hated of them that embrace his doctrine 281 Fond tales of Antichrist 281 320 Antichrist not any one mā 282 Antichrist a Bishop 320 330 379 Antichrist an vniuersal king 329 Antichriste by what markes knowen 283 316 334 Antichrist commeth in shew of seruing Christ. 285 341 Antichrist ruleth by pretence of religion 287 349 Antichrist suttle and cunning 305 308 Antichrist taught of Satan 340 Antichrist proud and pompous 289 332 Antichrist exceeding cruel 263 283 Antichrist wherin his strength standeth 363 Antichrist his place or seate 290 326 379 Antichrist howe taken as God 291 Antichrist whom he deceiueth 207 351 381 Antichrist in what time reucaled 304 Antichrist not to be conuerted 364 Antichrist by what power ouerthrowen 361 363 381 Apostasie from the faith 94 388 Perswasions to Apostasie 97 Retentiue from Apostasie 98 Appearaunce of eu◅ auoide 219 Astronomers passe boundes 182 B Babilon wherein rich 376 Babilon fallen 373 Babilons fal causeth ioy in heauen 377 Battaile betweene Christ and Antichrist 369 Bishop of Rome seruant of seruauntes 296 Bishop of Rome rich by the spoil of the Empire 328 Bishop of Rome his priuiledge 292 296 349 Bishop of Rome lawelesse 334 Bishop of Rome called God 293 Busie bodies 155 C Children how to be nurtured 62 Children how they waxe ill 69 Church of the faithful 9 Chnrch of the wicked 6 The name of the Church and fathers deceiueable 234 359 Church cōpared to weak things 279 Churches particular decaye in faith 270 Church primitiue how ordered 266 Church of Rome hath no speciall promise 236 Church of Rome may erre 275 277 Church of Rome vnlike the primitiue Church 268 274 Christ ouercommeth 372 Cities wel gouerned 32 Single communion 311 Conscience 103 Constancie in the truth 214 240 244 388 412 Couetousnesse hindereth the Gospel 56 85 Crosse of Christ of whom esteemed 218 D Dead in Christ. 176 Deceite in bargaining enricheth not 111 Decrees and decretalles forged 256 Disciples of Christ are humble 316 Departing from the faith 263 375 Doctrines contrary to the word of God 48 E Election howe knowen 384 Empire large sometimes 323 Empire decaied a signe that Antichrist is come 327 3◅4 380 Emperour hath not any one citie of the Empire 328 Encrease in holinesse 154 239 Enemies to the gospel raise nobles 41 188 214 224 339 Excommunication what it is 413 Excommunication daungerous 416 418 Excommunication why ordeined 402 413 F Faith grounded on the worde 384 Faith without the truth no faith 369 385 Faith is not idle 12 109 Faithful men examples of godlinesse 28 30 148 Faithful man hath three badges 205 False brethren 396 397 False brethren auoide 401 False miracles of two sortes 343 Fathers howe carefull for their children 60 Fathers or multitude no rule to warrant religion 359 Filthinesse cloaked vnder pretence of single life 310 405 Flesh of Christ howe eaten 261 Foolish faith hurteth 360 Fornication 109 G Gospel what it worketh 79 Gospel no cause of tumults 40 Gospel often refused 40 80 351 Gospel not quailed by crueltie 75 77 242 262 God maketh his gospel fruitful 16 30 37 391 393 God openeth his trueth to the simple 19 292 God maketh thē loue the trueth that sometimes hated it 37 God deliuereth the faithful 205 366 Godly men are persecuted 13 22 73 92 188 179 242 261 Goods not free for il vses 128 Grace what it worketh in vs. 11 238 380 H Hearers of the word 69 209 352 Hipocrisie a high point of wisedome 396 Hope of the faithful 14 157 383 I Idlenes the teacher of mischief 156 407 Idle bodies not to be relieued 410 Ignorance cause of wickednes 116 Ignoraunce cause of despaire 158 Image worship 347 Images in steede of preaching ◅46 Infidels shall rise againe 169 Interest and V◅urie differ 135 Inuocation of saintes 346 Ioye of the godly or wicked 200 Ioye in tribulations 23 91 190 Day of iudgement vnknowen 181 261 Day of iudgement comfortable 174 176 179 Day of iudgement dreadful 174 243 365 K Keyes of the Church abused 312 Kissing ofreliques 347 L Labour required in euerie vocation 156 157 Labourers in the gospel worthie maintenance 58 147 405 Later day as dayes of Noah 170 Latine service a cloake for ignorant priestes 46 Lawe necess◅ie 151 Law may be followed betweene filendes 150 151 Loue the fruits thereof 12 147 152 191 200 Loue perswadeth to godlinesse 191 M Man of sinne reuealed 337 363 Mariage in ministers 217 Masse no teacher of godlinesse 216 Minister his office 12 20 35 43 49 50 52 80 87 410 Ministers painful worthie maintenance 58 147 405 Ministers vnprofitable to be remoued 85 194 196 407 Miracles wrought by Antichrist 348 Mourning ouer the dead 160 N Naturall corruption of man 237 246 Newe birth or regeneration 259 O Oblations and enriching of abbies 347 Office of Apostle and Bishop diuers 300 P Pardons 337 Peace in the Church the gift of God 223.423 Peace wherein it consisteth 225 423 People ought to reade the sc◅ptures 82.84 228 Peter no bishop of Rome 301 Pilgrimage 347 Pleasers of men 55.57 Pope no sollower of Peter 216 Pope aboue Emperour 330 Praier continually needful 204 Praier howe to be made for the wicked 402 422 Prayer abused to couetousnesse 313 Preachers are Gods instrumēts 390 399 Preachers most needefull 194 Primacie the fountaine of vaine presumption 314 337 Primitive Church 266 Princes and Magistrates labour 410 Purgatory impropried to the bishop of Rome 3◅3 Purgatorie a shoppe of mar◅ 314 337 R Reason the husbande 226 Reformatiō of Rome past hope 364 Refusers of the worde 72 195 210 352 357 Religion what it is 32 Religion by whō established 39 Religion of whom receiued 81 352 358 Religion forced or diffemoled 350 T◅th of religion howe tryed 212 250 359 Reliques 347 R◅tion of the bodie 165 Resemblaunces of resurrection 163 Resurrection of infidels 169 Rocke wherein the Church is built 258 Church of Rome may erre 275 277 Church of Rome vnlike the primitiue 268 274 Rome departed from the faith 265 Rome the seate of Antichrist 323 380 S Satans sleights against the gospel 86 254. Scriptures what they teach 34 Scriptures forged 255 Scriptures wrested 257 Sinne punished by sinne 82 Sinne which shall not be forgiuen 359 Spirit of God our guide 208 252 386 Superstition zealous 78 T Teachers examples of godlines 403. False teachers deale deceitfully 46 51 56 253 Thanks due to God in al things 205 The ssalonica once beloued now forsaken 236 Torments straunge and cruel against the godly 75 Translation of Scriptures 47 V Vsurie what it is 113 Vsurie whence it groweth 115 142 Vsurie what good it doeth 116 129 130 Vsurie defended 124 128 138 Vsurie and interest differ 135 Vsurie forbidden by scripture 121 Vsurie disproued by learned fathers 118 Vsurie condemned by lawes 138 Cases for Vsurie answered 131 Vsurer worse than a theefe 138 Vsurer excommunicate by his owne conscience 145 W Walkers inordinately to be reproued 198 Warre howe terrible 369
his mother the mother may commaunde the childe must obey Againe they turne al that is spoken in y e whole booke of the Psalmes of the prophet Dauid either of God or of Christ and apply it to the Virgin Marie cal that Psalter Psalterium beatae Mariae the Psalter of blessed Marie Who wil take the paines to peruse it shal find that comfortable spéech of our sauiour Come vnto me al yeo that are wearie and laden and I wil ease you thus blasphernously abused in y e second psalme Venite ad eam omnes qui laboratis tribulati estis refrigerium solatium dabit animabus vestris Come vnto her al yee that trauell and be heauily loaden she wil giue rest comforte to your soules An other saith the kingdome of god is of two parts of iustice and of mercy He reseructh iustice to himselfe the other part that is mercy he hath yelded vnto his mother Therfore one of them plaieth the Proctour taketh vpon him to shew the differeÌ„ce of those two courtes saying A foro iustitiae dei appellandum est ad forum misericordiae matris eius You must appeale from the court of Gods iustice to the court of his mothers mercie And is there not good cause he should giue vs this counsell if it be true that he hath written Nulla gratia venit de coelo ad terram nisi transeat per manuâ—… Mariae Est enim meà iatrix saluationis iustificationis recoÌ„ciliationis communicationis No mercie commeth from heauen to the earth but it must passe by the handes of Marie For shee is the mediatour of our saluation of our iustification of our reconciliation and of our participation What is blasphemie if this be not blasphemie They which wil séeme somewhat to blush at these things wil perhappes excuse this and call it spirituall daliance Vnhappie are they and heauy iudgement shall abide theÌ„ that in such sort dallie and scorne the price of our redemption O let vs open our eies we are the sonnes of God God hath giuen vs eies to sée and eares to heare and hearts to vnderstand Let vs iudge vprightly It is gods cause Whosoeuer considereth these and such other great errors must néeds confesse that y e church of Rome hath wrought that departing whereof the Apostle speaketh In the late councell of Trident Cornelius the Bishop of Bitonto did something plainly acknowledge the great Apostasie and departing of the church of Rome both in matters of faith and in conuersation and life These be his words Vtinam à religione ad superstitionem c. Woulde God they were not gone wholie with generall consent from religion to superstition froÌ„ faith ro infidelitie from Christ to Antichrist froÌ„ God to Epicure saying with wicked heart and filthie mouth there is no God Neither hath there bene this great while anie pastor or Pope that regarded these things For they al both Pope and Cardinals and other sought their owne and not so much as one of them sought for the things that pertaine to Iesus Christ. Yet say they there can be no departing from faith in the Church of Rome the faith thereof cannot faile for Christ hath said I haue praied for thee that thy faith faile not And againe The gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Therefore in that place there can be no decay This is the saying of some who humble not themselues to knowe their errour who loue the praise of men more than the praise of God whose glorie is their shame which mind earthly things The Apostle saith there shall be a departing that it shal be not among the Jewes and Jnfidels but among those which were reckoned to be of the housholde of faith and the children of God What is it froÌ„ which they shal depart or wherein the decay shall be doth he meane their riches their gold and siluer bread c. No but the doctrine of the gospell and faith in Christ. The pure words which as siluer from the earth are tried and purified seauen times in the fire the wel of water which springeth vp into euerlasting life shal decay in the house of God The people shall shut their eares that they may not heare the truth and shall giue héede vnto spirites of errour and doctrines of diuels which speake lies through hipocrisie And let them not say the church of Rome can not erre For where did Christ euer giue or where haue the Apostles euer mâ—…de mention of any such priuiledge granted to that Church S. Peter saith There were false Prophets also among the people euen as there shall be false teachers among you which priuily shall bring in damnable heresies euen denying the Lord that hath bought them and bring vpon themselues swift damnation and many shall folow their damnable waies by whome the waie of truth shall be euil spoken of Paul warned the Church of God at Ephesus not onelie that after his departing gréeuous woolues should enter in among them but also that of themselues should men arise speaking peruerse things to draw Disciples after them When Christ said When the sonne of man shall come shall hee finde faith vpon the earth And when he told his Disciples that the abhomination of desolation shall stand in the holy place when he warned them in this sorte Then if anie shall saie vnto you Loe here is Christ or there beleeue it not For there shall arise false Christs false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible the verie elect should be deceiued It is most euident he spake of that departing which should come should appeare in the church of God which departing our forefathers did behold and marke in their times and which hath of late yeares appeared so manifestly that no man who is not wilfully blind can doubt thereof S. Paule knew not anie such state of the Church of Rome or anie especiall grant made vnto it in such forte that it should neuer erre for vnto the church of Rome he writeth Boast not thy selfe Be not high minded but feare For if God spared not the naturall braunches take heede least he also spare not thee Thorow vnbeliefe they are broken off thou standest by faith Behold therefore the bountifulnes and seueritie of God Towards them which haue fallen seueritie but towards thee bountifulnesse if thou continue in his bountifulnes or els thou shalt also be cut off That is if he spared not the Iewes his owne people how wil he spare thée that art but a stranger If thou continue not thou shalt be cut off It may be thou shalt also depart from the faith as the Iewes haue done then shalt thou be as a withered branch shalt not draw any moisture from the roote then wil God also forsake thée and thy end shal be worse than the beginning I trow in saying thus he said not Thou shalt not
called by the name of GOD. I will not tell you in mine owne wordes Vnlesse the Bishop himselfe so speake I will not tell you Marke then and witnesse of my indifferencie whilest I speake hereof that I followe not affection but deale vprightly Therefore I say againe vnlesse the Bishop himselfe suffer himselfe to be called by the name of GOD I will not so saie of him Then let vs sée what hée hath written of himselfe and what hée hath suffered others to write Pope Nicholas saith Constat summum pontificem à pio principe Constantino Deum appellari It is wel knowen that the Pope of the godlie Prince Constantine was called God And therefore Pope Pius in his Bull saieth Nemo audeat obedire No man dare obey hir or her will or commaundements or lawes vpon paine of our curse The Pope was well content to suffer Christopher Marcellus one of his Parasites in the Councel of Laterane to say vnto him Tu es alter deus in terris Thou arte an other God in earth The Pope is content in such sorte to haue a diuision of tenures made betwéene him and God as the Poet sometime flatteringly wrote Divinsuni imperium cum Iove Caesar habet The Emperour parteth his rule and holdeth halfe with Iupiter In the Extrauagants it is set down Dominus de us noster Papa Our Lord God the Pope Marke these words Our Lord God the Pope In them the Pope is called Lord and is called God Oh merciful Lord God which from thy heauens beholdest this vanitie how great is thy mercie in suffering this I deuise not this His owne bookes his owne doctors his owne decrées and decretals speake it and set it downe Credere dominum deum nostrum Papam non potuisse statuere prout statuit Hereticum censeretur To beleeue that our Lord God the Pope might not decree as hee decrecd it were a matter of Heresie It is so written there he hath heard it he hath séene it he knoweth it is so yet he suffereth it to goe abroad and thereby suffreth himselfe to be called God He hath burnt many Saints of God and holie men for no other cause but for the profession of the Gospell He hath in manie places burnt the holie Bible and such bookes as teach nothing but godlinesse Where did he euer burne what speake I of burning where may it appeare that euer he controlled any for so writing or called in such spéeches One of them séemeth to take shame of this shamelesse and blasphemous stile or title He séeketh friendly to temper and qualifie and take vp the matter Nec deus es nec homo quasi neuter es inter vtrumque Thou arte neither God nor man in a manner thou arte neither of both but rather a meane betweene both That is thou art not so high as God nor yet so base as man Whom then shal we imagine him to be Is he an Archangell or Angel or a spirite of the aire God giue him grace to sée his owne vanitie that hée maie knowe he is but a miserable and mortal man that hée maie knowe that a time shall come when his hipocrisie and dissimulation shall be disclosed GOD giue him grace to become godlie as becommeth the man of God That he maie indéed be the minister of Christ and a disposer of the secrets of God that hee may serue God in trueth in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of his life But you saie the Pope at this daie is not called GOD. Hée rather abaseth himselfe and writeth himselfe by a title of humilitie and is called so Servus servorum The seruant of seruants Be it so that he is so called and so written yet he is King of Kings and Lord of Lordes This seruant saieth I doe make holie the vnholie I doe iâ—…stifie the wicked I doe forgiue sinnes I open and no man shutteth This seruant can saie whosoeuer obeyeth not mée hée shall be rooted out This seruant maie dispence for anie commaundement of the olde and newe Testament This seruant hath Christs lieftenantship not onelie ouer things in heauen ouer things in earth and ouer things in hell but also ouer the Angelles both good and bad No man maie iudge this seruant For they saie Papa solutus est omni lege humana The Pope is exempted from all lawe of man And againe Nec totus clerus nec totus umndus potest Papam iudicare aut deponere Neither all the Cleargie nor all the whole world maie either iudge or depose the Pope Such a power this seruant of seruantes claimeth to himselfe What greater power maie be giuen vnto GOD What Angel what archangel euer had the like power And this power euen at this day Pope Pius chalengeth as proper to his seate That hée hath the authority which is due to Christ ouer his Church that no man may iudge him nor say he doth erre nor aske why he doth so He is inuested in the priuiledge of his Church and loseth no one iote of his dignitie It is yet good at this day which hath béene set downe Sacrilegij instar esset disputare de facto papae It is sinne as great as sacriledge or Church robbing to reason of anie the Popes doinges These be their owne wordes God knoweth before whom we stande this day they be their owne wordes and not mine Thus doth he sit in the temple of God shewing himselfe that hee is God And therefore may we say as sometime sayd Eusebius Hoc est argumentum eos odisse deum quod veâ—…nt seipsos appellari Deos. This is an euident token that they hate God because they wil haue themselues called by the name of God Or as Gregory who speaking of Antichrist saide Cùm sit damnatus homo nequaquà m spiritus Deum se esse mentitur Whereas he is a cursed man and not a spirite he faigneth himselfe by lying to be a God V. 5. Remember ye not that when I was yet with you I told ye these thinges Before I departed from you to goe farther to plant the Gospel in other churches I tolde you that Antichrist should come and that hee should oppresse and confounde the Church of Christ. Paule was chosen to be an Apostle The office of an Apostle was not to rest in any one certaine place but to passe from countrey to countrey from lande to lande and to fil al the world with knowledge of the Gospel and therein appeareth the difference betwéene an Apostle and a Bishop A Bishop had the charge of one certaine Church an Apostle had the charge ouer al the churches But Paule was not tyed to any one citie or Ilande or countrey He had authoritie to preach to al cities and countries to al landes and Ilandes from the east to the west So did Christ appoint his Apostles Goe ye into all the worlde and preach the Gospel vnto euerie creature They were not sent to Ierusalem
