vncleannesse The Papistes extolt virginitie with wonderfull commendatiōs to the entēt they may séeme like the Angels whosoeuer abhorreth mariage As who should say they had wōne at our handes that out of mariage there were nothynge but all chaste and virginlyke But they séeme to haue theyr beds voide of wiues of theyr owne for this purpose onely that they themselues may be occupied in defilynge other mens For who knoweth not how it is a common saying amonge them that seyng a Monke or a Priest is disbarred the right of takyng a wife as all other men doo it is good right and reason he should helpe him selfe some other way And to the entēt there should be no default on their parte almost all of thē follow lustely this kinde of hunting There is no fitter pursute for Bawdry than confession as whereby they doo not onely wind into their owne clawes such womē as are giltie of any misbehauiour but also doo assigne them ouer from one to another and therefore nowe the matter is come to this point that such as are contented with Lemans in theyr houses are counted amonge the rest to be chaste and temperate Theyr priuie filthinesse vnspeakeable incest I omit And surely I would not meddle with these neyther though they be commonly knowen but that it is néedefull the Readers should be admonished by the waye howe honestly the aduersaries of our doctrine deale with vs while they accuse it of dissolute licentiousnesse bicause it permitteth lawfull mariage for the amendment of so cruell mischieues Though they burst whiche cease not to adorne with forged prayses the constreined singlenesse of the popishe Cleargie yet it is moste certaine that in most part of them is the bottomlesse pitte of all vncleannesse I saye that in them which séeme to be chaste is neuerthelesse an vnpure puddle With such partly priuie flames of lustes specially manifest abhominatiōs doth God as ye may perceiue reuenge that Diuelishe audacitie for that despisinge y e benefite of mariage like Giauntes they buylde Babilonishe towres wherewith to vanquish God and nature by plaine force And so it behoued to come to passe that at least wise men might learne that and none other to be the true chastitie whiche Gods rule prescribeth vnto vs. But bycause we restraine the beastly lasciuiousnesse wherof there is no measure in the Papistrie by the bridle of wedlocke we are reported to disanull modestie by settinge carnall libertie at large And what maruell is it seinge that Christe and Paule were vpbrayded with the like thinge as if they had broken the yoke of the lawe for the nonce to the entent that men might vse theyr willes in stéede of lawe For they woulde not haue purged their doctrine frō slaunders so carefully but if they had bene compelled by the lewdnesse spightfull maliciousnesse of theyr enemies But as many as be curable I trust they wilbe pacified with this shorte excuse that they forge not a stumblynge blocke to themselues of so light and friuolous a matter This also hath some colour that our doctrine is disagreable to antiquitie and the consent of all ages And therefore the Papistes bragge thēselues most therein specially when with blowynge of trumpettes they sounde those highe names of the Fathers and the Church Bicause it is knowen well inough how odious and suspected a thynge newnesse in Religion is vnder the same pretence they fray the vnskilfull from our doctrine And I confesse surely that if any newe thinge be brought it is not to be heard But of this crime there is no better or certainer purgation than that we will nothinge to be admitted onlesse it be proued by cléere substātiall testimonies of the Scripture And herein it appeareth that the Papistes are duller than Oxen Asses whiche at leastwise knowe theyr stall who hauinge forged to themselues a newcome God haue so forgottē the true and euerlastynge God that they haue no sight at all in the antiquitie of the heauenly Oracles Notwithstanding they alledge that we pretende Scripture falsely who endeuer to subuert all the consent of the aūciēt Church It is a cōmon old stale slaūder of theirs but yet so foolishe that I would be ashamed to bestow muche time in confutinge it besides that a longe volume were néedefull for the matter And our bookes doo abūdantly beare witnesse that if the allegations of the olde men be sought our cace is by them more furthered than hindered Albeit it be manifest inough that the doctrine of the auncient Fathers is no more agréeable with the corruptions of Papistrie than a shéepe is like