to be discerned are meant their corrupt opinions and doctrines for that opinions sayings aswel as doings be they good or badde are the effects fruits of good and badde men yet for that also that doctrine not delivered to others but first conceaved by our selues is not the fruite but the cause of faith and faith engendred by sound doctrine engraffeth vs into Christ and so maketh vs good trees bringing forth good workes as good fruit and faith proceeding from evil doctrine bringeth forth evill workes as evil fruit wee will be contented at this time to vnderstand also by fruits wherby false prophets are to be discerned their evill and vngodly workes Especially if it bee added that workes are no otherwise knowen to be good or badde then as they agree or disagree froÌ„ the precepts and rules of good works which are delivered in the canonicall scripture For that is the most exact canon and rule whereby wee must trie both ouâ— faith and our workes and that faith and workes are onely to be approved which are agreeable and consonant thereto And vnlesse wee keepe our selues most carefully to the triall of this iudge wee may easily bee deceived with probabilities and shewes For according vnto the admonition of our Saviour set downe in the former rule false prophets which inwardly are ravening wolves may bee attired in sheepes cloathing that is may haue an outward shewe both of a sounde faith and also of an holy and godly life For the Devill is a most cunning counterfeite and the skilfullest Ape that ever was He can alleâ—ge scripture and the holy word of God to draw vs from that pure doctrine of that holy word and hee can turne himselfe into an angel of light and make his ministers to appeare to bee the children of light and furnish them with the outward shewe of the workes of light yea he can imitate the miraculous workes and wonders of God to perswade the world that God himselfe by hâ—s omnipotent almighty power doth giue testimony vnto his lies The which thing is so much the more carefully to bee considered of vs for that wee are fallen into these latter daies wherein experience hath taught vs that to be true which vvas foretolde by Isidore Gregory that is that the true Church of See Mâ— Fox vol. 1. fol. 418. Christ should want the glorious power of working of miracles before the comming of Antichrist that he might the more freely and without controlement persecute her as a base obiect that Antichrist should come himselfe not onely with straunge signes and wonders to gette the greater credit and admiration but also with a certaine shew of holines that both the lighenes of the reprobate might be detected that are soone caried away with every shew and also that the patience and stayednes of the faithfull might be made manifest who will embrace the truth albeâ— it be not garnished with outward shewes and sette themselues against falshood and lies although they be never so much beautified adorned with the same Heerein theâ— is coÌ„mended vnto vs one speciall point of Christian wisedome that as Christ who was endued with the spirit of wisedome aboue measure iudgeth not according to the sight of Isa 11. 3. 1. Sam. 16. 7. the eies nor reproveth according to the hearing of the eares but iudgeth righteously as God himselfe looketh not on the outward Good workes in shew are not alwaies good workes in deede but sometimes evill and what is the cause therof not the worke it selfe but the maÌ„ner of doing of doing of it maketh it faulty Aug. de doct Christ l. 3. c. 12. 2. Tim. 3. 5. The shewe of good works may be greater among Hypocrites Heretiques and the ve ry Infidels then amoÌ„g sound and sincere Christians appearance but behouldeth the heart so doth the wise and prudent Christian also He iudgeth of the workes of man not according vnto the glorious shewe of the outward action but according vnto the pure sincerity of the inward intention neither doth hee so much respect the worke done as the manner wherby it is done For as the Philosopher can teach vs he is not a iust man that doth iust actions but he that doth them after a iust maÌ„ner as the schoolmeÌ„ haue taught God is not a rewarder of nownes but of adverbes that is God rewardeth not the deeds that are barely iust but such as are done iustly For a iust deed performed but not iustly is a iust deede in shewe but not in substace Now iust deedes onely in shewe and not in substance may bee founde in false Prophets and seducing Heretiques yea they shal be found in the Hereâ—iques of these last times who shall haue a shew of godlines but shal deny the power thereof And verelie such as â—… open offendors notorious malefactors can hardly perswade others to like of that doctrine which themselues professe whatsoever it be but such as are in outward appearance of an holy life and conversation may greatly prevaile and do much mischiefe if that they be teachers of falshoode and lies and of erronious and heâ—…icall doctrines And this the Devill knoweth right well and therfore ofteÌ„times maketh his ministers to seeme to be of an heavenly and Angelical coÌ„versation that so he may by this meanes more easily bring in his divelish errours And hath not our Saviour tolde vs Luke 16 8. that the children of this world are wiser in their generation then the children of light Mat. 23. 