nor to Samaria nor to Ephesus nor to Rome only but into al the world The whole world was their dioces and their prouince So speaketh the Prophet Dauid of them Their sounde is gone foorth through the earth and their wordes into the endes of the worlde This was the commission which our Saniour gaue vnto Iohn and to Iames to Paule and to Peter and to the rest of the Apostles that they should goe into al the world Therefore if any of the Apostles should haue staide in one only place and haue gone no farther he had offended and done otherwise than Christ commaunded Here we sée howe foulie they are deceiued which say Peter was Bishop of Rome and did sitte there fiue and twentie yeares They that say so knowe not what they say It is an errour Christ made Peter an Apostle and not to sit as a Bishop at Rome He sayde vnto Peter Goe into al the worlde thou shalt be a witnesse vnto me vnto y e outmost coasts of the earth I sende thee vnto al the churches and not to one alone The like charge receiued Paul he trauailed froÌ„ Damascus to Arabia from Arabia to Ierusalem from IerusaleÌ„ to Illyricum from Illyricum to Rome so from countrey to countrey and from coast to coast to make a pleasaunt perfume of the Gospel of God in al the worlde that it might be vnto them a sauour of life vnto life Therefore sayeth he to the Thessalomans Ye remember that when I was with you I tolde you these thinges The spirite of GOD warned me to goe farther Other churches required my presence I was debter vnto theÌ„ as vnto you Yet before I left you I told you what daungers shoulde â—…nsue It was mine office I was bounde so to doe least you might be deceiued I told you Antichrist should come euen that man of sin the sonne of perdition which should destroy himselfe and others also I tolde you he should be an aduersarie of the Gospel of Christ that he should aduaunce himselfe ouer al the kings and powers of the world that he should sit as God in the holy place that the people should giue him place to sit in their harts and in their consciences This warning the Apostle gaue to the Thessalonians The like warning he gaue to other Churches where he taught the Gospel and the same is also spoken vnto vs. They knewe by his teaching that Antichrist should come We know by the markes which he hath giuen to know Antichrist that he is alreadie come and that the very same is come which the Apostle describeth that he is growen vnto his fulnesse and hath stalled himselfe in the place of God V. 6. And nowe yee knowe what withholdeth that hee might bee reueyled in his time Paule séemeth not in these wordes to say what letteth the comming of Antichrist but what shal stay the comming of Christ. For so be maketh entrie into his matter I beseeche you by the coÌ„ming of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye be not troubled as though the day of Christ were at hand Let no man deceiue you by any meanes For the day of Christ shal not come except there come a departing first and that Antichrist be disclosed Euen so here he sayth ye know what withholdeth Christ and why he coÌ„meth not Euen this that Antichrist might first be reueiled in his time His time is appointed The spring commeth not vntil the winter haue gone before the night goeth before and then the day commeth And so shal not the glorious maiestie of Christs comming appeare before the dreadful and daungerous dayes of Antichrist shal come There shal be no deliuerie vnlesse bondage goe before Antichrist shal bring the worlde into bondage he shal do violence to the saints of God he shal be as a continual storme and darkenesse in the church The godly shal looke vp to heauen and cal for ayde they shal crie vnto the Lorde and he wil heare them They shal say O come Lord Iesus thy kingdome come confounde thine enemies Then wil hee not staie he wil appeare and she we himselfe in glorie In the meane while this is the cause of his stay this letteth his comming Antichrist must first come This I take to be the Apostles meaning It agréeth with the beginning It is simple cleare and plaine and without danger of errour Antichrist shal appeare not when he wil but he shalbe reuealed in his time His time is the time of darkenesse when shepheardes and the guides of the people shal be carelesse when the word shal be loathed when the light shall be put out when superstition shal reigne when ignorance shal haue the vpper hand when the creature shal not be knowen from the creator when there shal be no feare of God no regard of godlinesse when the people shal not knowe neither wherefore they pray nor whom they worship nor in whom they beleeue then shal it appeare that Antichrist is come then he shal shewe himselfe this is his time V. 7. For the mysterie of iniquitie doeth alreadie worke onely he which nowe letteth shal let til he be taken out of the way The mysterie of iniquitie doeth alreadie worke Let vs not be deceiued Antichrist shal certainly come and shal drawe many into errour As it was with Christ at his coÌ„ming he was in the world he did the workes of his father yet fewe knewe him So shal it be with Antichrist hee shal be in the worlde he shal worke his iniquitie and fewe shal know him Paule liued more than fiftéene hundred yeares past Yet then he saide the mysterie of the iniquitie doth alreadie worke The diuel is not idle sayth he Antichrist euen nowe worketh when as the bloud of Christ was fresh when as yet the Apostles and many other witnesses of our redemption by Christ were liuing And S. Iohn sayth Euen now are there many Antichrists come alreadie So soone was his foundation cast his plot laide his way prepared and his work begun So long sithens did Paul sée some which delited in the workes of darkenesse which were the enemies of the crosse of Christ which serued their belly and not the Lord euen then did he sée y e gréeuous wolues not sparing the flocke should enter in among them Al these were the forerunners and the harbingers of Antichrist We may not thinke y e Antichrist shal come as a robber by the high wayes or like a murtherer or like a tyrant that burneth our houses or sacketh our cities or destroyeth our fieldes or pulleth downe al that is before him Wee may not looke that hee should say I am Antichrist I am that man of sinne I am the sonne of perdition I am the aduersarie and am contrarie to Christ. He shal not shew forth himselfe in such a sort he shal not so speake of himselfe He is suttle and cunning hee shal deceiue the learned and the wise he shal cast himself into a colour of holinesse he shal fast he shal
hande is mightie his worke shal stande his word is forcible his hey is the key of Dauid it openeth and no man shutteth it shutteth and no man openeth God is departed from thy heart his spirite wil not dwel in a filthie soule there is no agréement betwéene God and Belial Thy soule is voyde of grace and of the feare of God What becommeth of thee in this case Whither doest thou goe into what miserie doest thou fal into the gulfe of death into the seate of pestilence and the power of Sathan and the snares of the Diuel into a reprobate minde Thy heart followeth him thy soule serueth him He is the father of al the children of disobedience and his children followe him Thou art filthie and increasest in filthinesse the feare of God is not before thée thou doest not acknowledge thy sinne because of the blindnesse of thy heart Wreake not thy selfe vppon thy neighbour that accused thée nor vppon the Iudge that pronounced sentence against thée The sentence is none of his this is not his worke he hath not iudged thée The hande of God is stretched foorth to thy punishment it is thine owne life and wickednesse which forceth indgement vppon thée The Iudge sitteth in the place of GOD in the seate of iustice hée can not blesse that GOD hath cursed hee must néedes doe right and eqâ—…ie Hee séeth the abhomination of thy life 〈◊〉 séeth the filthinesse which thou hast done in the house of God and therefore saieth In nomine Dei c. in the name of the liuing God and of Iesus Christ before whome I stande and before whome al flesh shall appeare by the authoritie of his word and by the power of the holie ghost I diuide thée from the felowshippe of the Gospell and declare that thou arte no more a member of the bodie of Christ thy name is put out of the booke of life thou hast no parte in the life to come thou arte not in Christ and Christ is departed from thée I deliuer thée to Sathan the Prince of darknesse Thy rewarde shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Thou shalt sterue and wither and not abide The grace of GOD is taken out of thy heart The face of the Lorde is vppon al them that doe euill they shall not taste of his mercie As for the Iudge and Minister which giueth sentence against thée hée mourneth and lamenteth for thée When he striketh thée hée striketh himselfe We are al one flesh and one bloud and al together make one bodie and are one an others members Therefore when he doth excommunicate thée from the brethren he cutteth off an arme from his owne bodie Ieremie dealt roughly with the people that offended God and threatned them that the enimie should come vpon them the sworde shoulde deuoure them and they shoulde be vtterly destroied yet he wished that he had a streame of teares that his hart might haue wherwith to mourne for their transgressions Dauid praieth that God will stretch foorth his hand vpoÌ„ the wicked Scatter them abroad by thy power and put them downe oh Lorde our shield Againe Let them be chaffe before the winde and let the Angel of the Lord scatter them And againe Let their table be a snare before them and their prosperitie their ruine Againe Let his praier be turned into sinne Aide him not heare him not when hée calleth vnto thée Yet he saith I saw the transgressours and was grieued because they kepte not thy word I pined away and consumed to death the griefe was so deadly vnto my soule Christ cried out woe vppon Corazin and Bethsaida vppon the Scribes and Pharises yet when he came nigh to Ierusalem he wept ouer it saying Oh if thou haddest euen nowe at the least in this thy daie known those things which belong vnto thy peace but nowe are they hidde from thee Thine enimies shall make thee euen with the grounde they shall not leaue in thee a stone vpon a stone because thou knowest not the time of thy visitation Euen such a sorrowe also had Saint Paule for those that offended God Who is weake and I am not weake who is offended and I burne not My bodie is shaken my heart is wounded for them such a care haue I for the church of God It is reported of Iohn the Euangelist that hée commended a yongman to the education of a certaine Bishop nigh to Ephesus and when he heard that he was fledde and followed the companie of such as were dissolute riotous and giuen ouer to al manner lewâ—…sse hée was carefull for him and sought him out And came to the place where he and ill companie were When the yongman knew him he was astonied and â—…ed awaie from him But the olde man followed him and cried Oh my child turne againe turne vnto me I am thy father I haue begotten thée in Christ Iesus I come not to hurt thée there is yet hope of saluation I will make answere vnto Christ for thée Fall to the ground holde vp thy hands aske mercie of God he is mercifull and will receiue thée At these wordes the yongman cast downe his weapons and trembled and wept bitterly and was conuerted When Dauid heard of the destruction of that wicked wight Absalon he wrong his hands and wept saying O my sonne Absalon my sonne my sonne Absalon woulde God I had died for thee oh Absolon my sonne my sonne Such a care such a loue and zeale hath a godlie minister ouer his people if he be a true pastor which hath taken his calling from God and hath due consideration of his charge He wéepeth for the sinnes of the people as did Ieremie he gusheth out into teares and consumeth awaie as Dauid bicause of the vngodlie he is wounded at heart and trembleth as Paul to sée them perish He séeketh for them calleth after them that they maie returne to him as did Iohn the Cuangelist and is willing to die for their sake if so be he might redéeme them as Dauid was for Absalon The people are his children he is their father Albeit they be wicked and filthie yet he presenteth himselfe before God for them and poureth foorth his praiers and saith sanctifie them oh Lorde sanctifie them with thy trueth thy word is truth Let their hearts sée the wrath to come and thy heauie displeasure which they haue deserued and hangeth ouer their heads They are thine saue them and let not satan preuaile against them Turne them oh Lorde and they shall be turned Giue them a newe heart and renew a cleane spirite in them that they may feare thée al the dayes of their life Turne away the captiuitie of their soules Bring them to the fellowshippe of the Gospel make them liuely stones méete for thy building builde vp the walles of Hierusalem So careful is a good minister for the people of his charge be they neuer so vngodly Yea the more they lack
Wil and power to doe wel is of God 202 226 239 Wil likened to the wife 226 Wisedome of man no rule in religion 211 358 Wise men not alwayes best enclined 358 Worde of God nowe taught is the same which the Apostle did teach 72 195 FINIS The first Epistle of S. Paule to the Thessalonians CHAP. I. PAVLE and SYLVANVS and Timotheus vnto the Church of the Thessalonians which is in GOD the father and in the Lord Iesus Christ Grace be with you and peace from GOD our father and from the Lord Iesus Christ. THe Apostle Paule preached the Gospell of our Sauiour Iesus Christ vnto the Thessalonians as hée did also in other places from Ierusalem rounde about to Illyricum But his trauaile had not like successe in al places For in Damascus the gouernor of the people vnder King Aretas laide watch in the citie of the Damascenes and woulde haue caught him At Lystra they stoned Paul and drew him out of the citie supposing he had béene dead At Philippi he and Sylas were drawne into the market place vnto the magistrates and accused that they troubled their Citie they were beaten with roddes and cast into prison The Corinthians receiued the doctrine of the gospel and made much of the professors thereof But they fel soone from their good beginning They walked like men in enuying in strife in diuisions Some called themselues after Paul some after Apollo some after Cephas and some after Ghrist They stirred contention about meates they abused the Lordes supper and they were doubtfull of the resurrection of the dead In like maner the Church of God which was gathered at Rome grew proude and high minded boasted themselues ouer the Iewes The Galathians forsooke the good waie of the gospel whereunto they were called and wherin they did walke They gaue eare to false prophets Therefore the Apostle telleth them I am in feare of you least I haue bestowed on you my labour in vaine But the Thessalonians after they had heard the glad tydings of the Gospell they receiued it gréedily and laid it vp close and safe in their harts Albeit the Iews withstood them and beted them fore albeit false brethren vsed diuers secret meanes to drawe them from the loue of the truth yet they kept still their stedfastnesse and could not be driuen from their faith neither by crueltie of persecution nor by subtiltie of craftie persuasion Paul being at Athens a place far distant from thence sendeth Timothie to knowe in what case they stoode So carefull was he for that house which he had built for the fire which he had kindled for the graffes which he had planted and for the children which he begot among them When Timothie made report of their constancie that they continued stedfast in those things which they had learned he writeth this Epistle to commend them and to exhort them to abide stedfast