sauiour testifieth of them saying in vaine doe they worshippe me teaching for doctrines mens precepts And the Lord by his Prophet sayeth who hath required these things at your handes But such we commende vnto the people as are prescribed vnto vs of God in his holy worke As it is saide What works are good Deut. 6 5 Thou shalt kéepe the commaundements of the Lord thy God Deut. 12. and thou shalt put nothing thereto neither shalt thou take any thing there from neither shall ye goe there from either to the right hande or to the left Ye shall not doe euery man what séemeth good in his owne eyes And therefore as S. Paul saith Rom. 12. Ephe. 5. wee exhort men to prooue what is the will of God acceptable and perfect which is in déede the reasonable seruice of God and besides the which all other seruings are vnreasonable For looke whose workes we doe his seruants we are if we doe the works of mans inuention then are we the seruants of men but and if we doe the workes which God hath required then are we the seruants of God Now touching the workes which God would haue vs to walke in some of thē are specified by our Sauiour saying Whē I was hungry ye gaue me meat Mat. 25. whē I was a thirst ye gaue me drinke when I was naked ye clothed me in prison and sicke ye visited me c. And by the Prophet Esay Esay 1. saying Cease to do euill learne to doe good séeke iudgement reléeue the oppressed iudge the fatherles and defend the widow Likewise the Apostle Peter saith 1. Pet. 3. Be ye all of one minde one suffer with another loue as brethren be pitifull be curteous not rendring euill for euill neither rebuke for rebuke but contrariwise blesse knowing that ye are thereunto called 1. Pet. 2. that ye should be heires of blessing And in another place Lay aside all malice guile dissimulation enuie and euill speaking To be briefe therefore these such like are the workes which the holy Apostle haue taught christian people to bee conuersant in loue ioy Gal. 5. peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse fayth méekenesse and temperancie Concerning which vertues whiles our Popish doctors in these later dayes haue incombered themselues much about the workes of their owne inuentions they haue scarsely so much as once thought vpon them And not this onely but also that which is more absurd they ascribe the goodnesse of their workes to the power of mans fréewill or to the habit of vertue or strēgth of nature c. Wheras in old time men were taught to ascribe all the dignitie worthines of their workes to the faith of Christ For this is the nature office propertie of faith The nature of faith not only to reconcile vs to God by procuring vnto vs through the mediation of Christ the forgiuenesse of sinnes and so to iustifie vs before God in heauen but also here in earth by renuing our hearts to bring foorth good workes and to make the same workes acceptable in the sight of God which otherwise through the infirmitie and corruption of our nature were impure and execrable in his sight For whatsoeuer is not of faith Rom. 14. Heb. 10. is sinne and without faith it is impossible to please God To this effect our Sauiour saith Make the trée good and his fruit good For like as an euill trée cannot bring forth good fruit it may bring foorth faire fruites and such as to the eye may séeme good but when they come to the triall of the taste then it appeareth they are nothing lesse euen so an euill man such as all men are by nature and without faith cannot bring forth good works he may well bring forth such workes as may séeme faire and good but when they shall come to the tryall of the Lords taste they shall be found vnsauerie Paul before his conuersion liued after the strict maner of the Pharisées and did many faire and goodly workes yet had he no good works in déed before the grace of Christ had rooted faith in him The efficient cause of good works As touching the efficient or formall cause therefore of good workes next vnder God there is no other but faith For as a man séeth and féeleth by faith the loue and grace of God towards him in Christ his sonne so beginneth hee to loue againe both God and man and to doe for his neighbour as God hath done for him Whereunto Saint Augustine beareth witnes in these words saying August super Ioani ē Like as in the roote of the trée there appeareth no shew of beauty and yet whatsoeuer beautie or comelinesse is in the trée it procéedeth from the roote so from the roote of fayth as from a foundation procéedeth whatsoeuer merite or beautie the soule shal receyue Thirdly whereas the word of God doth not only teach men that their good works are euer vnperfect therefore are so farre from iustifying them that they haue néede dayly to pray vnto God that he may remit their imperfections The end vse of good workes Mat. 5. 2. Pet. 1. 2. Tim. 1. 