15. And doth not experience it selfe teach vs that they are not onely more painefull industrious compassing sea and land to make one of their profession but also more beneficial and bountifull Exod. 32. 24 giuing away their goodâ—… and treasures and robbing themselues and theirs of their most pâ—etions and costly Iewels to make a golden calfe or some other the like Idoll The Apostle Saint Paule hath testified that the Heretiques of these last times shall forbidde mariage and commaund 1. Tim. 4. 2. to abstaine from meate in hypocricy that so they might seeme very abstemious and chast and of a most severe and straite life And Chrysostome hath witnessed lâ—kewise of them that they Chrysost in matth hom 49. shâ—ll haue a greater shewe of abstinence and continency then shall be found among the true Christians And is it not recorded of The very Turkes that such as are of their religious orders vse wonderfull austerity and rigour in punishing their owne bodies that so they might seeme great mortified me And did not Baals Priestes vse to launce themselues vvith kniues vntill they vvere goared in their owne blood But what doe I speake of rigorous 1. Reg. 18. 28 discipline found among Turkes Heretiques Idolators Were there not among the heathen theÌ„selues as notable examples for the exercise of all manner of civill duties as ever were found among any Christians Was not Aristides most famous for iustice Socrates for sobriety
of their Idolatries was their following of the corrupt customs of their owne countries and their refusall of the ordinaunces and 2. Kin. 17. 34 lawes of God And what was the cause that the Iewes theÌ„selues also which had the law and the prophets to direct them in al the waies of God did so often fall away from the service of God and defile theÌ„selues with abominable Idolatries but that they either vtterly forsooke the directioÌ„ of the word of God and follovved their owne inventions or the corrupte customes of their forefathers or else they mingled their owne dreames and the traditioÌ„s of their elders togither with the worshippe of God delivered in his worde which ought to haue bin kept pure and sincere without any mixture without any such hotch-potch mingle maÌ„gle The cause of the Idolatries that so much abouÌ„ded in the time of the Iudges was for that there was no king in Israel who was to coÌ„mand Iud. 17. 1. the carefull keeping of the law of God but every man did that which was good in his owne eies And what was the cause of those outragious dolatries in the daies of the kings especially in the daies of Manasses and Amon his sonne but this that the lavve of 2. Chro 34. 14. God was so neglected that the very autheÌ„tical coppy therof given by the hand of Moses himselfe was lost And if we will know also what was the cause of those damnable Idolatries that so prevailed in the daies of the prophets we may heare the same out of their mouthes who were the principall actors or at the least the chiefe abetters therof The word say they to the prophet Ieremy which thou hâ—st spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lord we will not heare Ier 44. 16. it of thee but we will doe whatsoever goeth out of our owne mouth as to â—…rae incense to the Queene of heaven and to powre out our drinke offerings vnto her as we haue done both we and our Fathers our kings our Princes in the cittie of Iudah and in the streetes of Ierusalem for then had we plenty of victuals and were well and felt none evill Their wilful reiecting of the word of God and their obstinate resolution to follovve their ovvne customes and the practise of their forefathers vvas the cause of all their abominable Idolatries Neither vvas the vtter reiecting of the woorde of GOD the cause of so many corruptions in the Iewish religion but alâ—o the mingling therewith of their ovvne Inventions and of the traditions of their forefathers For in the Lordes fielde there oughte nothing to bee sowen but the most pure seede of the worde of God whatsoever is beside the same it is not good corne but cockle and darnell and they of the Lordes family are onely to be fedde with the holesome foode of that vvorde which is provided for their sustenaunce by their heavenly master whatsoever meate they take beside it is corrupte leaven yea deadly poison And therefore both GOD himselfe did most sharpely reproue the hypocriticall Iewes in the time of the Prophete Isay and our Saviour CHRIST the Scribes and Phaâ—isies in his dayes not foc that they did vtterlie reiect the service of GOD prescribed in his own word for it is cleare manifest that they did not so but for that they did corrupt the same with the mingling of their owne leaven they condemne that worship for Isa 20. 