in their faith that they become not like the foolish Israelites which longed after the flesh pottes of Aegypt and were vnmindfull of their deliuerance from bondage vnder Pharao that they returne not like filthy dogges to their vomite and like vncleane swine to their puddles of-mire that they looke not backe againe after they haue put their haÌ„ds to the Lords plough and so make themselues vnworthie the kingdome of God He giueth many lessons and instructions to godlinesse that they would walke worthie of God and bring foorth the fruits of the gospell There were among them that liued idlely and did trouble the church without a cause whom he reprooueth willing them to be quiet and to meddle with their owne matters and works with their handes Others mourned ouer the dead without measure euen as if they had no hope whom he instructeth in the resurrection and comforteth with the spéech of the blessed comming of our Lord when we which liue shall be caught vp to méete him and so we shall euer be with the Lord. Others reasoned fondly of the later daie when it should be when the sonne of God shoulde appeare and when the worlde should haue an ende as if man might reach to the knowledge hereof But them also he reprooueth and warneth that they take care rather to watch and looke for the Lordes comming that they may be founde readie hauing their loines girded and their lampes burning Manie are desirous to sée the countenance of Saint Paule to sée his sword or the reliques of his bloud which was shed at his death or of his vpper garment or of his coate or of the haire of his head and for purpose to sée such things manie take painefull pilgrimage to farre places where they are dereiued Howe much better maie they be satisfied by reading the storie of his life set doâ—…ne in the Scriptures In these his Epistles written to the Churches of God he is to be séene in more excellent shewe than when he was yet in bodie For here is to be séene his heart filled with the holie Ghost and the care which he had for all Saints howe he did trauell in birth of them againe that Christ might be formed in them and howe he did wish himselfe separate from Christ for their sake The matter of this Epistle is plaine and treateth not of déepe and profound mysteries The maner of vtterance which the Apostle vseth is open and cuident So that the whole Epistle is ful of swéete and wholsome doctrine wherein the simplest may find great comfort Paul and Syluanus and Timotheus These two were companions vnto Paul in his iournets and in the work of his ministerie Whom here he ioineth in his letter to the congregation at Thessalonica to witnesse their consent and agréement with him that they al with one mouth and with one hand and heart set foorth the glorious Gospell of our Sauiour Christ. And that therefore they also which are called to the felowshippe of the Gospel should be like minded being one bodie and one spirite in Christ Iesus and the children of one father in whome there is no dissention but al peace and consent and vnitie Vnto the Church of the Thessalonians which is in God the father and in the Lorde Iesus Christ. There are sundrie sorts of Churches There is a Church of the wicked wherof the Prophet saith I haue hated the assemblie of the euil and haue not companied with the wicked Two hundred and fiftie Captaines men of renowme and famous in the congregation ioined themselues to Korah Dathan and Abiram But Moses said vnto Korah thou and al thy companie are gathered togither against the Lord. The builders of the great tower of Babel were manie in number and consented to that they had imagined to do thereby to get them a name but the Lord did confound their language and scattered them vpon the face of the earth The Scribes and Pharisées and high Priests held a câ—…uncel and conferred among themselues But against the Lord and against his Christ. Iohn is
commanded to write vnto the Angel of the church of the Smyrnians These things saith hee which is first and last which was dead and is aliue I knowe the blasphemie of them which saie they are Iews and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan They reuile you and speake al maner of euill against you for my names sake They charge you with teaching false doctrine and saie you haue departed from the Church that they are the séede of Abraham the children of promise the true worshippers of God and which walke in the steppes of their forefathers But their boast heereof is vaine It profiteth them nothing that Abraham was their father that the couenant was made with them that they were circumcised that a lawe was giuen vnto them Let them not trust in their fathers let them not trust in lying words and saie the temple of the Lorde the temple of the Lord this is the temple of the Lorde If they were Abrahams children they woulde doe the workes of Abraham If God were their father then would they loue Christ his sonne and séeke to set foorth his glorie If they were of the shéepefolde of God they woulde heare his voice They are of their father the Diuel and the lusts of their father they wil doe They are in name the seruants of Christ but serue Antichrist they call themselues Iewes but are the Synagogue of Satan For saith the Apostle he is not a Iew which is one outward neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but hee is a Iew which is one within and the circumcision is of the heart in the spirite not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Of those which are such Leo saith Ecclesiae nomine armamini contra Ecclesiam dimicatis Yee arme your selues with the name of the Church and yet ye fight against the Church And Chrysostome saith The name onely of Christ doth not make a Christian but he must also haue the trueth of Christ for there are manie which walke in the name of Christ but fewe which walke in his truth It is therefore manifest as Lyra saith That the Church is not among men by reason of anie Ecclesiasticall or secular authoritie or dignitie because manie princes and high priests and others of the inferiour sorte haue forsaken the faith Though they pretend shew of holines though they drawe to themselues credite by long continuance though their numbers be great and they consent togither yet if they haue forsaken the faith if they holde not the truth of Christ if they fight against and persecute the Church if their circumcision be not the circumcision of the heart and in the spirit if they heare not the voice of y e shéepheard if they loue not Christ Iesus the sonne of God and set not foorth his glorie if they séeke to stop the course of the gospell if they séeke to get name among men if they resist Moses and Aaron they haue onelie a painted visard and carrie onelie an emptie name of the Church they call themselues so and are not But the Church of God is in God the father and in the Lorde Iesus Christ it is the companie of the faithful whom God hath gathered togither in Christ by his worde and by the holy ghost to honour him as he himselfe hath appointed This Church heareth the voice of the shephearde It wil not followe a stranger but flyeth from him for it knoweth not the voyce of straungers Of this Church Saint Iherome sayth Ecclesia Christi in toto orbe ecclesias possidens spiritus vnitate coniuncta est habet vrbes legis prophetarum euangelij Apostolorum Non est egressa de finibus suis â—…d est de Scripturis The Church of Christ which containeth the churches through al the world is ioyned togither in the vnitie of the spirite and hath the cities of the Law of the Prophets of the gospel and of the Apostles This church goeth not forth or beyonde hir boundes that is the holy Scriptures It is the piller of the truth the bodie the fulnesse and the spouse of Christ it is the vine the house the citie and the kingdome of God They which dwel in it are no more straungers and forreiners but Citizens with the Saints and of the hoshould of God and are built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophetes Iesus Christ himselfe being the heade corner stone in whome all the building coupled togither groweth vnto an holy temple in the Lord. This Church Christ loued and gaue himselfe for it that he might sanctifie it and cleanse it by the washing of water through the worde that hee might make it vnto himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrincle or any such thing but that it should bee holy and without blame Such a Church was the Church of God at Thessalonica such a Church are they who so euer in any place of the worlde feare the Lord and cal vppon his name Their names are written in the booke of life they haue receiued the spirite of adoption by which they trie Abba Father they growe from grace to grace and abounde more and more in knowledge and in iudgement they cast away the workes of darkenesse and put on the armour of light they are made absolute and perfect vnto al good works they are euermore coÌ„forted in the mercies of God both by the holy scriptures wherein God declareth his gracious goodnesse towardes them and by the sacramentes which are left vnto the Church to be witnesses assured pledges for performance of the promise of Gods good will and fauour towardes them Grace be with you and peace c. God giue you the forgiuenesse of your sins and the peace and comfort of your conscience God let al his blâ—…ssings fal vpon you that you may sée the riches the treasures of his mercy that you may be filled with al fulnesse in the spirite that you may beholde the glorie of the kingdome of God and those thinges may bie reuealed vnto you by his spirit which he hath prepared for them that loue him Without this grace you can doe nothing you can neyther féele the burthen of your sinnes nor séeke to be eased of theÌ„ nor perceiue when they are forgiuen you cannot rent your heart and set apart from you the vanities and lustes of the flesh which doeth euermore fight against the soule you cannot discerne the worde of God and by it enter the way to euerlasting life you cannot abhorre that which is euil and cleauâ—… vnto that which is good without the grace of God you cannot continue stedfast constant in faith and in hope of the mercies of God through our sauiour Iesus Christ. 2 We giue thankes to God alwaies for you al making mention of you in our prayers 3 Without ceasing remembring your effectual faith and diligent loue and the patience of your hope in our
Lorde Iesus Christ in the sight of God euen our Father 4 Knowing beloued brethren that ye are elect of God 5 For our Gospel was not vnto you in word onely but also in power and in the holy ghost and in much assuraunce as ye know after what maner we were among you for your sakes We giue thankes c. Paule teacheth what is the office of a good minister He must euer carrie in remeÌ„brance y e estate of the congregation ouer which the Lord hath placed him He must giue thankes to God in their behalfe and pray for them that God will blesse that which he hath begunne and conâ—…rme them vnto the end that they may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Iesus Christ that he will behold them from aboue and blesse his inheritaunce and guide the shéepe of his pasture Your effectual faith Faith is not idle it worketh and is forcible it breaketh out like fire it is alwayes fruitefull through loue Faith without workes is no faith it is dead and bringeeh death And diligent loue Loue is paineful and ful of trainaile it thinketh not euil it seeketh not hir owne things it is bountiful This loue had the Thessalonians to the saints of God which suffered affliction in all places for the Gospels sake Many were spoyled of their goods cast out of their houses and banished from their countrey Euen as at this day for the like cause manie of our brethren the good seruantes of God are driuen into banishment cast into prisons put to the sworde or consumed in fire in those places where the God of this worlde hath so blinded their eyes that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should not shine vnto them It is high time in such cases for charitie to shew hir self She can not dissemble nor despise the teares of hir brother It sheweth foorth as the morning light it taketh from hir selfe to relieue them which are in neede It dealeth bread to the hungrie and bringeth the poore that wander vnto hir house and couereth the naked and hideth not hir face from hir owne flesh Vnto them that haue this loue the Lorde giueth his blessing Blessed is hee that considereth the poore and needy the Lord shal deliuer him in the time of trouble And Christ saith Blessed are the merciful for they shal finde mercie And the patience of your hope How many are the troubles which the children of God suffer in this life let vs beholde the times which were before vs. Abel was innocent and iust yet was he slaine by the hands of his brother and without a cause The Prophet Dauid saieth of the Prophetes and holy men of God and the same words saith the Apostle of the Church of Christ vnder the Gospel For thy sake are we killed al the day long we are counted as sheepe for the slaughter Ieremie sayeth Thy worde is vnto them as a reproch and againe For thy sake I haue suffred rebuke What vilanies were wrought against our sauiour Christ They reproched him in spéeches brought false accusations and false witnesse against him and killed the innocent in whose mouth there was found no guile WheÌ„ S. Paul appealed to the witnesse of Timothie who did fully know his doctrine maner of liuing purpose faith long suffering loue and patience and that he knewe also the persecutions and afflictions which came vnto him and which he suffered at Antiochia IconiuÌ„ and at Lystra after he had thus remeÌ„bred his persecutions his owne innocencie he saith Al that wil liue godly in Christ Iesus shal suffer persecution What then hath the godly to leane vnto but hope the prophet Dauid therfore said Though I should walke through the vallie of the shadowe of death I wil feare no euil for thou art with mee Therefore saide Iob though hee flaie me yet wil I trust in him For he that putteth his trust in the Lorde shal neuer be confounded In this hope spake S. Paule Christ is to me both in life death aduantage Againe Whether we liue or die we are the Lords And againe God forbid that I shoule reioyce but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ. And to y e Romans he saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus This is the foundation of faith euen a strong rocke which shal continue for euer Neither tribulatioÌ„ nor anguish nor persecutioÌ„ nor famine nor any danger can remoue the faithful from his hope But the wicked and vnstable fal from their hope and their fal is miserable They haue hard the worde of God that teacheth vnto saluation but did not regard it they haue forgotten the workes of the Lorde and receiued his grace in vaine For when they haue heard the worde the Diueâ—… commeth taketh away the word out of their heartes least they should beléeue and be saued And the end of these men is worse than the beginning It was not so with the Thessalonians They receiued the worde of God willingly and it was fruitful in them so that thereby they increased in faith in loue and in hope Their faith the Apostle calleth forcible or â—…ffectual their loue diligent painful their hope mightie through patience whereby they ouercome al maner of dangers reioyceth on their behalfe because he found so great successe of his trauaile in the Gospel amongst them Knowing that you are elect of God You were blind y e children of wrath without vnderstanding without God without hope But God hath had mercy vpoÌ„ you hath giueÌ„ you grace to know your calling Herein it appeareth y t you are the chosen of God and of the flocke of Christ. My sheepe saith he heare my voice and I knowe them and they followe me and I giue vnto them eternal life and they shal neuer perish neither shal anie plucke them out of mine hande For our Gospel was not vnto you in worde only but also in power and in the holy ghost and in much assuraunce That you haue yéelded obedience vnto the worde and that my ministerie hath béene effectual amongst you it commeth not of any power in your selues or in me it is the worke of God He hath blessed my ministery he hath blessed your hearts It is the gift of God least any man shoulde boast thereof Hereof he speaketh to the Corinthians Who is Paule then and who is Apollos but the ministers by whome yee beleeued and as the Lorde gaue to euerie man I haue planted Apollos watered but God gaue the increase It is he which hath the key of Dauid which openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth Without him we can do nothing He guideth vs and al our couÌ„sailes and leadeth vs into al trueth No man can come vnto mee sayth Christ except the father which hath sent me drawe him And by y e Prophet Ezechiel God saith I wil giue you a new heart
