them saying He that slayeth his enemie or is slaine of his enemie let him enter possesse paradise he spake like a man with a carnal spirit teaching reuenge to the vttermost prâ—mising paradise to such but no proofe of a diuine spirit appeareth in him 6 As Mahomets religion is defended by force of sword and fraud insomuch as hée made it death to cal it into question so likewise did it begin as by force of sword so likewise by notable fraud was established through wiles deceit subtiltie and lyes for first he hauing the falling sicknes perswaded his wife and others that it was the power of God the presence of the Angell Gabriel that caused him to fall downe Sergius the hereticall Monke was at hande and bare false witnes to the same saith Zonaras He told them that the same Deue which hee taught to féede at his care was sometime an Angell and sometime the holy Ghost He had thrée companions all of a confederacie to deuise and face out lyes with him When hee perceiued that men gaue eare to him he feigned that the Angell Gabriel had carryed him to Ierusalem thence to haue lifted him vp to heauen and there to haue learned his law Hee made the Saracens beléeue that before God made the world there was written in the throne of God There is no God but the God of Mahomet When hee had framed his Alcoran and bound it vp faire he caused secretly a wilde asse to bée taken and the booke to be bound about his necke and as he preached vnto the people vpon a sodaine hée stood amazed as if some great secrecie were reuealed to him from aboue he brake out and tolde the people Behold God hath sent you a lawe from heauen goe to such a desert there yee shall find an Asse and a booke tyed about his necke The people ran in great hast they found it so as hee had saide they take the Asse they bring the booke they honour the Prophet Touching diuorced and separated wiues hée tolde the Saracens he had receiued a paper from heauen He vsed sooth-saying and diuination the which at Fessa a Cittie of Mauritania vnto this day is called Zarragia He perswaded his followers that at the end of the world hée should bée transformed into the forme of a mightie Ramme full of lacks and long fléeces of wooll that all that held of his lawe should bée as fleas shrouding themselues in his fléeces and that he would iumpe into heauen and so conuey them all thither These and such like were his sleightes to beguile a foolish rude and barbarous country people the foolerie pride and vanitie of whose religion I trust euery one doth sufficiently perceiue 7 Mahomets Religion is no true Religion but a méere deuise of his owne and of thrée others his false conspirators for hée hath patched together his Alcoran of the doctrine of Heathens Indians and Arabians of superstitious Iewes of Rechabites of false Christians and Heretikes as Nestorians Sabellians Manichées Arrians Cerinthians Macedonians Eunomians and Nicholaits of illusions and inuentions of their owne and lastly for further credit hée borrowed some out of the old and new Testament But God will not thus bée serued for hée deliuered his mind of old vnto Israell and hée is not chaunged but continueth the same God still Ye shall not saith God doe euerie man what seemeth him good in his owne eyes Whatsoeuer I command you take heed you doe it thou shalt put nothing thereto nor take ought there from Satan béeing coniured to deliuer the truth of the Alcoran of Mahomet said that therein were comprised twelue thousand lyes and the rest was truth by all likelyhood verie little And therfore I conclude that there is no euidence to proue Mahomet a true Prophet many to proue him to bée a false Prophet and blasphemous and presumptuous and his Religion to bée a wicked carnall absurd and false Religion procéeding from a proud spirit and humane subtill and corrupt inuention and euen from the deuill the craftie father of lies a murderer and mankiller from the beginning And so much héereof may suffise CHAP. V. VVherein is shewed that the Church of Rome is not the true Church of God nor obserueth the right Religion I Am nowe entring into that great controuersie betwéene the Protestantes the Papistes whether of them should bée the true Church and true worshippers of God in Christ for they both acknowledge God and Christ his son and all the sacred and canonicall books of the scriptures they confes to come from God from his diuine spirit as indéede they could come from no other But whiles they both confesse this booke it is good reason that they shoulde both stand to the arbitrement and iudgement of these bookes for the trial of the true Church which if they doo as indéed they must this controuersie is at an end and not worthy to be made a question or to be doubted of for by the sacred canonicall writinges it shal by and by be manifest that the Church of Rome cannot bee the true Church possibly But first let vs hear what it saith for it selfe what good groundes it hath for the fortification