14. Mat. 1â— 9. vaine which is prescribed either wholy or in part by the precepts and doctrines of men And verily as in the bodies of men either want of good holesome food or the receiving of corrupt and bad either wholy or but in parte is the cause of many bodily disâ—ases even so either the want of the holesome food of the worde of God or the receiving of the corrupt food of humane doctrins either wholy or in part doth breed many sins corruptioÌ„s in our soules and make them sicke even to death Yea this hath bred al manner of errours heresies and Idolatries in all ages and at all times This was the cause of errour vnder the law and that amoÌ„g the Lords own people They erred in their hearts saieth the Lorde Psa 95. 10. himselfe because they haue not knowne my waies And why erred the Sadducies at the time of our Saviours appearing in the flesh so grosly and that in the chiefest grounds principles of the faith Mark 12. 23 Aug. in psa 131. Cyp. de simpl praelatorum Chrys hom 3. de Laza Yee erre saith our Saviour vnto them not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God This is the cause of all evill saith Austine that the scriptures are not knowne Hence saith Cyprian proceede errours for that menreturne not to the head nor seeke to the spring of truth nor keepe the doctrine of our heavenly Master The reading of the scriptures saith Chrysostome is a strong fortresse against sinne and the ignoraunce of them is a great downefull and a deepe hell to know nothing of â—he divine lawes is a great losse of salvation this thing hath bred heresies and brought in a corrupt life and hath turned al topsie turvy For how can it otherwise be but that health must needes decay and sicknesse grow where either holesome foode is not received at all or else is not received alone without the mixture of that which is corrupt And how can it otherwise bee but that weedes must needes spring vp where either good seed is not sowen at al or else not without the mixture of cockle and darnell And how can it otherwise be but that such must needs be misledde which either will not at all follow those are vnerring guides or else will not be guided by them alone but by such also as may be deceived Wherfore in that the church of Rome doth not only keep the greatest part of the people from the liberty of reading the holie scriptures but also doth mingle with the pure foode thereof the corrupt leaven of humane doctrines it cannot otherwise be but that spiritual sicknesses must grow in her apace ghostly health and strength greatly decay And seeing that shee soweth in the harts of the people not the sincere seede of the worde of God alone but also the darnell of mens inventions it caÌ„not be but that weedes must neâ—des mount vp and overgrowe the good corne And seeing she will haue her followers ledde by bookes Apocripha vnwritten verities ordinaunces of the Church decrees of Popes canons of Councels rules of Friers customes of the multitude traditions of forefathers and the like and not by the books alone of the Canonicall scriptures who are the only sure and vndeceiueable guides it is no marvaile that shee hath beene so misledde out of the way of truth hath wandred in the by-pathes of heresies and Idolatries even as the Idolatrous Iewes and Gentiles haue bin before her for that they followed the same
guides Yea what cause of heresie observed and noted by her own children hath shee not embraced that so shee might defile her selfe with all manner of spirituall abominations If to make choice of religion according vnto the darke light of our owne natural reason and the servile liberty of our own free-will be to follow such guides as must needs lead into errour shee hath taught her children to do the same If to thinke basely of the common dueties generally belonging to all christians and to make choice of singular and private devotions be the cause of heresie shee hath perswaded her children thereto If the overmuch admiring of men and the addicting of our selues to our particular masters bee not only the beginning of schisme but the cause of heresie shee hath made her sectaries and followers not only schismatikes but also heretikes For vvhere may we finde more admiring and magnifying of men of their supreme power authority of their greate priviledges and prerogatiues of the holinesse of their rules and orders canons and constitutions and of the worthines perfectioÌ„ and merite of their workes then is to be found in the Church of Rome Lastly if he be an heretike which is an other-wise teacher or an after reacher and he a superstitious person that doeth any Rhom in 1. cp ad Tim. c. 1. thing supra statutuÌ„ more then is commaÌ„ded how can the chuâ—ch of Rome be free from the note of superstition and heresie seeing shee performeth her devotions otherwise then they were ordained to be done by the Apostles of Christ and most rigorously exacteth many duties which were not commanded by them at all and hath coyned many after-doctrines which were not heard of in their times For was not the word the sacraments otherwise delivered vnto the people by the Apostles of Christ then nowe Otherwise devotions they are by the church of Rome Was the word either publikely reade by them vnto the people in a strange tongue or kept from their owne private reading in a vnknowen language they sent to learne their devotions froÌ„ senceles dombe and deade images did they not penne it in a most vulgar tongue and after a most plaine familiar manner that for theÌ„ learning instructioÌ„ of Luk. 1. 