Iesus Christ. When this worde is read Princes and Emperours stande vp and laie downe their sword and vncouer their head and bowe their bodie and doe reuerence bicause they knowe it is the worde of GOD which God himselfe vttered that it should be as the deaw of heauen to moisten our soules as a well of water springing vp to euerlasting life as a sauour of life vnto life and the verie power of God vnto saluation to euerie one that beléeueth Without this worde wée can receiue no comforte wée can not sée the light nor growe in saith nor abide in the Church of God It is the word of reconciliation By it God maketh atonement betwéene himselfe and the sonnes of men Therfore when the Epistles the Psalms the Chapters and the Gospell are read in our hearing let vs remember whose worde wée heare Let vs thinke thus with our selues These are the words of our gracious GOD. My God openeth his mouth from heauen aboue Hée speaketh to me that I maie be saued he speaketh to me to kéepe mée from errour to comforte mée in the aduersities and troubles of this life and to leade me to the life to come What is the cause why so manie so little regarde the worde of GOD Why they doubt it and suspect it Why they are so soone wearie of it and beare it not that reuerence that belongeth to it Bicause they thinke not neither from whome it commeth nor with whose bloud it is sealed nor to Inhose benefite it is written Let vs not be ashamed to giue place to the worde of GOD to awake our senses and to submit them and our wisedome and learning and bodies and soules vnto it Let vs not harden our hearts Let vs humble our selues before God and saie Beholde here am I let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eies Which also worketh in you that belceue Whosoeuer heareth the wordes of God and doth them not shall be likened to a foolish man that buildeth his house vppon the sand If yee know these things saith Christ blessed are yee if ye doe them The same worde of God which Paule taught the Thessalonians which was preached by Peter and the rest of the Apostles to the faithfull which Christ receiued of his father and deliuered to his Church is this day by the mercie of God purely and truly set downe vnto you By it you are required to amend your liues and comforted in the promises of GOD to the forgiuenesse of your sinnes If there he anie in whom it worketh not this effecte if there be anie which though they heare it beléeue it not nor are thereby renewed in their mindes it is a token that they haue not receiued the lous of the trueth of the Gospell they despise the worde of saluation and it shall iâ—…dge them in that daie V. 14. For brethren you are become followers of the Church of GOD which in Iudea are in Christ Iesus because yee haue also suffered the same things of your owne countrie men euen as they of the Iewes 15. Who both killed the Lorde Iesus and their owne Prophetes and haue persecuted vs and God they please not and are contrarie to al men 16. And forbid vs to preach vnto the Gentiles that they might be saued to fulfil their sinnes alwaies For the wrath of God is come on them to the vtmost Wherein became they followers In suffring as they did This is the badge and cognisance of the sonnes of God Christ sayth If any man wil come after me let him deny himselfe and take vp his crosse dayly and followe mee They followed others not in pleasure and glory but in trouble and persecution For that was the way of the prophetes and Apostles and of Christ himselfe Esay the Prophet was cut in sunder with a Sawe What more cruel death His bodie was rent his bowels torne and yet hee not quite dead In such sort it liked the cruel tormentors to sport themselues Why what had he done he was a prophet They néeded no other matter against him It was ynough that they found him to be a prophet Hieremie was stoned to death Wherefore because he called the people to repentaunce that they might be saued Because he was a prophet Amos was slaine with a barre poore olde man No reuerence giuen to his gray head no regarde or pitie was taken of him Wherefore because he rebuked iniquitie Because he was a Prophet Zacharie was sâ—…aine when he was in his prayers and doing sacrifice in the holy place betwéene the entraunce and the alter Wherefore Because he declared the trueth because he was a prophet This hath béene the malice and hatred of the Diuel The Prince of the darkenesse of this world hath raged so euen from the beginning By this meanes he hath sought to deface the truth glorie of God and to establish his owne kingdome in shedding the bloud and murthering the saints of God The Churches of God in Iudea were miserably bered and afflicted they were hated of al men and counted vnworthie of life Wherfore because they turned to the true liuing god did beléeue in the name of Jesus Christ. Therefore they were stript spoyled headed quartred drowned burnt and put to most reprocheful death Who would become their â—…ollowers Who would willingly learne to be so persecuted and made gazing stockes to al the worlde is discouraged not the Thessalonians They were a thousand mileâ—… distant from Iudea but were ioyned in fellowship of the Gospel and in brotherly loue vnto them They hearde of their mildenesse and of their constancie and were stirred vp by their example They did hearken after them and were carefull for them as for their brethren and the members of the same bodie You haue heard what numbers of late haue béene persecuted and put to death among vs. Wherefore because they turned from idols to serus God as he hath commanded and did put their trust in him You haue hearde how patiently and méekely they went to their death and what a plentiful haruest God hath raised of their bloud For the death of his saintes is precious in the sight of the Lorde Their bloud cannot be spent in vaine Wee must remember their patience and zeale and the cause why they suffred We must not despise or set light by the Gospel of Jesus Christ for which they so ioyfully gaue their liues And it is not ynough that we be mindeful of such examples as we haue had at home We must also carefully consider of other Churches abroade God hath kindled a fire he wil haue it burne O what formentes doe our brethren daily suffer What crueltie is deuised daily against them I speake not of death onelie but of rackings and wonderful extremities more painefull than death Wherefore are these thinges done vnto them Because they are turned to the true and liuing God and beléene in the name of Jesus Christ. Some they hang by the hands and drawe vp with
fast in righteousnesse and feare and prepare thy soule to temptation And in the Prouerbes My sonne refuse not the chastening of the Lorde neither be grieued with his correction For the Lord correcteth him whom he loueth euen as the Father the childe in whome he delighteth As manie as I loue I rebuke and chasten sayth Christ. Therefore the Apostle telleth the Hebrewes If you be without correction whereof al are partakers then are ye bastardes and not sonnes In the tenth of Mathew our sauiour warneth his Disciples hereof Beholde I sende you as sheepe in the middest of Wolues Thus God schooleth and nourtereth his people that so through many tribulations they may enter to their rest Frankencense wheÌ„ it is put in the fire giueth the greater perfume spice if it be punned smelleth the swéeter the earth when it is torne vp with the plough becommeth more fruitful the séede in the ground after frost and snowe and winter storme springeth the rancker the nigher the vine is pruned to the stocke the greater grape it yéeldeth the grape when it is most pressed and beaten maketh the swéetest wine fine golde is the better when it is cast in the fire rough stones with hewing are squared and made fit for building cloth is rent and cut that it may bee made a garment linnen is buckt and washt and wrung and beaten and is the fairer These are familiar examples to shewe the benefite and commoditie which the children of God receiue by persecution By it God wâ—…sheth and scoureth his congregation We reioyce sayth Saint Paul in tribulations knowing that tribulation bringeth foorth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed The power of God is made perfect in weakenesse And al things turne vnto good to them that feare the Lorde V. 5. Euen for this cause when I could no longer forbeare I sent him that I might knowe of your faith least the tempter had tempted you in any sort and that our labour had beene in vaine 6 But nowe lately when Timotheus came from you vnto vs brought vs good tydings of your faith and loue and that yee haue good remembraunce of vs alwayes desiring to see vs as we also doe you 7 Therefore brethren wee had consolation in you in al our affliction and necessitie thorough your faith 8 For nowe are we aliue if ye stande fast in the Lorde 9 For what thankes can wee recompense to GOD againe for you for al the ioy wherewith wee reioyce for your sakes before our God 10 Night and daye praying exceedinglie that wee might see your face and might accomplish that which is lacâ—…g in your faith The Apostle continueth in declaring his earnest affection towards them and how greatly he reioyted to heare of their constaâ—…ie in the faith and of their loue and agréement together For he feared it might haue happened to them as it had doone to others He preached to the Galathians but they gaue care to faile Apostles and went backe from that hee had taught them I am in feare of you sayeth he least I haue bestowed on you labour in vaine And ye did runnewel who did let you that you did not obey the trueth it is not of the persuasion of him that calleth you The Diuel hath bewitched you and beguiled your eyes Such is the sutfeltie and the power of Satan in the children of disobedience Iudas was an Apostle equal with Peter and the other Apostles The Diuell entred into his heart and bewitched him and then he became the childe of destruction Iulian the Apostata was a Christian and a reader in the Church but became an enemie of Christ and when he was stricken in the fielde by myracle from Heauen hée threwe vp his bloude in defiaunce of Christ so had the Diuel bewitched him and changed his heart to wickednesse It might haue béene that their weakenesse should in like sort haue béene overcome when the tempter tempted them And so the gold which hée had left with them might haue béene turned into drosse the light into darkenes and the kingdome of God taken away from them For then had his labour béene in vaine and they had receiued the worde to their owne damnation For it had béene better for them not to haue knowen the way of righteousnesse than after they haue knowen it to turne from the holy commaundement giuen vnto them The Diuel is the tempter His strength and practise is not alwaies by force of armes but by suttle persuasions other sleights He reasoneth w t Eue why she would not tast of y e apple which was swéete pleasant delicate Telleth y e poore woman god did nothing but mocke hir For God knewe what day they shoulde eatâ—… thereof their eies should be opened and they should knowe as much as God Hee came to Christ and sayd Commaund that these stones be made breade and cast thy selfe downe if thou be the sonne of God then thou shalt be worshipped and taken for a great Prophet He tempted Dauid after this sort why wilt thou serue God he hath aduaunced thine enemies and hath forsaken thée and left thée in miserie I fretted sayth Dauid at the foolish These are the wicked yet prosper they alway and encrease in riches Certainely I haue clensed my heart in vaine and washed my handes in innocencie for dayly haue I beene punished and chastened euerie morning Mine heart was vexed so foolish was I and ignoraunt I was a beast before thee He tempted Iob the faithful seruaunt of God and tolde him that he was righteous and holy and gaue almes in vaine that God had no regard to his prayers and would not heare This tempter waiteth al occasions to drawe vs from our faith and stedfastnesse in the Lorde Yet is he neuer so busie as when anie persecution is raised against the trueth Then is he in his ruffe Then playeth hee his part and leaueth nothing vndoone whereby he may moue vs to forsake the trueth Wilt thou saieth he be so foolish to loose their life and knowest not wherefore art thou wiser than thy forefathers Why shouldest not thou be contented to doe as thy father and mother and friendes and kinsfolkes thinkest thou they haue not as good care of their soules as thou hast of thine wilt thou make them Pagans and Infidels dost thou thinke they are damned be wise and cast not thy selfe awaie Flesh is fraile life is swéete death is dreadfull but to die in the fire to be burned aliue to see thy armes and thy legges quite burnt from thy bodie and that yet thou canst not die this is most terrible thou canst neuer abide it Beholde so manie Kings and Princes Noble men Cardinals Bishoppes Doctors and learned men and whole kingdomes and countries of the contrarie opinion Be not wilfull Thinke not thy selfe wiser than al the world What were it for thée to come to the Church and to shew thy selfe obedient and
of the highest wherein they shaldwell this is the holie mountaine wherein they shall rest that walke vprightly and worke righteousnesse and speake the truth in their heart Here lette vs consider the rages and tempests of a troubled minde and of an vnquiet conscience which knoweth that GOD is an auenger of all wickednesse and that death is the due rewarde of sinne which acknowledgeth him selfe to be a sinner and findeth no way howe he shall escape Hell fire This man when he thinketh with him selfe of these things hée can not but be amazed and disquieted aboue measure The sounde of the Trumpet is euer in his eares he heareth the voice of the Judge saying stand foorth sinner now declare how thou hast vsed thy bodie giue a reckoning of thy whole life Then his conscience beginneth to quake and tremble Then he néedeth no witnesse to accuse him nor iudge to condemn him Hée is both witnesse and iudge against himselfe The daunger hereof maie somewhat appeare in those which are taken and prisoned and arraigned before a Judge When hée knoweth him selfe guiltie heareth the euidence prwued against him séeth the Judge seuere to deale iustice without mercie and therfore is assured of death what griefe and torment féeleth he at heart what would he not giue what would he not doe to scape the danger But the danger whereunâ—… God iudgeth vs is greater And the maner of his iudgement is straighter Here the Judge maie be deceiued he is but a man but there GOD is the Judge who is the searcher of the heart and raines and no man shall be hidde from his heate Here nothing can be done without euidence without witnesses and proofe before God he that hath offended shall accuse himselfe This is the case of conscience It selfe is witnesse it selfe caâ—…eth for iudgement to condemnation His conscience shall make the sinner say I haue offended against God I haue despised his word would not giue care to learne it I would not knowe the time of Gods mercie and of my visitation I liued in fornication and committed theft and kept wrongfully other mens goods I was disobedient to parents nourtered not my children in the feare of God kept not my heart from doing iniquitie I abused my goods my wits my senses and the good grace of God I haue sinned against heauen and against God and am not worthie to be called his sonne the wrath of God is worthily fallen vpon me hel fire is my méede the mercie of God can not saue me for my sinne is greater than that it can be forgiuen Mine owne hart conscience heauen and earth the angels and archangels God himselfe and Christ the redéemer of them that beléeue in him are against me I can not cast mine eyes to any place but euer I sée my damnation before me Then doth he tremble with agony and stande in feare His hart dasheth and beateth as the waues of the sea He sâ—…leth vprore warre lightning thoÌ„der death and hel in his heart hée shal flée when no man followeth him He shal sayâ—… to the hilles and rockes fal on me and hide me from the presence of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe Such is the terrour of an vnquiet mindâ—… Though al the princes in the world would ioyne themselues to do it The wicked can neuer enioy peace God kéepe vs far from such agonies and giue vs pure hearts and cleare consciences CHAP. 4. ANd furthermore wee beseech you bretheren and exhort you in the Lord lesus that ye increase more and more as yee haue receiued of vs how ye ought to walke and to please God 2. For ye knowe what commaundementes we gaue you by the Lord Iesus WE commaunde you not nor vse any force but entreat you with all pacience and méekenesse that yée wil loue your owne soules and thinke and doe those thinges which please God You are they to whom the promise was made God hath called you out of darkenesse into his maruailous light He hath not dealt so with euery nation neither haue they knowen his iudgementes Wee come not to you in our owne name We haue charge to preach y e gospell to al nations Therefore we speake vnto you in y e name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We shewe you the way that you may walke in it we declare vnto you the wil of God that you may be saued For yet wil the Lorde waite that he may haue mercie vpon you and therefore wil he be exalted that he may haue compassion vpon you sayeth the Prophet Esay Wee haue opened vnto you that whole treasure of Gods mercie We haue lead you to the throne of grace and made you sée the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the worlde We haue preached vnto you remission and forgiuenesse of your sinnes through his name If you haue hearde vs and beléeue you shal be saued If any man preach vnto you otherwise than that you haue receiued let him be accursed How ye ought to walke and please God It is not ynough that ye beléeue Ye must also walke and liue according to knowledge This is the wil of God For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which GOD hath ordained that wee should walke in them For the grace of God hath appeared that bringeth saluation vnto al men teacheth vs that wee should liue soberly and righteously and godly in this life Looking for the blessed hope appearing of the glorie of the mighty God of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. In this sort hath our teaching béene among you That you might shewe foorth your faith by your works That it auaileth you nothing to say you haue faith if you haue no workes because the faith that hath no workes is dead This we are taught by the words of our Lord Iesus he sayth Not euery one that sayeth vnto me Lorde Lorde shal enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doeth my fathers wil that is in heauen Againe Euerie tree that bringeth not foorth good fruite is hewen downe and cast into the fire The seruaunt that knoweth his maisters wil and doeth it not shal be beaten with manie stripes Thus hath our Lorde commaunded vs to be like our father which is in heauen to let our light so shine before men that they may sée our good workes Thus the Apostle taught Thus the church of God this day teacheth It requireth faith as the instrument and meanes to apply the merites and passion of Iesus Christ for our saluation and good workes as fruits and witnesses of our faith Whosoeuer learneth aright and beléeneth the gospell as he ought groweth and goeth forwarde from vertue to vertue If be were ignorant before he commeth thereby to knowledge If hee were weake he groweth in strength If hée were wicked he turneth vnto gedlinesse V. 3. For this is the wil of God euen your holinesse and that yee should