2. Cor. 9. Heb. 10. but also that we are to doe good workes to set forth Gods glory to assure our consciences of our election to exercise our faith to relieue our neighbours and to prouoke others by our example to do the like They contrarily and most falsely teach men not only to doe good workes to the ende they may be iustified by them in the sight of God saying Tho. Aqui. Hosius in a. tom confes cap. 1. that Christ suffered for originall sinne or sinnes going before baptisme but the actuall sinnes which follow after baptisme must be done away by mēs merits so assigne vnto Christ the beginning of saluation or obteining of the first grace as they call it but the perfection or consummation therof they ascribe to workes and our strength against the truth of holy Scripture saying There is no remission of sinnes without blood Heb. 9. 1. Iohn 1. and the blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne Also that man being holpe by grace is able not only to doe all that the law requireth but more also And hereof come the workes of supererogation contrarie not onely to that principle of holy Scripture which sayth 1. Iohn 1. If we say that we haue no sin we deceiue our selues and truth is not in vs but also to the institution of Christ who hath not onely commanded but also taught his whole church and euery member of the same continually to pray saying Forgiue vs our trespasses Thus they derogate frō the benefite of Christ and attribute vnto works a great or the greatest part of our iustification directly against the veine of S. Pauls doctrine and first institution of the auncient Church of Rome and against all the principles of holy Scripture The tenth Chapter
the Apostles and yet in such things as appertained vnto the function of the ciuill Magistrate they did not onely themselues but also taught others to obey 1. Pet. 3. as Peter testifieth saying Submit your selues to all maner of ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be vnto the king as vnto the superiour Tit. 3. c. And Paul writing to Titus sayth Put them in remembrance that they bee subiect to principalities and powers and that they bee obedient All this notwithstanding the Bishops of this latter Church of Rome with their clergie howsoeuer they glorie and boast themselues to be the successours of Christ and his Apostles yet in this matter of subiection and obedience to ciuill Magistrates they will accept no instance in any Secondly whereas it is saide that there is no power but of God learne thereby with Chrysostome to distinguish betwéene the person and the function For the power or authoritie is of God therefore must néedes be good but the abuse or misusing of the power or authoritie is from the corruption of mans nature and the malice of Satan as the Lorde complayneth saying Hosc ◠They haue reigned but not by mee that is not according to my will and ordinance but according to their owne lustes and appetites And yet wee are not to thinke but euen such persons are not onely for good causes stirred vp of God but also their inordinate procéedings directed by the wonderfull prouidence of God to such end as hee knoweth best And yet neither God to bee made the authour of euill nor they the authours of any good For although God gaue the person and stirred vp the party that woorketh euill yet God neither woorketh the euill himselfe nor yet in giuing the person or stirring vp the partie had any respect vnto euill but vnto that which is good both in respect of the profite of his Church and the aduauncing of his owne glorie as God gaue Pharaoh not that hee should doe euill but that his name might bee glorified in him And although Pharaoh as all other tyrants did all thinges not to the ende he might please God but to the ende hee might please himselfe yet God by his vnspeakeable prouidence whereby he draweth light out of darkenesse and turneth all that for good which he did onely for euill The good therefore that commeth of their euill gouernement is altogether to bée imputed to the prouidence of God who directeth and turneth their studies councels and labors to a far other ende then they intended So that though in respect of the effect and end they do nothing but that God would haue done yet do they offend grieuously in doing of the same because they regard not the will of God in doing of it but to satisfie their own wicked and vngodly desires And as their studies councels labors haue another ende then they either knewe or intended so shall they also haue another rewarde not then they haue deserued but then they looked for Finally where it is said Whosoeuer resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receiue to thēselues iudgement Thereby we are taught not onely how magistrates should be obeyed that is more of conscience because the worde of God bindeth vs thereunto then for the feare of punishment because we cannot resist For though the magistrate were vnarmed a man might prouoke and contemne him fréely to wit without punishment for it yet is it no more to be attempted then if we sawe present vengeance to beat hand for it but