thereof For if it bee not builded vpon a good foundation and vpon such sure groundes as will holde the whole building is like to lie in the dust and to come to ruine 1 They hold very stiffely but not so strongly that the Church of God militant here vpon earth is euer visible to the outward eye and may bee pointed out by the finger at al times in such sort as that any one may know thither to resort as to the congregation of Gods people there to ioine himselfe vnto them to praise and pray vnto God with them and to do those things which he requireth at their hands But al this gain of profit them nor hurt vs for as in the Primitiue Churches persecuted by those tyrannicall heathen Emperors there was a Church of God though not seem of them who had their meetings assemblies amongst themselues though secretly because of their enemies so likewise in the dayes of Quéene Marie as also in all other times of the persecution of our Church by the Romish Bishops and their partakers our Church no doubt was and might be and they likewise haue their méetinges and assemblies though both they and the place of their resort were vnknowne to those their persecutors In the time of Dioclesian the Emperour especially Christians were so wasted as to the iudgement of men none were remaining theyr bookes were burned the Churches destroyed and themselues put to death in the end when this great hauock was made and crueltie had wasted and destroyed all that could be found where was then the visible church It must néedes then bée enforced to hide it selfe and so it was and the glorie thereof so eclipsed that for a wâ—ylâ— it shined
sayest 1. Corinth 14. And in that whole Chapter bee vtterly disliketh seruice in an vnknowne tongue And therefore if the Church of Rome will not confesse their errour heerein she is past all shame and hath the impudent and shamelesse face of an harlot They haue all deuised and defende a place of Purgatorie wherein all that depart this life bée put and there punished béeing a punishing fire vntill they helpe to fetch them out with theyr Masses and other their inuentions and deuises which they wil not do nor thinke they haue reason to doe except they haue good currant coyne for the same And therefore it may bee well and iustly called Purgatorie pickepurse and it is manifestly apparant héereby that wealth and great riches of the Clergie was the onely marke they ayuâ—ed at For it hath no warrant in the Canonicall bookes of the scriptures yea the Canonicall bookes of the scriptures shew the contrary and so do the ancient Fathers Christ in the Gospel Luk. 16. sheweth only but two places namely heauen and hell saying that the rich mans soule which was vnmercifull to Lazarus went after his death to hell there was tormented that Lazarus soule béeing dead was caried into Abrahams bosom a place of ioy and comfort To the Théefe which was executed at the passion and suffering of Christ and beléeued in him Christ answered Hodiâ— eris mocum in paradiso This day shalt thou bee with mee in paradise Luk. 23.43 Which sheweth that the soules of the faithfull neuer come in Purgatorie fire to be boyled and punished for all their sinne is forgiuen and consequently the punishment incident to the same is forgiuen also and their soules passe from death to life and into paradise a place of comfort delectablenes all swéetnes namely heauen where Christ is Verely verely I say vnto you saith Christ he that heareth my word beleeueth him that sent me hath eternall life and commeth not into condemnation but passeth from death to life Iohn 5.25 What is become then of this Purgatorie Saint Paule sayth I couet to be dissolued and to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 shewing thereby that presently after his dissolution he was to bée with Christ in glorie For wee know saith hée that when this earthly tabernacle of ours is dissolued wee shall bee a building not made with hands but eternall in the heauens 2. Cor. 5.1 Saint Iohn in his Reuelation saith Blessed are the dead which die in the Lorde from henceforth they rest from their labours and their workes followe them Reu. 14.13 If from the time of their death they haue blessednes and rest as he sheweth then are they not in any Purgatorie fire to bée scortched and molested Saint Peter telleth the Saints and children of God and assureth them of it That the ende of their faith is the saluation of their soules 1. Pet. 1.9 If saluation of their soules begin at the end of their faith which lasteth vnto the end of their life and no longer for then they haue the fruition and possession of that which they beleeue and hope for then is it manifest there is no Purgatorie Ambrose saith Qui hic non receperit remissionem peccatorum illic non erit is in coelo quia remissio peccatorum vita aeterna est He that heere in this life receiueth not remission of sinnes shall neuer come in the kingdome of heauen for life eternall is remission of sinnes Cyprian saith