me I wrestle not with flesh and bloud but with the prince and power of darkenesse My enimies are strong they are the enimies of the crosse of Christ I am weake and of no resistance Our sufficiencie is of him Without him we can do nothing Praie for me that hée will put his word into my mouth that I may be a vessel of his glorie to preach foorth the glad tydings of his Gospell that I maie be a faithfull minister of the new Testament that I may disclose the mysterie of our redeÌ„ption that his holie spirit will assist me and make my trauels fruitfull V. 26. Greete al the brethren with an holie kisse 27 I charge you in the Lord that this Epistle be read vnto al the brethren the Saints Salute one another in token of true and vnfained loue And withholde not this Epistle from anie of the brethren It is written for their sakes Let them heare it that they maie take comforte by it How agréeth Paul in this charge with them that in no case would haue the people reade the Scriptures That saie Ignorance is the mother of deuotion It is the word of God the father why should not the people of God vnderstand it It is the water that springeth out to euerlasting life why should the people of God be driuen away and not suffered to drinke thereof It is the light of the worlde why should the people be hoodwinckt and kept that they should not looke vp and sée it Why should they sit and perish in the darkenesse of death It is the will of God that al the people should know him from the least to the greatest among them Saint Paule saith Whatsoeuer things are written aforetime are written for our learning that wee through patience and comforte of the Scriptures might haue hope Christ saieth This is life eternall to know thee to be the onelie very God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. Let vs not forget these words of Paul I charge you in the Lord by his death by his crosse by his bloud by the daie of his appearance that this epistle be read to the learned and vnlearned to the wise and simple to the Maisters and to the seruants to al our brethren to all the sonnes of God V. 28 The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you Amen God open your eies that you maie behold the waie of righteousnesse and direct you that you may walke in it Through his grace you haue receiued the word and it hath bene fruitfull in you and by the same grace you shall continue in it euer His grace and blessing and mercie be with you al. AMEN FINIS ¶ The Second Epistle of the Apostle Saint Paul to the Thessalonians CHAP. I. PAule and Syluanus and Timotheus vnto the Church of the Thessalonians which is in God our father and in our Lord Iesus Christ. IN the former Epistle hée wrote somewhat touching the latter day and the comming of our Lord to iudgement and saide that that daie shall come as a théefe in the night and therefore arborted them to watch and praie and to prepare themselues to be in a readinesse The false Apostles did fondly and malitiously mistake his wordes and deuised meanes thereby to disquiet the mindes of the faithfull and to trouble the Church of God Thus could the Prince of darkenesse the olde Serpent and deceiuing spirite turne the truth of God into occasion of slander In the meane while the Apostle was farre off from them at Athens But when he heard of their case hée sent vnto them this other Epistle wherein hée declareth more plainely that matter which before séemed doubtfull and séeketh to satisfie their hearts and to remooue them from that errour which they had conceiued In discourse hereof he taketh occasion to speake of Antichrist of whome wée heare much and haue had warning often Hée telleth vs that he shall come in working of signes and wonders that he is the man of sinne which shal thrust himselfe into the place of Christ. Hée sheweth who is Antichrist and how we may know him what things hée shall doe what credite he shall haue in the worlde and by what power hée shall be ouerthrowne and confounded After this he speaketh of idlenesse and of bodily labour and requireth euerie man to liue in the sweate of their browes and in painefull trauel as God hath ordeined Other comfortable and necessarie doctrine is delâ—…uered in this epistle as wil appeare The whole matter of the epistle is so fit for these dayes in which we liue as if it were purposely written for vs. For we liue in the later age of the worlde and it cannot be but the end of al thinges is at hande and that the glorious appearing of our Lorde shal bâ—… shortly Paule and Syluanus and Timotheus This Epistle was sent not onely from Paule but also from Timothie and Syluanus These thrée were al guided by one â—…pirite and had al one like care for the Church of GOD. Therefore he writeth thus Paule and Syluanus and Timotheus the seruauntes of God chosen from our mothers wombe and appointed to publishe the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to carie his name before Kinges and Princes and especially I Paule which am your father and hauâ—… begotten you in Christ which was sometimes a blasphemer and did persecute the faithful whom it pleased GOD to make a chosen vessel for himselfe which am also hated of my brethren and kinsmen after the fleshe for the Gospels sake and which am readie to giue my life for your behalfe Vnto the Church of the Thessalonians which is in God our father c. You are sayth he the beloued of God you are his people and he hath assured his mercie vnto you you haue the promise and the earnest of the life to come Here let vs marke the state of that countrie as it was then and compare it with it selfe as it is now Then it was the church of God for otherwise S. Paule would not so haue called it according to the grace of God giuen vnto him he layde the foundation he planted and watred their hearts and God gaue the increase So that they receiued the worde in much aâ—…tion and the worde of the Gospel sounded from them not only in Macedonia Achaia but their faith towardes God was spread also abroade in al quarters In such sort were they a Vessel sanoified vnto honour ful of blessing and ful of the mercie and grace of God But what is become of that countrey In what case standeth the church of Thessalonica at this day It is now the Sinagogue of Sathan vnder the tyrannie of the Turke and such as are enemies of the crosse of Christ. Such a change hath the right hande of the Lord wrought in that place which hath sometimes béene his holie Tabernacle I thought good to marke this that we might vnderstand how vaine a thing it is to put confidence in cities or churches or in
y e names of our fathers The Church of Thessalonica whose foundation was surely built by S. Paule himselfe for which he was so careful vnto which he wrate special letters to commende their increase in godlinesse and their stedfastnesse in the Gospel is forsaken and laide wast If the worke which the spirite of God wrought by the Apostle be decayed whose work may we thinke shal stande Ieremie spake vnto the people of the Jewes saying Trust not in lying wordes saying the Temple of the Lorde the temple of the Lord this is the temple of the Lord. That temple GOD himselfe commaunded to be built the forme and fashion thereof God himselfe deuised and appointed therein he placed his Tabernacle and sette vp his mercie seate therein he shewed foorth his maiestie and the glorie of his countenaunce Yet al this notwithstanding God saide by the prophet trust not in these wordes they be lying words and wil deceiue you As the Prophet spake of the temple at Ierusalem so may it be sayde of any other church throughout the worlde So may it be saide of the Churche of Rome Wée may say trust not in lying wordes saying the church of Rome the Church of Rome Say not thus with your selues the Church of Rome is built vpon a rocke so surely that it can not be moued or that no winde can shake it say not the faith of that Church can neuer faile These be lying wordes trust not in them for Christ neuer spake any such thing of y e church of Rome It neuer had promise of more special priuiledge than was giuen to the Church at Thessalonica Reade the Scriptures beholde the words of our Sauiour and consider them yen shal finde no spéech made of the Church of Rome nor any promise nor péece of promise wherein he bindeth himselfe more to y e church of Rome than he hath done to other churches or to this of Thessalonica Thessalonica was beautiful in the sight of God the Lorde of hostes had pitched his tentes rounde about her the name of the most bolie was placed in the middest of her shée enioyed like spirituall peace and prosperitie as did the Ierusalem of the almightie she was as a Citie fenced within it selfe but the Lord hath taken away the light of his countenaunce from her shée hath forsaken the waies of righteousnesse she hath left off to serue the Lorde and is become the place which the Lorde hath forsaken there is scarce anie remnant left there of those which call vppon the name of our saluation and loue the Lorde Iesus with an vnfained heart This is the Lordes doing and it is marueilous in our eyes And is his hande shortned that he cannot or is his zeale abated that he wil not in like seueritie deale with such as forsake him If he spared not the natural braunches if Ierusalem were ouerthrowne because of her iniquities it cannot be that hee wil spare other places that doe the like but that they shal also be cut off This is it that our Sauiour hath saide in the Gospel by S. Mathewe Therefore say I vnto you the kingdome of God shal be taken from you and shal be giuen to a nation which shal bring foorth the fruites thereof Such terrible dreadful examples hath God layde before our eyes to kéepe vs in his feare and in aâ—…e of his iudgements V. 2. Grace be with you and peace from GOD our Father and from the Lorde Iesus Christ. This is the salutation of Paule in al his Epistles to say I wish that the blessing and fanour and loue of God may light vppon you But for the better consideration hereof that we may know how earnestly we ought to pray vnto God for this grace and peace which the Apostle wisheth to the Churches let vs looke into our selues and sée how miserable we are if wee be left voyde of this grace and if God take his holy spirite away from vs. By nature what are we other than the bonde slaues of sinne We are not able to lift vp our eyes into heauen nor to beléeue in GOD nor to praise him nor to cal vppon his name We are not sufficient of our selues to thinke anie thing as of our selues Vnlesse hee open our lippes wee cannot shewe foorth his prayse Vnlesse hée heale our deafenesse we cannot giue care to his worde Vnlesse he giue vs vnderstanding heartes wee cannot take â—…owledge of his wil. Destruction and vnhappinesse sayth the Prophet Dauid are in their wayes and the way of peace haue they not knowne there is no feare of God before their eyes speaking of such as had not receyued the fauour and grace of God to guide and direct them And by the Prophet Malachie God vttereth his displeasure against them saying I haue no pleasure in you sayeth the Lorde of hostes neither wil I accept an offring at your handes Therefore the Apostle prayeth that they may receiue such measure of Gods grace as may quench in them the fierie dartes of the wicked and enhable them to holde fast that worthie thing that is committed vnto them and may kéepe them holic and vndefiled against the glorious comming of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. V. 3. Wee ought to thanke God alwayes for you bretheren as it is meete because that your faith groweth exceedingly and the loue of euerie one of you towardes another aboundeth 4. So that we our selues reioice of you in the church of God because of your patience and fayth in al your persecutions and tribulations that ye suffer God hath wrought this good worke of faith and loue and pacience in your hearts he wil make it prosper and encrease It is he which hath put this fire in you and he wil make it burne Hee hath layde his leauine in the dough or meale of your heart and wil make it heauie and worke vntill al be leauined Hée wil make you abounde more and more and wil bring to a good ende the thing he hath begonne Your faith groweth exceedingly This is the wil of God that we ware and encrease in al holinesse Hereby we know whether we be of God or no. We may not stand at a stay but must be renewed One sayth in via virtutis qui noÌ„ proficit deficit Whosoeuer mendeth not him self in the practise of vertue he groweth worse God hath placed vs in a race to run we must so run that we may attaine the price We are graffes of y e Lords planting we must grow to the heigh and breadth of a trée and bring foorth fruit We are pilgrimes and strangers and passe by the wildernesse of this world into our heauenly resting place wee may not stay by the way but must remoue our tentes and continually march on forwarde vntill that day come when wee shall enter into the lande of promise So that we our selues reioyce of you in the Church of God c. Your faith is not onelie true and pure but setled and
false â—…rine The Diuel is subtile his baites are pleasaunt you are weake and simple he will soone deceiue you Here let vs consider howe easily man maie be deceiued that so we maiâ—… knowe the corruption and weakenesse of our nature and therefore what cause we haue euer to walke warily to take heede to our steppes and to praie vnto GOD that hee â—…line our heartes vnto his testimonies When I saie man maie be deceiued I meane not baies or children or fooles or the simpler sorte of men but the learned the wife the politike the â—…ga and Princes of the worlde the teachers and rulers of the people When Adam was yet in Paradise and made the ruler ouer al the beaâ—…s of the â—…ld and was full of the graces and blessings of God he soone departed from the ecuntâ—…ll of God and gaue eare to the serpent so easily was he â—…eceiued Israel was as the apple of the Lords eie a people whom the Lord loued and to whome he gaue their hearts deure Hee deliuered them from Pharao and with an out-stretched arme ledde them through the red sea Who would thinke si great â—…cies would eâ—…er be forgotten or that such a people so wel instructed in the knowledge of God and so often put in mind of their duetie shoulde either most parte or al of them turne from GOD Moses was absent but a while he went aside to receiue the tables of couenaunt in the meane time they made vnto themselues a molten calfe and worshipped it they offred vnto it and saide These be thy Gods O Israel that haue brought thee out of the lande of AEgipt So easily were the wisest of them and Aaron and the whole multituted deceiued Their children after them forsooke the Lord and serued Baal and Astaroth They said to a tree thou art my father and to a stone thou hast begotten me They haue turned their backe to me and not their face saith god by the prophet Ieremie And was this y e offence but of some smal number of them were they but few or of the baser and simpler sorte whome the wicked spirite had thus seduced to make them forsake the true and liuing GOD and to giue the glorie due vnto him to dombe creatures and to the works of their owne hands No they departed from GOD in greate multitudes with full consent and vnitie they warranted their doings by antiquitie and by the custome of their fathers before them The Prophet saith According to the number of thy cities were thy Gods O Iudah and to the number of the streetes of Ierusalem haue ye set vp altares of confusion euen altares to burne incense vnto Baal And in an other place he saith A great multitude euen al the people that dwelt in the land of Aegipt in Phathros answered Ieremie saying the word that thou hast spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lorde wee wil not heare it of thee But wee wil do whatsoeuer thing goeth out of our owne mouth as to burne incense to the Queene of heauen and to poure out drinke offerings vnto her as wee haue done we and our fathers our Kings and our Princes c. Thus euen among that nation which God hath chosen vnto himselfe the Apostacie was so great the departure from true holinesse was so vniuersal that not onelie euerie citio but euerie stréete was defiled with their Idolatrie And besides the women which burnt incense vnto other Gods a great multitude yea all the people with one consent cried out against their preacher refused to heare the word of God and maintained their superâ—…tion The lilie may be said of the Scribes Pharises They were wise they were learned and caried great them of holinesse yet they loued darknes better