a Woulfe yet notwithstādyng they picke out certeine sayinges of theirs and sometime also woordes as peruersely as lewdly wherewith to deceiue the rude and suche as are not exercised in the readyng of them As often as we obiect the testimonies of the Fathers against thē although they sée themselues ouerwhelmed with the weight and number of thē yet bicause they thinke themselues to be out of all daunger of gūne shot they carelesly despise vs and laugh at vs. For the Sea Apostolicke is so great that it easely swalloweth vp all the Doctors that euer were Neyther is any thing readier with them than this exception that they passe nothinge for any determinations of the Fathers as long as the holy sea of Rome hath decreed otherwise Therefore amōg them all the whole companie of the Fathers shal not be estéemed at a heare onlesse they list thēselues but if any thinge perchaunce hath bene spoken by any one of them dnaduisedly it muste by and by binde vs with so great deuotion that it is vnlawfull to dissent from it neuer so little I saye once againe that this prodigious confused Chaos of the Papistrie is so vnlike the auncient gouernement of the Church as that there is not more difference betwene fire and water But if we séeme to eger full of clamour in condemnynge them the Fathers woulde be much more vehemēt if they liued at this day Take this too that these good sonnes which tosse the name of the Fathers to fro like a tennisball séeme to choose al the grossest errours for the nonce wherunto onlesse we giue our assent they crie out vppon vs that we are the enemies of all antiquitie Melchisedech offered bread wine to Abraham as he returned frō battell The olde doctors thinke it a sacrifice which thyng they haue transferred to the holy supper of Christ. It is almost a childishe errour And yet of theyr so famous wrytinges nothinge liketh the Papistes so well Now least I should stande to lōg vpon this parte they that haue perused the writinges of the Fathers and can iudge but meanely shall sufficiently vnderstande that we are furnisshed with theyr authoritie to assault the Papacie And though they were layde as indifferent betwene bothe yet will they drawe nearer vnto vs. Wherupon then is builded suche a pile of Offences But what if we graunt that the pure veritie of
To the right 〈◊〉 ble and â—is 〈…〉 stayeâ— Lord Fraun 〈…〉 Lord gouernour of Barwicke and one of the Quéenes Maiesties most Honorable priuie Counsell c. Arthur Goldyng wisheth encrease of Honour and haboundaunce of the knowledge grace of Christe â—ith perfect continuauÌ„ce therein 〈…〉 ende IT is agreed on confessed by all men righte Honorable that reason vnderstandynge maketh differreÌ„ce betwenâ— mankinde and other liuynge Creatures but how a true Christian maye be knoweÌ„ and discerned from an infidell and counterfet none perceiueth saue onely suche as geue diligent héede to the written woo 〈…〉 wherin we may finde that 〈…〉 â—uerlastyng to know one God and 〈…〉 he hath sent that they are blessed whiche heare the woorde of God and kéepe it that not euery one that saith Lorde Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of HeaueÌ„ but he that doth the will of the heauenly Father Whereby it is euident that wicked Infidelles are either altogether voide of the 〈◊〉 ledge of God or els farre from 〈◊〉 walke accordingly if they haue 〈…〉 to any vnderstandyng thereo◠〈…〉 the true Christian not onely laboreth 〈◊〉 beholde the grace of God which bringeth saluation to all men but also learneth to renounce impietie and worldly lustes â–ª and to liue soberly iustly and godly in this present worlde and lookinge for that blessed hope and appearinge of the glory of the great God and our Sauiour Iesus Christe walketh all the dayes of his life in holines and rightuousnes not after mens deuise phantasie but accordinge to the rules and ordinaunces which God hath prescribed And yet beside y e sleights of Sathan the fraylenes of the flesh and the wickednesse of the worlde we maye easily sée how the mallice of men stayeth and hindereth the children of God from procéedinge in that they haue professed while some are driuen to stagger at the prosperitie of wicked when they sée them neyther troubled nor plagued as other men are eyther to feare their powre wheÌ„ they sée the Kinges of the Earth bande themselues and the Princes confederate â—â—â—ther against the Lorde and his annointed and euery good man with griefe of harte enforced to complaine with Dauid how longe wil ye imagine mischiefe ye shalbe all