also we are generally taught what end remaineth for all those that fight against God in respect of his prouidence to gouerne the world by magistrats and rulers namely a iudgement that is not onely in iust but also a most sure vengeance what way soeuer it come The xviij Chapter Of Purgatorie THe Paradoxes or rather the fantasies of the later Church of Rome cōcerning purgatorie be monstrous neither old nor apostolical For first wheras the Scriptures and worde of God make mention onely of two places after this life Iohn 3. As it is written hee that beléeueth in the sonne hath euerlasting life and he that obeyeth not the sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Mat. 3. And Iohn Baptist speaking of Christ sayeth Hee will gather his wheate into his garner but will burne vp the chaffe with vnquenehable fire In which words you sée mention to bee made of two places onely two sorts of people beléeuing or not beléeuing chaffe or wheate saued or els damned in the Lords garner or els in fire vnquenchable And the ancient fathers for the most and best part of them either vtterly denie that there is any third place or els speake of it verie doubtingly August in Enchir. ad Laurentiū cap. 69. as August in his Enchiridion to Laurentius sayth It is not incredible but some such thing may be after this life but whether it bee so in déed or not may be a question And in the same worke Chap. 67. hée sayeth plainely that hée thinketh them to be deceyued which doe beléeue that they who depart out of this life in their sins can by fire be clensed in the life to come Epiphanius likewise taketh away purgatorie Epiph. lib. 2 haeres 59. And Ambrose also in his booke de bono mortis ca. 2. Gregorius Magnus in his dialogues lib. 4. cap. 1. 39. writeth doubtingly of it And in his booke de ecclesiast dogmat cap. 77. 78 maketh no mention of it But in his booke de fide ad Petr. cap. 2. constantly denieth that there is any place for repentance after this life And in his fifth booke Hypognost sayeth after this sort The Catholike fayth through diuine authoritie belongeth the kingdome of heauen to be the first place and hell to be the second place a third place we know none at all neither doe wee find any in holy Scriptures Cyprian in his first tract against Demetrianus saith after a man is departed hence there is no place for repentance no effect of satisfaction life is either lost or woonne here Yea there is nothing more vsuall and common among the olde fathers then this saying And therfore conclude I with that exhortation of Augustine in a sermon that he maketh against drunkennesse saying Let no man deceiue himselfe brethren for there are two places and the third is not séene He that reigneth not with Christ shall without doubt perish with the deuill Yet our newe Catholikes haue not onely found out a third place which they call Purgatorie but also teach that lacke of beliefe thereof bringeth to hell And this Purgatorie in torture paine differeth nothing from hell but onely that it hath an ende the pains of hel haue none The fiery paine whereof say they fretteth and scowreth away sinnes before committed in the body Contrarie to the which holy scripture teacheth saying Iohn
A Godlie and short discourse shewing not onely what time the inhabitants of this land first receyued the Christian faith but also what maner of doctrine was planted in the same Whereby may appeare howe the reformation at this day in England is not a bringing in of a newe Religion but a reducing againe of the olde and auncient fayth Ierem. Chap. 6. vers 16. Thus saith the Lord stand in the wayes and behold and aske for the old way which is the good way and walke therein and ye shall find rest for your soules LONDON Printed by Iohn Wolfe 1589. To the right honourable and his verie good Ladie and Mistres the Ladie Fraunces countesse of Hertford Christopher Rosdell wisheth increase of honor and endlesse felicitie IT is an opinion right honourable and most vertuous Ladie not so true as commonly beleeued and holden of a great manie that the doctrine faith and religion which the Popish Romanists professe and maintain is the olde and ancient religion ordeined of God witnessed by the Prophets and Apostles and practised of all the godly from time to time and that the doctrine or religion now professed in England is a new doctrine which had his beginning but hereby Which imagination or conceipt of theirs doeth by so much the rather please them for that by some hundred of yeres last past the true syncere doctrine of the Gospel being suppressed banished and in a maner extinguished the errours or rather the heresies of the later Church of Rome haue euerie where both flowed and flourished Wherby it is come to passe that like as a true and naturall mother that hath beene long absent from hir house and familie at the length turning home againe is not knowen no not of her owne children euen so the ancient and Apostolicall religion hath beene