than light they were blind leaders of the blind they despised the commandemits of god for their own traditions not on lie they but Herod and Pontius Pilate with the gentiles and people of Israel gathered the salues togitherngainst against the Lord I against his Christ. What shoulde I speake of those Churches which the Apostles of Christ planted and watered and confirmed in the trueth at Corinth Paule preached the Gospel they receiued it gladly he thanketh GOD on their behalfe That in al thinges they were made rich in him in al kinde of speache and in al knowledge Yet soone after they abused the holy mysteries they denyed the resurrection of the dead they became carnal and had enuying and strife and contention among themselues The Galathians reioyâ—…h so much in him that he writeth thus of them I beare you record that if it had beene possible you would haue plucked out your owne eyes and haue giuen them to me Yet they did not abide in the trueth but gaue eare to false Apostles and were deceiued Therefore he reprooueth them saying O foolish Galathians who hath bewiâ—…ched you that you should not obey the trueth are ye so foolish that after ye haue begonne in the spirite yee would nowe be made perfect in the flesh ye did runne wel who did let you that yee did not obey the trueth I am in feare of you least I haue bestowed on you labour in vaine This frailtie and weakenesse of our corrupt nature hath shewed it selfe foorth and hath appeared in al ages 〈◊〉 and our Fathers haue gone astraie and haue solowed after lyes The Lorde hath looked downe from heauen vpon the children of men to see if there were any that would vnderstande and â—…eoke God Al are gone out of the way they are al corrupt there is none that doth good no not one sayth the Prophet Dauid Therefore the Apostle beseeâ—…heth the church at Thessalonica that they settle themselues vppon a sure foundation and that they be not remoâ—…d from the trueth He putteth them in mind what they haue heard and of whom they haue heard it and eâ—…horteth them to continue stedfast therein Neither by spirite nor by worde nor by letter as it were from vs. Let no man entiâ—…e you from the loue of the trueth nor withdraw you or remoue you from that blessed â—…pe vnto which you becalled neither by pretence of any which any would séeme to receiue of the spirite of God nor by pretence of any woords of mine as if I had so spoken nor by any letter giuen vnto you in my name as if I had so written In these woordes hee docth not onelie strengthen them against such practises of crafty and false teachers but giueth them there withal a testimonie of their constant abiding in the trueth of the Gospel Otherwise if the seducers had prenayled and if the Thessalonians had yéelded vnto them and receyued their errour hâ—…e woulde then haue framed his speeche vnto them after this manner Oh suffâ—…r your selues to hee aduised You 〈◊〉 not runne wel you haue lost the high way Giue place to the spirite of God submit your selues vnder his mightie hande refuse not the calling whereby hee hath
called you I coulde speake such thinges wherewith you woulde be better pleased but your case is such it requireth rather frâ—… and planie and â—…arpe reprehension whereby you may be brought to consider and amend your errours than faire and smoothed spéech which might hould you stil in your follie Séeke therefore the kingdome of GOD and the glorie thereof and seeke not your selues Weigh trueth and falsâ—…de in an indifferent ballaunce so shâ—…l the heauier weight of the one soone bewray the lightnesse of the other What thing in the worlde so Massie and so weightie as is the trueth Harden not your heartes as did your Fathers in the Wildernesse It is no sinne to yéelde vnto GOD it is no shame to lay a part al affection and to chaunge your minde to the denial of al vngodlinesse and imbracing of true holinesse The wise man sayth There is a shame that bringeth sinne and a shame that bringeth worshippe and fauour In this sort it is likely the Apostle would haue spoken if néede had so required But nowe seeing them forcibly assaulted and that yet they striued with such good courage against the perswasions of the wicked he commendeth their stedfastnesse and exhorteth them by these wordes not to yéelde vnto their persecutours nor to goe from their faith in Christ Iesus Neither by spirite that is by reuelation of the spirite The spirite of God wrought mightily and bestowed sundrie and great giftes vppon men Christ sayde to his Disciples When they deliuer you vp take yee no thought howe or what ye shal speake for it shal bee giuen you in that same houre what yee shall speake For it is not ye that speake but the spirite of your father which speaketh in you And againe saith he I wil pray the father and he shal giue you an other comforter that hee may bide with you for euer The spirite of trueth whome the worlde can not receiue because the worlde feeth him not neither knoweth him but yee knowe him for he dwelleth with you and shal bee in you The holie Ghost shal be with you to assist you to teach you al thinges to direct your counsels to leade you into al trueth and to preserue you from al errour Nowe as the spirite of God was among the faithful and distributed to euerie man seueral giftes as it séemed best to profit withal so did the spirite of Satan waite vpon the wicked and possessed their hearts and bodies and caused them to imagine and to doe those thinges which were vnséemely He vsed them as instrumentes to disquiet the Church of God and to cast into it the séede of error of vntrueth and dissention Of such spirites Saint Iohn giueth warning saying beleeue not euerie spirite but trie the spirites whether they are of God for many false Prophets are gone into the worlde At what time Achab would not beléeue the aunswere which the Prophet Micheas made him there came foorth a spirite and stoode before the Lorde and sayde I wil go out and be a false spirite in the mouth of al his prophetes This spirite euer walketh vp and downe séeking whome hee may deuour and blindeth the mindes of many that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ may not shine vnto them Take héere that you be not deceiued by any such which shal séeke to abuse you by pretence of reuelation Though they shal take vpon them to tel you of the day or houre of the comming of our Lord beloeue them not for the false spirite is in the mouth of such prophetes Nor by worde or if anie shal report and goe about to perswade you that I haue so spoken or taught in the congregations or will boldely countenaunce out suche matter and tell you saring I was present I hearde his wordes and remember them this was the doctrine which Paule preached refuse him that is such a one for hee bringeth not the trueth vnto you but deceiueth you with lying and vaine fables Nor by letter as it were from vs. Againe it may bee they which lie in waite to destroye you for their better way wil counterfaite letters and sende them vnto you in my name This is a token in them that they bée past shame bee not you carried away by anie such pretence from that which wee haue preached vnto you Wée haue not taught you that the day of Christ is at hande Oh then be not so soone remooued away vnto an other Gospel by them which trouble you and intende to peruert the Gospel of Christ. Manie such sâ—…eightes and false deuises haue béene vsed by deceiuing spirites to blind the eyes of the simple There haue béene some which haue â—…etie abroade their owne fantasies vnder the names of Adam the first man that GOD created vppon the face of the earth and of Cain and Seth. Others haue called their owne dreames the Gospel of Thomas and of Bartholemewe and of Barnabee and of the Apostles of Christ. Saint August sayth of the Manichees Manichaeilegunt seripturas Apocryphas nescto à quibus sutoribus fabularum sub nomiâ—…e Apostolorum Scripâ—…as The Manichees â—…ead secret hidden Scriptures written I know not by what coblers of fables vnder the name of the Apostles Such writings were neuer written by them whose name they brare but were wickedly and falsely counterfaited vnder their names by sundrie heretiques This is that whereof our sauiour gaue vs warning Take heede that no man deceiue you for many shal come in my name saying I am Christ and shal deceiue many Againe he sayeth If any shal say vnto you lâ—…e here is Christ or there belecue it not for there shal arise false Christes and false Prophetes Into what shape can not he transforme himselfe in whose name wil not hée crastilie sette foorth his errours which dareth falfelie sette him selfe in the place of the â—…onne of GOD This hath euermore béene the practise of that olde Serpent to chaunge himselfe into the likenesse of an Angel of light and vnder the credite of holie men to deceiue the worlde with vnholy and vnwholesome thinges Since the time that the Church of God hath departed from hir first faith and would no longer be guided by the voyce of the Gospel what and howe great forgeries haue there béene wrought What Epistles and Canons and decretals haue béene deuised to maintaine seueral partes of false religion and published vnder the name of Clemens Cletus Anacletus and of others whereof these holie fathers neuer thought Thus haue they cioked themselues vnder the couert of the Apostles of the fathers of the primitiue church and haue thought to winne credite in the worlde by false shewe of antiquitie It is certaine that the sonne of man shal come with his holie Angels and shal rewarde euerie man according to that he hath doone in this life Then will he giue sentence against the wicked and wil place the faithful at his right hande In that day the heauens shal passe
their faces This was done vnto them that so they might be rooted out and their name quite put out from the â—…arth It was high time for the Lord to put to his hand They called vpon him in their troubles and he heard them Then sent he Moses and Aaron and deliuered them he opened the redde sea and gaue them passage When the Philiâ—…ines oppressed them GOD sent them Gedeon Barac Iehu Debora and Sampson whom he endued with wisedome and courage and pâ—…wer to ouercome their enimies and to sette them at libertie What should I speake of Nabuchodonosor Anâ—…ochus Nero Iulian and other tyrants They opprâ—…ssed the seruants of GOD and kept them in great miserie But God looked downe from heauen and was their helper in the time of néede he brake the â—…ords asunder and delinered them The more â—…ie was extended or practised against them the more glorious did GOD sheiâ—… himselfe in the 〈…〉 of Antichrist By him the Church of God shall suffer great tribulation such as was not from the beginning of the world And then shal his surie encrease and his tyranic be the greater when his kingdome shall decay and the daies of his desolation shall be at hande Primasius saith Tunc cadet Babylon quando nouis sime potestaâ—…em persequendi sanctos acceperit Then shall Babylon come to the ground when she shall last of al take power to persecute the Saints of God For then wil God arise and will iudge his owne cause he wil deliuer the afâ—…icted and will slaie Antichrist with the breath of his mouth Hereof S. Gregorie saith thus The Church after these daies of her affliction shall afterwarde notwithstanding be â—…rengihned with great power and might of preaching Except there come a departing first There must first be a departing from faith in the Church of God and then shall be the comming of the Lorde There was one general departing in the daies of Noah Al flesh had corrupt their waies there was not aniâ—… that did seeke after righteousnesse Then came the daie of the Lorde vpon them he powred out the waterâ—… and they preuailed vpon the earth so that both man and cattel and worme the soule of the heauen were destroied There was a general departing of the Iewes people of God at Hierusalem They made the house of God a denne of théeues they saued a théefe and crucified the Lord of glorie God had no delight in them neither regarded their sacrifices Christ said vnto them O Ierusalem Ierusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which haue beene sent vnto thee howe often woulde I haue gathered thy children togither euen as a henne gathereth her chickens vnder her wings and yee woulde not Beholde your house is left vnto you desolate They shall not leaue in thee one stone vpon another because thou knowest not the time of thy visitation Such a departing it shall be whereof the Apostle speaketh and so general that the sonne of man when he commeth shall hardly finde faith vpon the earth But this departing is diuersly taken Some vnderstaÌ„d it of the empire that the kingdomâ—… and countries which were before in subiection to that estate shal depart from it and that then Antichrist shal spring vp Others thinke that this is spoken of that departing wherein the godlie haue carried themselues from the obedience of the church of Rome But others more truly say it is the departure from the doctrine and religion and loue and obedience of the gospel of Christ wherof in another place he saith In the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shal giue heede to spirites of errour and doctrines of Diuels forbidding to marrie and commaunding to abstaine from meates which God hath created to be receiued with giuing thankes of them which beleeue and know the truth These men shall haue a forme of godlinesse but shall denie the power thereof They shall turne their eares awaie from the truth and wil encline their hearts to heare fables The wordes of the Apostle are plaine to shew that there shal be a departing But as we sée it is not agréed vppon what maner of departing this shal be nor by whome it shall be wrought Our aduersaries lay it vnto vs saying you haue wrought this departing you haue departed from the Church of Rome you are they of whome S. Paule hath spoken you are the founders of Antichrist so say they But would to God they and their fathers and the Church of Rome had not wrought this departure Bernard behelde the state and pride and disorders of the Church of Rome in his time therefore saide Superest vt reueletur homo peâ—…cati filius perditionis non modo demonium diâ—… sed meridianum quod non solum transfiguratur in angelum lucis sed extollitur supra umne quod dicitur Deus aut quod colitur It remaineth that the man of sinne that is the sonne of perdition be reueiled euen the diuel which flieth not onely in the day but destroyeth in the noone day which is not only changed into an angel of light but is exalted aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped And Gregorie did sée who they were that should worke this departing and make way for Antichrist therefore sayde Ego fidenter deco c. I speake it boldly Whosoeuer calleth himselfe the vniuersal priest or desâ—…reth so to be called as doth the Pope in the pride of his heart he is the forerunner of Antichrist Now that we may yet better know what maner of departure that shal be let vs consider what Saint Paule speaketh of the Church of God which was in his tune Vnto the Coriâ—…thinans he sayeth If al prophecie and there come in oneÌ„ that beleeueth not or one vnlearned he is rebuked of al men he is iudged of al men and so are the secrets of his hâ—…art made manifest and so wil he fal downe on his face and worship God and say plainly that God is in you in deede How is it then brethern When you come together euerie one of you hath a psalme hath a doctrine hath a tongue hath a reuelation hath an interpretation let al things be done vnto edifying c. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace as we see in al the churches Blessed were they of God Al thinges among them were done to edifying The holy scriptures were read openly in the presence of the people the people rcuerently kept silence and gaue eare and vnderstood the wil of God and submitted themselues vnto it The prayers were in a knowne tongue to that â—…e vnlearned might vnderstand them and say Amen The holis misteries were duly ministred The people receiued the sacrament of the Lordes supper vnder both kindes as Christ had instituted and did al communitate together Chrisostoine writing vppon that chapter sayth Vere tum Ecclesia coelum fuit c. Verely the church then was a