slaine ye shalbe as a bowed wall or as a wall shaken They consuite to cast him downe from his dignitie their delighte is in lies they blesse with theyr mouthes and curse with their hartes It is not vnknowen what hath bene concluded in the Councell of Trent what confederacie and conspiracie the Romayne Antichrist hath made with other great Princes against the doctrine of God and such as professe it What force tirannie hath bene vsed to suppresse the children of God what pollicies and practises bothe at home and abroade haue bene and are dayly put in executioÌ„ to hinder the course of the Gospell what lies and slaunders are dayly raysed what quarels are inueÌ„ted what falsehoode and dissimulation is in euery place practised to kéepe the most parte of men froÌ„ the knowledge of truth whereby as we sée the woordes of Dauid verified in the wicked dealyng of this miserable age so haue we iust cause to complaine with him and not onely to proclayme with confidence the like ende to mischieuous men but also to arme our selues against al assaultes that are made to driue or drawe vs from the truth professed Yea it behoueth vs herein to care for other not for our selues onely least by vs any be discouraged where they ought to be comforted or hindred where they ought to be furdered For the vengeaunce is fearefull whiche our Sauiour pronounceth where he saith woo to him by whome Offence coÌ„meth the charge is not smal which he giueth to his where he willeth that their light so shine before meÌ„ that their good woorkes may be séene to the glory of their Father whiche is in Heauen whereof it followeth that God would not haue vs by any meanes to discourage but rather to encourage neither to disswade but rather by all meanes to perswade and allure all sortes of men as much as in vs lieth to the loue and likyng of Gods eternall truth This point of duetie God requireth by his Prophete Esay aswell of Princes as of Pastors when in the kingdome of Christe he biddeth them goe through goe through the gates prepare you the way for the people cast vp cast vp the waye gather out the stones set vp a standarte for the people So God woulde haue all impedimentes remoued so he would that men should be prouoked to the kingedome of Christe Whereunto this treatise written by that excellent instrumeÌ„t of God maister Iohn Caluine very much auayleth for in it he purposely entreateth of such Offences stumblinge blockes as at this daye make many men either to feare or to abhorre the doctrine of the Gospell it serueth wel for this our countrie in this light of truth offered to conuince the obstinate to confirme the wéeke to stay the waueryng to instruct the ignoraunt and to occasion all men with reuerence to receiue the glad tidinges of the Gospell and that without delay least for our vnthankefulnesse the publique profession thereof beynge taken awaye it be to late for vs to séeke oyle when we should be readie to enter with the Bridegrome Wherefore I could not deuise how my endeuour might better be employed then in the translation of suche a treatice as remouyng al lettes maketh streight vnto vs the waye of Saluation And because your Lordshippes good gouernment conuersation in these North partes of Englande hath furdered not a fewe to the light of true Religion I thought it most conuenient to be dedicated and presented vnto your Honour as vnto one whom to this day neither prosperitie nor aduersitie coulde make ashamed of Christe crufisied not for that I thinke the matter coÌ„teyned in this Booke néedeth the defence of any man for it rather defendeth then craueth defence but because I truste that other shall be more willinge to receiue it and vse it to their comforte coÌ„moditie when they sée it after a sorte conueyed and commended vnto them as it were from your Lordeships handes And although my trauaile herein may séeme very smal yet my hope is that your Honour of your accustomed goodnesse will accept it as the testimonie of a duetifull minde as God hath geuen you a singuler desire to aduaunce his glorie and benefite his Churche so I truste ye shall haue no small occasion hereby to continewe procéede therein Notwithstandynge the manifolde impedimentes of these perilous times when Sathan by all meanes séeketh in stayinge the sincere preachinge of Gods most holy woorde to scatter the people into sectes Scismes â–ª and by raysinge of dissention in opinions to slaunder and defame the doctrine of truth against whose subtiltie it behoueth all such as God hath aduaunced to authoritie to labour especially y t the publique preachynge of Gods eternall truthe be furdered mainteyned