so long absent and lacking to her Christian children that nowe at her returne shee is almost a straunger to all and in deed knowen but to a few Hence commeth it that although vnfitly applied yet vsually it is sayde of Romish superstition and idolatrie The old Religion the old Religion and of the Euangelical doctrine of Christ Iesus The newe Religion the newe Religion Not for that it is so in deede but because it seemeth so vnto them who haue so long gaped vpon their golden God of Rome that they haue cleane forgotten poore and simple Christ Iesus of Nazareth Whereas if men would reade the Scriptures diligently iudge indifferently and speake vprightly they should soone perceiue that neither our religion is newe as they falsely charge vs nor theirs olde and auncient as they vainly boast of For in them we are taught the true immutable and most ancient faith and religion of the Patriarches Prophets and holy Apostles As that therefore which concordeth with them can not be newe so that which dissenteth from them can neither bee true nor olde The Lorde by the Prophet Ieremie saith Iere. 6.16 Stande in the wayes and beholde aske for the old way which is the good way and walke therein and ye shall finde rest for your soules Hiero. lib. 2. com in Ier. Which place Saint Herome expoundeth thus Wee must cleaue vnto the Prophets and diligently behold and aske for the olde and euerlasting wayes which more significantly in Greeke are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the good way conteyned in the Gospel we must walke in that which when it is found refresheth and purgeth the soules of the faithfull Ad Pomp. cont Epist. Stephan To the same effect S. Cyprian sayth Si ad diuina traditionis caput reuertamur cessat omnis error humanus c. If wee would returne vnto the heade of diuine tradition all humaine errour should cease c. If a water pipe quoth hee which before ran copiously and plenteously doe vppon the sudden giue ouer doe not men go vnto the fountaine that there the reason of the defection or giuing ouer might bee knowen c. Euen so it behoueth the ministers of God at this day to doe keeping the diuine precepts that if in any poynt the truth be changed or shaken we might returne vnto the originall of the Lorde the Euangelicall and Apostolicall tradition that then the reason of our action might arise from whence the order and originall hath proceeded Thus farre Cyprian Excellently therefore sayth S. Ignatius Antiquitas mea Iesus Christus Ad Philad lib. 4. de virginitat Christ Iesus is my antiquitie And Ambrose also We do rightfully condemne all those new things which Christ hath not taught for Christ is the way vnto the faithfull If Christ then hath not taught that we teach we iudge euen that also for detestable Hereunto Cyprian in another place If Christ only be to be heard we ought not to regard what anie before vs hath thought meete to be done but what Christ who is before all hath first done neither ought we to follow the custome of men but the truth of God O that according to this rule we might be heard our cause decided and the quarell ended then woulde it soone appeare howe vnder the visard of antiquitie they haue hidden a new startvp superstition yea that their whole pretenced religion is nothing else but a huge heape of hypocrisie and a store basket of all Apostacie Then should it be seene that this reformation is not a declining from the auncient faith nor a bringing in of a newe but a reducing againe of the olde and Apostolicall faith or religion For the better profe wherof most christian Ladie I haue in certaine of their chiefest holdes compared their assertions with the censure of the Prophets Apostles and auncient Fathers to the ende that the indifferent Reader might partlie iudge by these what is to be thought of the rest In publishing whereof I haue had speciall respect vnto the profite and commoditie of the common and vulgar sort of people that they might haue not onely at a small charge in respect of the price but also with litle losse of time in respect of reading whereby they might bee either instructed if they were ignorant or the better confirmed if they had some knowledge And these my labours whatsoeuer they are I am right well assured shall be by many degrees more gracious and acceptable vnto diuerse for that they proceede and come foorth vnder your honourable name and protection Most humblie therefore I beseech your honour to accept the same in so good part as with a good will it is presented vnto you Whereof as I nothing doubt so will I neuer cease to pray vnto the almightie that you may long liue in this worlde to his glorie and the benefite of his Church and finally after this life may for euer reigne with Christ Iesus in his immortall euerlasting glorie Amen December the 15. 1588. Your Honours faithfull seruant and Chapleine Christopher Rosdell The first planters of Christian faith in Englande The first Chapter THis Realme or kingdome of