heauen the spirite of God ordring al thinges and directing al the heads of the church In the time of Tertullian the Christians stil kept this maner Therefore he sayth Coâ—…mus ad diuiâ—…arum literarum commemor ationem fidem sanet is vocibus pascimus spem erigimus fiduciam sigimus We meete together at the reading of the holy scriptures wee nourish our faith with those heauenly wordes by them we raise vp our hope settle our affiance trust Augustine Chrisostome Origen other auntient and godly fathers commended the reading of the scriptures vnto the people called vpon them to read them theselues or to get others to reade vnto them And that they would heare them not onely in the Church but also at home in their houses They taught them the hurt and daunger of ignoraunce that ignoraunce of the scriptures hath béene the cause of her esies and that it hath brought in corruption of life and of maners This was the order and vsage of the Church in the time of the holy Apostles and of our first fathers The people were guided by the worde of God they were made partakers of the holie mysteries and al thinges were done in the Church to edifying And the same order is this day restored and practised in our churches Let vs looke into the church of Rome and behold the vsage behauiour thereof Where shal we find that heauenly comelinesse which S. Paule requireth Where is the comfortable reading of scriptures Where is the people taught their saluation in Christ Iesus where is the brotherly méeting of al the congregation at the communion of the Lordes supper May we say of Rome that it holdeth fast the forme and fashion of that church which Christ and his Apostles left vnto vs and which the holy ancient fathers continued nay rather we may say of them with Chrisostome they may haue the chestes and cofers wherein the treasure was sometimes kept but the treasures they haue not We may say it is not nowe a house of prayer but a denne of théeues We may say it shal no more be called Bethel the house of God but Bethauen the house of vanitie or of lying Iupiter and Bacchus and the Idols of the heathen were not so dishonored of their worshippers as the almightie and euerlasting and onely true God is dishonoured in that sinagogue I speake of it as it is nowe and as it hath béene these many yeares For in the time of our elder fathers it had great testimonie of true holinesse Ignatius called it castissimam most chaste Tertullian saide it was a happie Church because the Apostles of Christ suffered martyrdome in it and left their whole doctrine vnto it And in like sort did others giue vnto Rome as it was in those times reuerent and worthie commendation But now saith he O Roma à Roma quantum mutata vetusta es nunc caput es scelerum quae caput orbis eras O Rome howe much art thou channged from the olde Rome thou which hast beene the chiefe in al the worlde art nowe the chiefe in al naughtinesse They haue forsaken the trade of life and the loue of the Gospel which they of olde time had in Rome and therefore cannot be inheritours of their commendation When Chrisostme considered the state of the Church as the Apostle speaketh of it vntâ—… the Corinthians did see how farre the church in his time swarued from that he sayd Nunc verò vestigia tantum rerum illarum tenemus We haue now the only bare signes of those things Againe Videtur ecclesia hodie mulieri quae mansuetudine veteri exciderit similis quaeqúe Symbola tantum c. The church which is now may be likened to a woman which hath forsaken her wonted modestie And hath only certaine outward shewes of that first felicitie and keepeth stil the hutches and boxes of precious thinges but lacketh the treasure which was in them To such a woman may the church this day be likened I speake not this of the giftes for the matter were not so great if we wanted them only but of life and of vertue And againe he sayth Scrinium aliud paternt the sauri exinanitum bodie dicam c. I wil tel you of one other boxe of that treasure which our father left vnto vs which is empty and hath nothing left in it at this day In times past they did sing altogether so doe we also but then they were al of one minde of one heart at this day you shal not finde one man that agreeth with himselfe there is such warre and discord in al thinges euerie where The name of peace is common in al places but peace it selfe is no where to bee founde Then men did vse their houses like churches now men do vse the church as they vse their house nay more prophanely than any house Thus Chrisostome blamed the church in his time and layeth out their departing from the faith He liued about 411. yeres after Christ. What may we thinke he would say of the church that hath béene of later yeres if he had liued to sée the desormitie and abuses thereof where besides that they are not of one minde and of one heart they suffer not the people altogether to sing the praises of God where they haue not only emptieâ—… such boxes or hutches wherein Christ left great treasures vnto his church but haue made light account of them and haue cast away the very patterns and images of true godlinesse They driue away the people from reading the scriptures and reckon that as vnlaweful as to cast the bread of the children vnto degges or pearles before Swine They leade men from trust in the bloud of Christ and teach them to beléeue such thinges and to put confidence in those creatures which cannot profit or helpe them at al. You may remember what prayers they vsed But blesse your eares for they are wordes ful of horrible blasphemie They sayde to the holy and blessed Virgin Marie the mother of our redéemer sauiour In te virgo Maria confidimus in te speramus nos defendas in aeternum Our trust and hope we put in thee O Virgine Marie defende vs euerlastingly They say O faelix puerpera nostra pians scelera O happy mother which doest purge vs from our sinnes And Sanctae Mariae merita ducant nos ad regna coelestia The merites of holie Marie bring vs to the heauenly kingdome Againe Tu mediatrix dei hominum aduocata pauperum refugiuÌ„ peccatorum Thou art the mediatour betweene God and man the aduocate for the poore the refuge of al sinners O merciful Christ what is become of thy passion where is the price of thy blout howe are we lead away from thée to séeke redemption in a creature Againe they say vnto her Thou art the Ladie of Angels thou art the Queene of heauen Commaund thy sonne shew thy selfe to be a mother He is thy sonne thou art
erre If the Church of Rome cannot erre what néede haue they of that church either of the Scriptures or of the fathers or councels Perhaps through this pride they grew first to despise the holie Scriptures would not direct their waies by them They are high minded and boast themselues that they are as mount Sion which shal not be mooued Yet our Sauiour likeneth the Church sometimes to shéep as in the 15. of S. Mathew I am not sent but vnto the lost sheepe of Israel Sometimes to children which are simple and soone beguiled Sometimes to a Vine which is weake easily throwne down sometimes to the moone which waxeth and is also in wane and many times giueth no light The ancieÌ„t fathers compare the church of god to no one thing so vsually as to a shippe And who knoweth not how a ship is tossed hither thither how it is in daÌ„ger of sands of rocks and of pirats in danger of drowning by leaking If the shéepe were not a straying kind of cattel what should they néede a shéepheard If little children could guide themselues what néede had they of a guider If the vine did not hang down and lie on the ground what néede were there of proppes or of one to set it vp If there were no feare for the passage of a ship if it could not miscarie what should it néede a Pilote Let no man therefore saie the church is safe for euer it cannot erre it can not decay Such words are deceiuable and lying words For false Prophets shal come There shalbe a desolation there shal be a departing euen in the house of God and that daie of Christ shall not come except there come a departing first And that that man of sinne be disclosed euen the sonne of perdition V. 4 Which is an aduersarie and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God or that is worshipped so that hee doth sit in the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God This the Apostle speaketh of Antichrist Hée is the man of sinne and the sonne of perdition It will be somewhat hard to treat of this matter and to opeÌ„ the words of this scripture Whatsoeuer I shall speake it will be ill taken of manie and manie will doubt of the truth of my spéeches such affection they bear to him whom the Apostle disciphereth to be Antichrist Albeit whatsoeuer I will vtter in opening the Apostles wordes shall be such as the holie scriptures and learned writings of the holie fathers haue left vnto vs and the church of God hath prooued and at this daie doth prooue to be true God promised that Christ shoulde come into the worlde euen the Shiloh vnto whome al the people should be gathered and that he should be the hope of Israel and deliuer his people from their sins God made promise of him to Adam to Abraham Dauid c. The scriptures are ful and the prophets make ofteÌ„ mention of this promise Olde men and yong men and al the people waited for the fulfilling thereof said Send him whom thou wilt send And againe Yee heauens send the dewe from aboue and let the clouds drop down righteousnes let the earth open and let saluation and iustice grow forth And againe God wil come saue you Thus was euerie eie bent vpon him and euery heart waited for his comming But when the fulnesse of time was come God sent foorth his son made of a woman that we might receiue the adoption of the sonnes Hee was in the world and the world knew him not Hee came vnto his owne and his own receiued him not Light came into the worlde and men loued darknesse better than light They to whom the promise was made and which wished for him and made al their common talke of the hope of his comming when he came knewe him not they reuiled him and saide Beholde a glutton and drinker of wine a friend vnto publicans and sinners They called him Beelzebub and a false prophet and a seducer of the people Him they did take by the hands of the wicked they betraied him they denied the holie one and iust they hanged on a trée and killed the lord of life Such was the receiuing of Christ. This did they to him through ignorance It was not giuen them to knowe the secretes of the kingdome of heauen They haue not â—…nowen the father nor whom he hath sent Iesus Christ. Therefore saith he I confesse vnto thee father Lord of heauen and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and learned and hast reuealed them to babes euen so father bicause it so pleased thee Now as the comming of Christ was such is the comming of Antichrist God hath foretold of his comming Daniel hath foretold Christ and his Apostles Paule and Iohn haue foretolde it the Scriptures and oâ—…de Fathers make often mention hereof There is none neither olde nor young neither learned nor vnlearned but he hath hearde of Antichrist They hate his name and detest him before they know him But here you may marke the wonderful sleight and sutteltie of Satan The worlde shal looke after the comming of Antichrist He shal not faile but come Al men shal carie hatred against him and recken him abhominable and yet their eyes shal be blinded and their hearts deceiued so that they shal not knowe him They shal hate his name and embrace his doctrine he shal couer himselfe with a cloke of holinesse They shal thinke they doe good seruice vnto Christ but shal therein doe seruice vnto Antichrist The diuerse fantasies of men haue deuised manie sundrie fonde tales of the person of Antichrist Some say he should be a Iewe of the tribe of Dan. Some that he should bée borne in Babylon some that he should be bred vp in Bethsaida and Corazin some that he should rise vp in Syria some that Mahomet is Antichrist some that he should ouerthrowe Rome some that he should builde vp the Citie of Hierusalem some that Nero was Antichrist some that he should be borne of a Fryer and a Nonne some that he should continue but three yeares and a halfe some that he shoulde turne trées vpside downe with the toppes in the grounde and should force the rootes to growe vpwarde and then should flée vp into heauen and fal downe and breake his necke These tales haue béene craftily deuised to beguile our eyes that whilest we thinke vpon these gesses and so occupie our selues in beholding a shadowe or probable coniecture of Antichrist he which is Antichrist indéede may vnawares deceiue vs. Except that man of sinne bee disclosed The Apostle séemeth to teach vs of Antichrist as if he should be one man because he calleth him The man of sinne But wee may not so take him The maner of the scripture is oftentimes and in diuerse places it speaketh that of manie which séemeth to be-spoken but of one So doeth Daniel set foorth
soule be subiect to mee Which shal say it is plaine that the church is one because in the vniuersal church there is one supreme heade that is the Pope Sybilla sayeth this king shal be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is shal haue a white heade and shal bée called by a name much like to Pontus In which two markes of his heade and name whom can we finde but a Bishoppe Who weareth solemnely a white myter of siluer and adourned with precious stones and in Latine is named pontifex Againe Ioachimus Abbas saieth he shal exalt himselfe aboue al that is called God for he onely shal bée called holy Lorde and most holy Pope So that for our direction we heare not only of a King of pride and his garde of priestes but we are learned that this king shal haue a white head and a name much like pontus that is shal be pontifex a Bishoppe Gregorie morcouer hath saide he shal cal himselfe or desire to be called an vniuersal priest and Ioachimus an Abbot hath tolde vs Antichrist shal be called â—…ly Lord and most holy Pope But where shal Antichrist bée resident In what place shal we séeke him for if we looke for him in one place and he be in an other we shal not finde him Where then is he stalled in what Citie in what Church Some saie in Babylon some in Syria some in Chaldea some in Hierusalem vpon mount Sion some in one place some in an other These are but gesses and beare no waight Paule telleth vs hée shall créepe into the Empire of Rome So saith the Apostle and so the fathers The Empire shall be made waste and then Antichrist shall come and inuade the Church But the Empire was great and wide it reached thed ouer a great part of the world It did containe England Fraunce Spaine Germanie Poland Denmarke Italie Illyricum Macedonia Thracia Graecia Asia Armenia Aegypt Mauritania and the rest of Affrica Al these were partes of the Empire of Rome In what part or in what Citie or in what Church of al these shall he sit Saint Iohn saieth The seauen heades are seauen mountaines on which the woman sitteth Antichrist shall sit in a Citie built vppon seauen hilles Where shall we find such a Citie in the whole worlde is it Hierusalem or Athens or Constantinople or Antioch Where wée finde a Citie so built that Citie is the place of Antichrist There is none but one The spirit of God cannot lie But which is that one Al writers as wel olde as new call that Citie Rome Rome is built vppon seauen hilles They be yet standing The names of the hilles are knowne to be these Palatinus Quirinalis Auentinus Caelius Viminalis Exquilius Ianicularis The Poet speaking of this Citie saith Septemque vna sibi muro circundedit arces And this one citie hath compassed in to it self with a wal seauen high places Therefore Plutarch calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of seauen hilles They haue vsed in Rome in their generall processions in gang wéeke to goe to these seauen hilles and to do some solemne péece of seruice at euery of them Rome is the Citie of seauen heades Rome is the Citie built vppon seauen hilles therefore the Citie which Iohn describeth and therefore it is the tabernacle and stal in which Antichrist shall sit Sybilla wrote two thousand yeares sithence That the greatest terrour and furie of his empire and the greatest woe that hee shall worke shall be by the bankes of Tyber And who is there that hath heard anie thing of the situation of Rome that doth not knowe it is built on the bankes of Tyber Irenaeus who liued welneare fiftéene hundred yeares agoe saith the name of Antichrist expressed by that number shall be Latinus that is he shall sit in a citie called Latium that is Rome Ioa. chimus Abbas saith Antichristus iam pridem natus est Romae altius extolletur in sede Apostolica Antichrist is long since borne in Rome and yet shal be aduanced higher in the Apostolike see Bernard saith Bestia illa de Apocalipsi cui datum est os loquens blasphemias bellum gerere cum sanctis Petri cathedram occupat tanquam leo paratus ad praedam The beast that is spoken of in the booke of Reuelations vnto which beast is giuen a mouth to speake blasphemies and to keepe warre against the Saintes of God is now gotten into Peters chaire as a Lion prepared to his praie These wordes are cleare as the sunne beames Saint Iohn saieth Antichrist shall sit in a Citie built vpon seauen hilles That Citie is the Citie of Rome Dame Sybilla saieth his greatest worke shal be by the bankes of Tyber That Citie so built is the Citie of Rome Ireneus saieth the name of Antichrist shall be Latinus this name belongeth to the Bishop of Rome Bernard saith the beast that is spoken of in the Reuelation is gotten into Peters chaire Iohn liued 1560. yeares since Sybilla 2000 Irenaeus about 1500 Ioachimus Abbas 300 Bernard liued about foure hundred yeares sithence and by the testimonie of all these Antichrist shall be a Bishop and placed at Rome You maruel at this howe it should be possible that Antichrist shoulde sit in Peters chaire you heare who hath said it and no wonder at al for he shal sit in the place of God in the holy place in the Church of Christ. So doth Augustine gather vpon the Apostles wordes Non enim templum alicuius idoli aut daemonis templum dei Apostolus diceret For the temple of an idol or of a diuel the Apostle would neuer call the temple of God And Hierome saith Antichristus sedebit in templo dei vel Hierosolymis vt quidam putant vel in Ecclesia vt verius arbitramur ostendens setanquam ipse sit Christus filius dei Antichrist shall sit in the temple of God either at Ierusalem as some imagine or in the church as we more truely thinke shewing himselfe as if he were Christ and the sonne of God Againe he saith of him Antichrist shall tread vnder his feete al approoued and true religion And Saint Hilarie saith Anne ambiguum est Antichristum in ijs esse sessurum Is there anie doubt but Antichrist shal sit in the same houses He shal sit in those houses and buildings with which you are in loue and which you honour And againe he saith Sub specie euangelicae pradicationis Christo contrarius erit vt dominus noster Iesus Christus denegetur quum praedicari creditur Hee shall be contrarie to Christ vnder the colour of preaching the gospel so that our Lord Iesus Christ shall then be denied when a man would thinke hee is preached Thus we wée haue séene who shall be Antichrist and in what Church hée shall be that he shall be a Bishoppe and shall be stalled or placed in Rome Now to returne againe to the wordes of the Apostle