Quando â—stine excessum fuerit nullus iam locus poenitentiae nullus satisfactionis effectus hic vita aut amittitur aut tenetur hic saluti aeternae cultu Dei fructu prouidetur And againe by and by he saith Tu sub ipso licet exitu vitae temporalis occasu pro delictis Deum roges quiverus vnus est venia datur confitenti credenti indulgentia salutaris ad immortalitatem sub ipsa morte transitur That is when men are once departed hence there is then no more place of repentance no effect of satisfaction heere life is eyther lost or kept heere prouision is made for eternall saluation by the worship of God fruits And thâ—refore saith he Doe thou call vpon God though it be at thy last gaspe and departure of this thy temporall life but call vpon that God which is one and true pardon is giuen thee if thou confesse thy sins and sauing forgiuenes if thou beleeue and from death presently thou shalt passe to immortalitie Ierome saith that the time of sowing their sáede for Christians is this present life that as soone as this life is ended they reape euerlasting life Augustine saith Primum fides catholicorum diuina authoritate regnum esse crescit calorum secundum gehennam vbi omnis Apostata vel a Christi fide alienus supplicia experitur Tertium peniâ—us ignoramus nec esse in scripturis sanctis reperimus The first place saith hee the faith of Catholickes doth by diuine authoritie beleeue to bee the kingdome of heauen the second hell a third place we are vtterly ignorant of neyther can we find any such in the holy scripturs And the same Augustine writeth in another place That they which beleeue a purgatory fiâ—e are much deceiued and that through an humane conceit How then can the Papistes be the true Catholicks which beléeue not the faith of the Catholicks which Augustine doth affirme They also hold that a man since the fall of Adam batl frée will of himselfe of his own power to câ—me vnto God and to do things acceptable wel pleasing in his sight Whereas God saith after that time that the imaginations of mens harts are onely euil euery day Gen. 6. If they be onely euill then haue they of themselues no affection to goodnes acceptable to him And Christ saith no man can come vnto me except my Father draw him Iohn 6.44.65 If her must bee drawne before he can come hee hath no procliuitie or willingnes of himself to come And therfore is it that the Prophet saith Conuert thou me and I shall bee conuerted Ier. 7. shewing that hee hath no power in himselfe to be conuerted And S. Paule sheweth that till God giue grace there is none that doth good no not one Rom. 3.10 c. For all the philosophicall vertues good deeds which men doe before they haue faith which is the gift of God are sinne not acceptable to God Iohn 6.29 For the Apostle witnesseth that without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 and that whatsoeuer is not of â—aith is sin Rom. 14.23 Christ himself again saith that except men be ingrafâ— into him they can bring foorth no fruit Iohn 15.1.2 c. Paule often teacheth that wee must be new men cast off the olde man Rom. 1.2 â— And againe hee biddeth to be renewed in the spirit of our minds 1. Cor. 2.14 And moreouer hee saith that the naturall man perceiueth not the thinges that
Elias and therefore was called Elias Luk. 1.17 Mat. 11.10.14 should be the messenger to goe before him and to prepare the waie and to crie in the desert Mal. 3.1 Mal. 4.1 Esa. 40.3 After this that he should begin his owne preaching with al humilitie quietnes clemencie of spirit Esay 42.2 That he should be poore abiect and of no reputation in this world Esa. 53 Dan. 9. Zacha. 9. Ier. 14. That he should doe strange miracles and heale all diseases Esay 29.8.6 ε 5.91 That he should die and be slaine for the sinnes of his people Dan. 9. Esay 53. That he should bee betrayed by one that put his hande in the dish with him which was his own Deciple Psa 40. ver 14.54 Psa. 18. ver 8. That he should be solde for thirtie peeces of siluer Zacha. 11. ver 12. That with those thirtie peeces there should be bought afterwards a field of potsheards Ier. 30. That hee should ride into Ierusalem vpon an Asse before his passion Zacha. 9.9 That the Iewes should beate and buffet his face and defile the same with spitting vpon it Esa. 50.6 That they should whip his bodie before they put him to death Esa. 53.2 Psal. 37.18 That they should put him to death among sheeues and malefactors Esay 53.12 That they should giue him Vineger to drinke deuide his apparrell and cast lots for his vpper garment Psal. 68.22 Psal. 22.18 That the manner of his death should be crucifixtion that is nailing of his hanes his feete vnto the crosse Psal. 22.16 Zacha. 12. That his side should be â—serced and that they should looke vppon him when they had so pierced him Zacha. 