did easely once renounce them Of this your godlinesse like as I reape no small fruite and pleasure so it is no wonder if I desire that parte thereof shoulde redoūde vnto others For I who a while agoe when you were the Kings Lieuetenant of the same Citie where I was borne and the Mayor of our Citizens lamented your case as for one farre remoued from Christe doo nowe since you are wholy addicted to Christe take you as my very owne and embrace you as it were in the bosome of the Uniuersall Church Neuerthelesse I would that this booke shoulde be a demonstration after a sorte of my loue towardes you euen vnto thē that know you not For you your selfe demaunde no pledge Surely there are betwene vs many bandes of trewe friendshippe but there is no néerenesse of bloud nor any other aliance whiche may surmount our loue And so little it grieueth your déere brother that you shoulde be made equall vnto him y t he accepteth it as a ful recōpence in asmuch as he perceiueth him self to be beloued as entierly at your hande againe Moreouer in that this booke commeth foorth somewhat later than many wisshed I would I might be lawfully excused by the auncient Prouerbe whiche I haue cited in the beginnynge howe that thinge is done soone inough whiche is done well inough But I am afrayde least many whiche partely by reason of the largenesse of the matter and partely by reason of the longe delay haue promised to themselues some great thinge I wote not what will be offended when thei are deceiued of theyr hope when they shall sée suche thinges as are moste woorthie to haue bene set out with plentuousnesse gloriousnesse high stile or behemencie of enditinge and finally with all the thunderinges or artificiousnesse cunnynge and force of eloquence to be touched briefly basely homelily poorely nakedly and sparely Unto whome I haue not ought to answeare but that I haue followed that fasshion which I déemed beste Wherein I requyre not that they should subscribe vnto me so they refuse not to giue me leaue to dissent from them Farewell woorthie man and my right déere brother in the Lord. At Geneua the .viij. of Iuly beynge the daye of my byrthe Anno 1550. Thankes be to God Sentences taken out of the holy Scriptures concernyng Offences Out of the .69 Psalme LEt theyr table be made a snare to take them withall and let the thinges that should haue bene for theyr wealth be vnto them an occasion of fallinge Let their eyes be blinded that they sée not and euer bowe thou downe theyr backes Powre out thine indignation vppon them and let thy wrathfull displeasure take holde of them Let theyr habitation be voide and no man to dwell in their tentes For they persecute him whome thou haste smitten they talke how they may vexe them whome thou haste wounded Let them fall from one wickednesse to another not come vnto thy rightuousnesse Let them be wiped out of the booke of the liuinge and not be written amonge the rightuous Esay the .8 and Luke the .2 BEhold he is appointed to the fallyng to the risinge vp of many in Israell and for a signe that is spoken against Esay 57. MAke stronge make stronge the way make plaine the path take away Offence out of the waye of my people Bicause thus sayeth the most highest dwellinge in eternitie and whose name is holy I doo inhabite the high and holy place at once and with the cōtrite and humble spirit that I maye quicken the spirite of those that are lowly quicken the harte of suche as are contrite Mathew 11. Blessed is he that is not offended in me Mathew 18. WOe be to the worlde for Offences sake for it must néedes be that Offences come neuerthelesse woe be to that man by whome Offence dothe come If thy hande or thy foote offend thée cut him of and throwe him from thée Better it is for thée to enter into life lame or maymed than hauinge twoo handes or twoo féete to be cast into euerlasting fire and if thine eye offende thée pull him out and throwe him from thée It is better for thée to enter into life with one eye than hauinge two eyes to be cast into hell fyre Mathew 24. SEe that no man misleade you For many shal come in my name saying I am Christe and shall deceiue many Yée shall heare of warres and rumors of warres sée that ye be not troubled For all these thinges must come to passe but the ende is not yet For nation shall rise againste nation Kingdome against Kingdome and there shalbe pestilences and famine and earth quakes