haue of late misused and counted one of the sacramentes of the Church is Extreme vnction And this they haue founded vpon the words of S. â—ames Is ani sicke among you let him call for y â— elders of the Churche let them praye for him and anoint him with oile in y â— name of the Lord and the prayer of faith shal saue the sicke the Lord shal raise him vp and if he haue coÌ„mitted sinne it shal be forgiuen him For the better vnderstanding of which words consider that God is mercifull to the sonnes of men and sheweth foorth his mercie at sundrie times by sundrie wayes And to leaue the examples of the olde Testament in the time of the gospel he hath giuen to some y â— gâ—ft of tongues and hath made them able beinge simple men to speake the wonderful works of God in tongues which they neuer learned To somâ— he hath giueÌ„ the gift of power and of the operation of great workes By this power many signes and wonders were wrought by y â— hands of the Apostles At the word of Peter Ananias and Saphira hys wyfe fel downe dead In this power Paul stroke Elimas the sorcerer with blindnes To some he gaue the gift of healing By this S. Peter healed a man which was a creeple from his mothers wombe and said In the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth rise vp and walke hee tooke him by the right hande lift him vp and immediatly his feete and ancle bones receiued strength They were able to make the blinde see the lame to walke the leapers to be cleane the dead to receaue life agayne For when he sent foorth his Apostles to preach Christ gaue them power against vncleane spirits to cast them out and to heale euery sicknes and euery disease These things they wrought sometimes by their shadowe as many were healed by the shadowe of Peter sometimes with their worde sometimes with