12. That hee should rise againe from death the third day Psal. 16.10 Ose. 6.3 That hee should ascend into Heauen and sitte at the right hand of his Father in glorie and loyaltie like a conquering potentate ouerruling all Psal. 110.1.2 All these things and whatsoeuer els belonging to the Messias are found perfectly fullfilled in Iesus Christ and in no other And therefore hee alone and no other is the true Messias 3 Hitherto haue I spoken of such circomstances and accidents as did belong vnto the Messias concerning his incarnation byrth life death buriall resurrection and assention into heauen and there sitting at the right hand of his Father and also of his reiection by the Iewes and Iewish Nation which things albeit they be very wonderfull and sufficient to establishe any mans beliefe in Christ Iesus our Lord in whom only they are found faithfull yet if we shall consider withall the time of the Messias his apearing when he should come into the worlde our faith wilbee so much the more confirmed towards him Daniell the prophet of God who liued in the time of the first Monarchy foretold that there should hée thrée Monarchies more the last of these fowre Monarchies greatest of all And that in the daies of this fourth and last Monarchy which was the Romayne Monarchy or Empyre The eternall King or Messias should come build vp Gods kingdome thorughout al the world And this hapned accordingly for Iesus came was borne in the fourth Monarchy which was the Romaine namely in the daies of Augustus the Romaine Emperour But yet let vs goe more strictly to the matter The Temple of Ierusalem as all men knowe was builded twise First by king Salomon which lasted about 440 yeares then was destroyed by Nabuchodonozor King of BabiloÌ„ Wherefore about 70. yeares after it was builded againe by Zorobabell who reduced the Iewes from their Captiuitie But this second Temple for pompe and riches of the materiall building was nothing like vnto the first which the old men in the booke of Esdras doe testifie by their weeping when they sawe this second and remembered the first and which Aggeus the prophet doth expressely testifie And yet sayth God by his prophet Aggeus in the same place that after a while the DESIRED OF AL NATIONS shall come and then should that second house or Temple be filled with glorie and that greater should bee the glorie of this last house than of the first Which prophecie was fulfilled by the comming of our Sauiour Iesus Christ into this second Temple which being personally done was farre greater dignitie and more glorie thereunto than any dignitie whatsoeuer was found in the first Temple builded by Salomon It is therefore manifest that the Desired of al Nations that is the Messias should come whilst the second temple stood And so doth Daniel also shew that the second Temple after the rebinding thereof should not be destroyed vntill the Messias were first come and slaine And Malachy the Prophet doth also most plainely testefie that hee should come during the second Temple And so indéede he did for Christ Iesus came into the world during that second Temple and did himselfe likewise foretell the destruction thereof ere that generation passed which came to passe accordingly for it was destroyed about 46. yeares after the ascention of our Sauiour into heauen by Titus Sonne to Vespasian the Romane Emperour Most vainely therefore doo the Iewes or any other expect for a Messias to come after the destruction of that second Temple Let vs yet moreouer consider the prophecie of old Iacob concerning the particular time of the Messias his appearing Come hither my children saith hee that I may tell you the thinges that are to happen in the latter dayes c. The scepter shall not depart from Iudah vntill Shilo come which is the expectation of the Gentiles By Shilo is meant the Messias as both Iewes and Christians expound it This prophecie so long fortold was performed at the birth of Iesus Christ in the dayes of Herode king of Iewrie For from the time that the scepter was giuen to king Dauid who was the first king of the Tribe of Iudah it did not depart from that Tribe but remayned alwayes in it vntill the dayes of king Herode in whose time and not vntill whose time all gouernement was taken away and cleane departed from the Tribe of Iudah and committed to a straunger and therefore in the time of Herode was the Messias to bée borne and neither before nor after his time That the scepter or gouernement was not cleane taken away or departed from the house of Iudah after it was once setled in it in the person of King Dauid euen till the dayes of Herode the King is euident for from Dauid who was the first king of that Tribe vnto Zedechias that died in the captiuitie of Babylon the Scripture sheweth how all the Kinges descended of the house of Iudah And during the time of theyr captiuitie in Babylon which was seuentie yeares the Iewes were alwayes permitted to chuse vnto themselues a gouernour of the house of Iudah whom they called RESCHGALVTA And after their deliuerie from Babylon Zorobabel was their gouernor of the same Tribe and so others after him vntill you