in certeine places All these thinges are the beginninges of sorrowes Then shall they deliuer you to be punished and shall kill you and ye shalbe hated of all nations for my names sake and then many shalbe offended and one shall betraye another and one shall hate another and many false Prophetes shall arise and deceiue many And bicause iniquitie shalbe multiplied the charitie of many shall waxe colde but he that perseuereth to the ende shalbe saued And this Gospell of the kingdome shalbe preached through the whole worlde for a witnesse vnto all nations and then shall that end come Luke 17. IT cannot otherwise be but that Offences muste come notwithstandinge woo be vnto him by whome they come Iohn 6. FRom that time many of the Disciples fell from him and left him and walked not any more with him And Iesus saide to those twelue will you also goe your waies Romanes 16. I Beséeche you brethren that ye consider them whiche rayse debate and Offences against the doctrine which you haue learned and decline from them 1. Corinth 1. WE preache Christe crucified to the Iewes a stumblingblocke and to the Gréekes foolishnesse but vnto them that are called as well Iewes as Gréekes Christe the power of God and the wisedome of God 1. Petr. 4. ANd this séemeth an absurde thing vnto them that yée runne not togither with them into the same excesse of riot as they doo that speake euill of you who shal render an accompt vnto him whiche is readie to Iudge the quicke and the dead Finis Iusii 23. 1565. Prayse be to God The woorke of Iohn Caluine concerning Offences whereby in these daies diuers are feared many also quight withdravven from the pure Doctrine of the Gospell AFter that the Lord hadde by many arguments proued him self to bée the very same that shoulde come to saue the Godly he did not without cause knit vp his saiyng with this sentence Blessed is he that is not offended in me Certainly he not onely knew that many things were conteined in the profession of his Gospel from which mannes nature dooth vtterly abhorre but also he foresawe that foorthwith by the subtile woorking of Sathan should spring vp all kinde of lettes and hinderances that might bringe it either in hatred or suspition of the worlde And surely it muste néedes be
betwene vs consisteth not vpō this pointe alone But after the Papistes haue installed the Churche in Christes throne to determine Religiō at her owne pleasure and to iudge of the Scripture without appealynge from her by and by thei take the lawe such as it is into their owne handes We on the otherside bicause it is as easie a matter as daūgerous to be deceiued in will haue it discussed whiche is the true Churche Surely it is no newe thinge that those are sometime cruell Wolues which occupie the roomes of sheapeherdes and that thei are wicked ranke traytours to God his Churche in whose hāde the ordinarie Souereintie is What cause then is there why vaine hobgoblins shoulde make vs so afraide that we shoulde not as becommeth trie whether the same that beareth the name of the Church be the true Churche or no Paule affirmeth the Churche to be the piller of truthe but yet the same Paule foretelleth both the fallynge away of the worlde nowe conuerted and that Antichrist should reigne in y e middes of Gods Temple It is knowen well inough that he susteined the like encoūters as we are exercised with at this daye when the Iewes takinge pryde in the name of the Churche cried out vpon him that he was a forsaker of his order and an Author of Scismes and troubles They report thēselues to be descēded from the very Apostles by continuall succession verely after the same maner that Caligula Nero succeded Valerius Publicola and Lucius Brutus For they clinge vnto the Apostles as if there were not an vnmeasurable Chaos put by them whiche mighte breake all aliances betwixt them if there were any Bicause the dunghil of the popish Clergie is against vs they wil haue vs no lesse pressed with y e peruerse doome than if the Angels condemned vs out of Heauen Uerely with the same pryde did the Scribes in olde time reiect Christ bicause none of the Princes or Pharisies had beléeued in him And forasmuche as they are determined to stande to theyr tacklynge with tooth and nayle euen to the vtterance for maintenance of theyr tyrannie yet are destitute of true reasons it is no maruell though they rappe out vaine soundes But I woulde desire all them vnto whome the false vsurped name of the Church is an occasion of Offence that they would ones finde in