4. Rom. 15. 4. the people Neither was the Sacrament of the Lordes supper ordained by them to be ministred to the people in one kinde nor baptisme with such a number of ceremonies as it is by the church of Rome disguised cast after a sort into a new forme much lesse was the observation of any outward ceremonie rite more rigorously exacted by them then the precise keeping of Christs institutioÌ„ or vrged vnder the paine of a more grievous curse Did the Apostles ordaine the solemne observing of so many festival daies After doctrines and workes supra statutuÌ„ and eves or the building of churches in the honour of the saints or the running on pilgrimage to offer before their images or the sett times of fasting and abstinence or secret coÌ„fession of all sins in the Priests eare or the vow of single life voluntary poverty Francis Dominike and Layola were not borne in their times not the holy rules made of any of their relligious orders but all vvillworships were condeÌ„ned by theÌ„ which afterward were not only Coll. 2. 23. allowed but also preferred before the workes required in the law of God Lastly the supreme auctority and iurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome was not ordained by the Apostles neither was he appointed by them to bee a vniversall Bishoppe and to haue dominion over the whole church and to bee the vnerring and infallible iudge vnto whom appeale should bee made in all controversies much lesse was he placed by them aboue all kings and Emperors to depose them to set them vp at his own pleasure neither was any such auctority practised by S. Peter himselfe or by his successors long after him which yet had most skill and best courage to maintaine all doctrine belonging to their most Christian profession neither did they approue the bookes Apocriphs for Canonicall scripture nor their lawfull successors long after them alleaged the auctority of those bookes to confirme any doctrine or point of faith much lesse preferred they any translation before the authenticall text of the scripture as it is now done by the church of Rome and iustified openly by her auctority in her last generall councell of Trent Wherby shee hath made it manifest to the whole world that shee is not in some pointes onely but wholy and altogither fallen away from the word of GOD seeing shee refuseth to receiue it for the foundation of her faith as it was penned in the originalles by the speciall direction of GODS vnerring spirit and admitteth it onely as it is expounded by her translator which vvas not therein directed by any revelation nor had any priveledge of not falling into errour And verely if it bee a good reason against vs as it hath beene sette forth not long since by one of her Pamphleters that the vnlearned among vs haue no faith at all but a meere fancie because they doe builde it vppon our bare translations being not able to examine the truth of them by the originalles then much more may vvee avouch that neither the vnlearned nor yet the learned themselues among them haue anie faith at all seeing they all must vvill they vvill they settle their faith vppon the vvoordes and meaning of their transslator albeit hee differ never so much from the originall VVherefore to conclude seeing the Church of Rome hath embraced all manner of meanes of falling avvaie from GOD and his truth vvee may bee boulde to affirme that shee hath revolted and played the Apostata and so is become not onelie hereticall but also apostaticall yea that shee hath brought in that great apostasy that was foretolde by the Apostle Thus hast thou gentle Reader delivered vnto thee the maine foundation of all good workes the foure principall motiues so often vrged in the divine scripture to stirre vp the faithfull to the right and approued manner that is to be kept in the due performing of all holy actions And herein thou hast on the one side sette dovvne the true fountaine of sincere devotion and of all the parts therof wherin consisteth the true worship service of God and his spirituall and heavenly kingdome and on the other side not only the causes of errour and heresy but also of superstition and of all manner of Idolatry Now it remaineth that thou carefully put in practise these holy precepts and sanctified rules wheÌ„ thou art moued to the performaÌ„ce of any good worke and that thou stirre vp the gift of God in thee by these or the like holy meditations thus reasoning with thy selfe and saying This good worke God himselfe in his holy word commandeth me to performe vnto whose will I owe all obedience for that it is