their hartes to opē theyr eares and their eyes least the deceitfull image of a body pull them from their head a harlot disguised in the apparell of a bryde carie them frō theyr spouse Christe For what markes I beséeche you haue they whereby thei may know the Churche of Christe in all the whole bande of the Romish Antichrist Onlesse peraduenture whyle they sée the Pope in his Awbe with y e crosse throwen at his féete the Cardinalles in scarlet the Bishops glitteryng with myters croysiers and the reste of the inferiour rable euery one with their seuerall cognisāces beinge contented with these tokens they desire none other Churche than suche a one as appeareth in disguisinges like maskers and players of enterludes For what els is there to be sayd to these trifelyng fellowes when hauinge so often so pitthely and plentuously bene by vs cōfuted they persist still neuerthelesse in takinge vpon thē the title of the Church I sayd at the beginnyng that none almost were here deceiued but suche as beyng lothe to come to Christe doo procure lettes to themselues from a farre of The time hath bene that this same scruple hath hindred many simple godly soules but at this day I say there are fewe that obiect the Offence risinge vpon the name of the Churche againste the wholesome doctrine except it be suche as maliciously and proudely vaunt themselues against Christe Like lewdnesse is it that thei demaūde miracles at our hande wherwith they beyng amazed are at length compelled to yéelde vnto God speakynge by vs. And I saye that seyng our doctrine beareth euident witnesse to it selfe that it hath bene confirmed by all the miracles whiche haue bene since the worlde was made these men whiche forgettynge the olde miracles gape after new for asmuch as they are so astonied at the manifest power of God and so blinde in the cléere light are no lesse monsters themselues than if we should sée a man turned into a beast Bicause diuers are enriched with holy goods and othersome haue méetely well appeased theyr hungar for a time the enemies of the Gospell reporte that we were ledde to alter thinges for desire of spoyle than for any good zeale to Godwarde and many which hawke for a pretence to put by the Gospell giue theyr assent to these malicious sayinges Surely for my parte if there be any that haue spoyled the goodes of the Churche to fill theyr owne pouches I excuse them not And my Bookes are manifest witnesses how much I abhorre frō such sacriledges But as I am not minded to make my self a patrone or aduocate of the defaultes of our parte if any be so the slaunder is not to be borne with that the malicious persones charge vs withall howe we made our pray of all whatsoeuer was taken frō those filthie Seagulles that is to say the chapleynes of Ball and the Mōkes Certeinly whereas the popishe impietie is abolished there at leastwise parte of the reuenewes whiche whores and baudes deuoured with the Priestes is nowe bestowed vpon the poore Somewhat more is bestowed vpon schooles thā was wonte to be true Pastours are founde that minister the doctrine of Saluation to the people expenses are allowed to maintained the state of the Churche and those not small Although this defence doo not acquite vs before God whiche thinge I confesse with a good will yet it declareth that Offence is maliciously gathered thereupō against the doctrine of the Gospell But they shewe howe it is manifest for what purpose we haue bene moued to take this cause in hande in asmuch as almost all beyng occupied about lookyng to theyr priuate affayres are slouthfull in exactyng discipline in correctinge vices and in increasinge and mainteynyng the kingdome of Christe Wherfore then doo not they rather warme vs with theyr heate than they fryse vnto our coldnesse Let the cōplaintes of Aggaeus touchynge the neglectinge of the Temple be read There a man maye beholde as it were painted in a table the slouthfulnesse of our age was not therfore the building of the temple againe a very holy woorke of God bicause at that time euery man beyng busied aboute his owne house cared not for the Temple of God Ought any man therefore to shrinke bicause he sawe some not onely cease from so néedefull a duetie but also wickedly defraude God of his first fruites and tenthes But this is surely the thing that I spake of before anone after the beginnynge that many beyng entāgled with the vnholy friendshippes of the worlde doo couet any Offences that may be against Christe rather than to offende the wicked enemies of