passe The man of sinne is reuealed What a kingdome made he of purgatorie he shut out thence whom he listed and released such as were there at his pleasure He claimed power ouer the quick dead he sold the yeres the daiâ—…s and the monethes by rounde reckoning a hundred fiue hundred and a thousand and thousand thousands yeares of pardon Of which follie his owne Canonistes were ashamed One of them saith NaÌ„ quod dicitur Petro tibi dabâ—… claues c. Touching that Christ sayde vnto Peter Vnto thee wil I wiue the keies c. We must vnderstande this authority with a corne of salt other â—…ise it may be vnsauerie Therefore certaine of the Popes pardons that promise twentie thousand yeres are foolish and superstitious This was not giuen for nothing but solde for money Who had ought to giue had spéedy dispatch but poore soules that had nothing or no friendes to pay for them should lie still This was a wealthie kingdome But nowe where is purgatorie who regardeth it Who careth for it children scorne it in their stréets and knowe it is a â—…able Howe commeth this so to passe the wicked or lawelesse man is reuealed He was able to rule the whole world with a becke His word stood as the worde of God no Prince nor Emperour durst withstand it It was thought impossible that hee should â—…rre But nowe the worlde séeth his woâ—… deceiueable and vaine he erreth and hath liued in great errour Now fewe men wil beléeue him no Prince wil trust his word howsoeuer they whose eyes God hath not yet opened to sée the truth trust him in religion in worldly matters they wil not trust him How commeth this so to passe the man of sinne is reuealed What shall I saie more behold round about the worlde all places and euen Rome it selfe The poore massing Priest standeth a colde and can get no hire the Popes Palles lie a rotting his Bulles goe a begging his wares stand vpon his hand no wise man will buy them Why howe commeth this so to passe The man of sinne is reuealed all his deceit and treacherie is reuealed The Pope stirreth and striueth at this day al that he can He excommunicateth and curseth he sendeth out his bulles he bloweth vp seditions he bréeoeth treasons he raiseth subiects against their Princes he setteth Princes vpon their subiects he imprisoneth and murdereth the Saints of God he shaketh and enflameth the whole world in his quarrels But al in vaine Why so howe commeth this to passe there is no counsaile no wisedome no fire no sworde that shall preuaile against the Lorde The man of sinne and his errours are reuealed Men sée and know and detest the blindnesse wherein they were lead the people forsake him ouer and ouer the world Whom the Lord shall consume with the spirite of his mouth and shall abolish with the brightnesse of his comming 9 Euen him whose comming is by the effectual working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders 10 And in al deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse among them that perish because that they receiued not the word of the trueth that they may be saued By the order of the Apostles wordes I shoulde nowe speake of the ouerthrow of Antichrist how and by what power he shall be confounded But because the two verses next following speake yet of the state of Antichrist by whose meanes he shal come and of what countenaunce he shall be and with whome he shall preuaile it shal be good we consider these things first and then shew how â—…e shall be destroyed When Christ came into the worlde hée came in the name of his father to saue the lost shéepe of the house of Israel and to gather the flocke that was scattered Antichrist shall come in the name of the Diuel to scatter and disperse and consume the stocke of Gods shéepe His comming shall be by the effectuall working of Sathan And what or who is Sathan he hath béene a murderer from the beginning through his enuie came death into the worlde hee is the Prince of this world the Prince of darkenesse the father of lies the spirite of pride which hath saide I will ascend aboue the height of the cloudes and I will be like the most high He shal worke and inflame the heart of Antichrist and fil it with his spirite and wickednesse and shall make him the man of sinne and the sonne of perdition full of vanitie and of pride and of vngodlinesse that he maie mocke the world and blind the hearts of the people His comming shall be by the working of Sathan yet he shall make shew as if he came in the name of Christ. He shall come with fatherly lóokes with holie countenance and shal set himselfe in the holy place but his whole indeuour shalbe to deface the kingdom of Christ which he shall practise to doe not by the leading of anie Angel or Archangel or by the power of God but by the effectuall working of Satan He shall alleage the Doctours and Fathers he shall alleage Peter and Paul the holy Apostles of Christ he shall alleage Christ and God himself as though his doings were warranted by them he shall saie I am the buttresse and pillar of the Church my word is the word of God he shal set vp masses and sacrifices of his owne he shall take awaie the word of God he shal teach the people to giue diuine honour to a weake creature But S. Paul in this place discloseth him and his doings and laieth them open to the eies of the faithfull He worketh not the worke of an Euangelist as did Peter or other the Apostles he taketh not power and auâ—…oritie either of God or of Christ but his comming is by the operation of Satan Therefore hee foresheweth Antichrist shal commaund to abstaine from meates He shall saie touch not taste not He shal also forbid to marrie He shal saie marriage is vnholie and vnlawful not conuenient nor méete for holie profession Who would not thinke it a holie thing to abstaine from meats and to chastise the bodie who would not think it a holie thing to abstaine from mariage and to thinke of those things which belong to God séeing holinesse and deuotion are a pleasaunt sacrifice to God but yet it is not al so Some shall speake lies through hipocrisie forbidding to marrie and commaunding to abstaine from meates They shal depart from the faith and giue heede to the spirites of errour and doctrines of Diuels He saith it is the Diuels gospel They are canons and rules of Antichrist Satan shal instruct him Satan shall bee the author and sounder of that religion With al power and signes and lying wonders and in al deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse He shal néede to be of great power and force that shall incounter with God Therefore the Apostle saith he shal come with myracles and deuises of Satan Christ forefold that false Christs shall rise and false Prophets
light They forsake the light and delight in darkenesse and this is their condemnation They wil not vnderstande nor séeke after God that they may be reformed The Prophet saith Because he loued cursing it shal come vnto him and because he loued not blessing so shal it be farre from him God will strike them with blindenesse They shal be asâ—…onied They shal fall into rebuke and the snares of the Diuell They shal be drowned in perdition and destruction So great shal be the power of errour Men shal not onely be deceiued but shal be deâ—…iued mightilie and stronglie They shal desire to be deceiued and shal beare a deadly hatred against him who so euer shal séeke to reforme them They shal harden their heartes against God and his holy worde they shal stop their eares and not hearken to his counsell they shal not open their eyes to beholde the destruction which is to come vpon them So great and so mightie shal be the delusion So deadly shal be the cloud and blindnesse of their hearts They shal bee giuen ouer into a reprâ—…bate minde They shal be filthie and increase in filthinesse Such shall be the power of Satan such shall be the power of errour and deceitfulnesse They shall despise the glorions Gospell of Christ therefore GOD shall forsake them and giue them ouer to followe Antichrist God hath this daie sent the light and comfort of his holie word into the worlde Manie godlie men haue desired to sée that we sée and to heare that we do heare Blessed be the name of the Lorde which hath in mercie visited vs. We beséeth him to blesse the worke that hée hath begunne Saint Paul saith The grace of God that bringeth saluation to al men hath appeared And to the Colossians he saieth The Gospel is come vnto you euen as it is vnto all the worlde And againe Haue they not heard no doubt their sounde went through all the earth and their wordes into the endes of the worlde The poore receiue the glad tidings of the gosped GOD hath visited and redéemed his people But yet the Apostle saieth They haue not al beleeued our Gospel For Esaâ—…as saieth Lord who shall beleeue our reporte And againe saieth the Prophet Esay I'haue spred out my handes al the daie vnto a rebellious people which walked in a waie that was not good Wisedome crieth in the stréetes 〈◊〉 I haue called and ye refused I haue stretched Prouâ—… out mine hande and none woulde regarde Such is the power of Satan so shall hée stoppe their eares that they shall not vnderstande what is spoken in the name of the Lord. Paul is a true Prophet and foretold long before that which we maie nowe beholde with our eies In the latter times some shall giue heede vnto spirites of errour They shall be as men without sense or féeling they shall forsake the truth and betake themselues to followe lies and fables Euen they shall doe this which shall sitte in the Church of God who shall professe and carrie the name of Christ. Christ ministred his last supper in both kindes Saint Paul telleth the Corinthians As often as yee shall eate this bread and drinke this cup yee shall shew the Lords death till hee come That this institution of Christ should be kept in the Church vntil the ende of the worlde The Apostles receiued this order the holie fathers and martires vsed it But nowe manie euen too too manie wil not so haue it nor so vse it They will not followe the example of the Fathers nor of Martires nor of the Apostles nor kéepe the ordinance of Christ so strong a delusion hath bewitched them The people of God were taught to praie in the vulgare tongue that their heartes might giue consent and their mouth saie Amen This order did Peter and Paul and Iohn and Iames and the godlie fathers kéepe There is not one of them that tooke order for the contrarie but nowe there are some risen vp which in spite of Christ and his Apostles saie praiers shall be made in a strange tongue either Latine or Gréeke The people shall not vnderstand what they heare They shall not knowe what it is which they themselues saie their hearts cannot giue consent thereto their mouths cannot saie Amen The example of the Apostles the commaundement of Christ the comforte of the people the confusion of the Church nothing mooueth them so great and mighty is the power of error The people worshippe a creature in stéede of the creator who is GOD ouer all blessed for euer They sée they doe amisse yet continue in it and finde no faulte They sée wherein their Fathers were deceiued yet they saâ—… they coulde not be deceiued They sée manie and fowle abuses yet séeke not to redresse them For they saie wée will walke in the waies of our forefathers wée will belieue as they beléeued howsoeuer they belieued Wée will doe as they did whatsoeuer they did they will not heare the worde of the Lord. Thus shall they delight in darkenesse and loath the light they wil be deceiued and will not sée the trueth So mightie and so terrible is the power of errour They be learned in Philosophie and in the tongues they be learned in the lawes they be learned in Phisicke learned in the Doctours and learned in stories They are skilfull to buie and sell to purchase land to enrich themselues and to prouide for their children They haue knowledge in al things else But themselues and the trueth of God and the way to saluation they haue not knowne A théese when he is taken blusheth A harlot is ashamed of her filthinesse and a drunkard of his beastlinesse But they that are such haue hardned their faces they cannot blush Whatsoeuer they haue saide or doone either openly or in secret by hipocrisie or crueltie by rauin or treacherie in offering pardons to sale in deceiuing the people of God in accusing the righteous and condemning the innocent they cannot repent they knowe no shame So great is the power of errour Christ saith vnto them The Publicanes and the harlots shall go before you into the kingdome of God They consider that they haue done amisse but you are wilfull in your blindenesse Oh the depth of the wisedome and knowledge of God Who is wise and considereth this They striue against the manifest truth they striue against their owne conscience they striue against the spirite of God This is that sinne which shall neuer be forgiuen neither in this worlde nor in the world to come Therefore saith Paul that al they might be damned which beleeued not the truth Al shal be damned which beléeued not Then let no man saie I will follow the example of my fathers I wil doe as the greater part doth So manie and so manie for so manie yeares in so manie places haue bin on this side The iudgement of God standeth not in the multitude but in the truth Whosoeuer
the comfortable grace of God the more must be the care for them This is that Saint Paule sayth haue no companie with such to encourage him yet count him not as an enemie but admonish him as a brother V. 16. Now the Lorde of peace giue you peace alwaies by al meanes The Lord be with you al. 17. The salutation of me Paule with mine owne hande which is the token in euerie epistle so I write 18. The grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ be with you al. I neede not commende peace vnto you It is the garde and strength of mighty Princes it is the nurse and fosterer of the Church of God it is the wealth and prosperitie of the worlde it is the comfort and quietnesse of our conscience it is truce taken with God and man and our owne selues I néede not to tel you who is the worker of peace You knowe God is the God of peace Worldlie peace séemeth to be made by the wil and liking of men but God moueth their heartes and establisheth it But the peace of the heart and quietnesse of minde passeth al vnderstanding The power and wisedome and strength and riches of al the world are not able to make it It is the glorie of God that hee alone is the God of peace I pray for you that nothing may be doone among you to the hinderaunce of peace but that it abide with you alwaies not for a while not in prosperitie onely but in persecution in your death and for euer If God be with you you shal haue peace And if you loue one an other and kéepe his word God wil come to you and loue you and abide with you and giue you the comfort of his peace The salutation of me Paule hee gaue them warning before of false Apostles who came in his name and pretended his worde or his letter Therfore now telleth them how they shal know certainly whether such Epistles as they receiue be his written or sent by him In euerie Epistle that I sende saith he to the Churches or to any the brethren I write mine owne name and sende this gréeting written with mine owne hande which nowe I send to you al The grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ be with you al. AMEN FINIS 〈◊〉 Cor. 11. Act. 14. Act. 16. Galat. 4. Psal. 26. Num. 16. Gen. 11. Act. 4. â—…eue 2. Rom. 2. Leâ—… epi. 83 â—…d Palestinos Hom. 19 in Mat. in opere imperf Lyra in 16. Mâ—… Hierâ—…n in Mich. lib. 1. cap. 1. Ephe. 〈◊〉 Eph. 5. Psal. 41. Matt. 5. Psal. 44. Rom. 8. Ierem. 6. Ierem. 15. 2. Tim. 3. Psal. 23. Iob. 13. Phil. 1. Rom. 14. Gala. 6. Rom. 8. â—…oh 10. 2. Cor. 3. Iohn 6. Ezech. 36. Iere. 31. Psal. 1â—…9 De praedestinat Sanctorum c. 8. Act. 16. Act. 2. Luke 24. Esaie 55. Mar. 10. Matth. 5. Matth. 16. Dan. 3. Act. 5. Rom. 3. Rom. 〈◊〉 Luke 〈◊〉 Mat. 5. Reue. 7. Psal. 126. Iohn 16. Reu. 14. Reue. 2. Mat. 1â—… Esai 65. Iere. 9. Iere. 4. Psal. 4. Luke 13. Psalm 51. Acts. 18. Act. 17. Matth. Iâ—… 1. Tim. 〈◊〉 Ioh. 16. 1. Cor. 11. 2. Cor. 5. 2. Cor. 4. Platina iâ—… Pio 2. Ad rusticâ—… Gallum Orig. tract 24. in Math. Epiph. cons. Origenia hâ—…ref 42. Abac. 2. Ierem. 10. In Eras. anâ—… 18. Ich. Cornelius Episc. Bitâ—… Matt. 25. Exod. 12. Leuit. 26. Esay 45. Ierem. 3. Eccle. 2. Iames. 1. Luke 11. 1. King 18. 2. Cor. 6. I. Pct. 3. Esai 3â—… Esai 58. Ierem. 〈◊〉 Gen. 15. Exod. 3. Exod. 7. Matth. 10. 1. King 18. Esay 1. Matth. 14. Numb 24. Exod. 7. Rom. 1. 2. Pct. 2. Iohn 5. Psal. 37. Matt. 21. 2. Kingâ—… Matth. 5. 1. Thes. 4. Gen. 8. Gen. 5. Pro. 22. Pro. 29. Eccle. 30. 1. Sam. 3. 1. Sam. 4. Iob. 1. 2 King 15. Iohn 13. Luke 9. Mat. 10. 1. Tim. 2. Iam. 1. Matt. 11. Esa. 45. Act. 2 Luke 11. Deur zi Mat. 23â—… Rom. 1. Rom. 11. Rom. 11. 1. Cor. 9. 2. Cor. 4. 1. Cor. 4. Eccle. 2. Prou. 3. Reu. 3. Heb. 12. Matth. 10. Rom. 5. Gal. 4. Gal. 5. Psa. 73. Psal. 37. Psal. 16. Psal. 118. Mat. 10. Luke 21. Mat. 10. Luke 21. Iere. 10. Esa. 30. Eph. 2. Tit. 2. Matth. 7. Eza 2 1. Pet. 1. 1. Cor. 6. Iohn 17. Prou. 20. Agge 1. Ioh. 8. 1. Tim. 〈◊〉 1. Ioh. 3â—… Psal. 54. Aug Maceâ—… Epist. 54 Lib. de Toâ—… cap. 3. Ibid. cap. 15. Hâ—…m 41. in 18. genes Hâ—…m 12. in 5. Mat. Luke 4. Leuit. 25. Exod. 22. Ezech. 18. Ezech. 22. Deut. 23. 1. Samu. 15 1. Pet. 4. Lib. de Thobia ca. 13. lib. 6. in 18. Ezech. Matt. 25. Luke 19. Matth. 〈◊〉 Iames. 〈◊〉 1. Thes. 〈◊〉 In Ps. 128. Psal. 23. Psa. 27. Psal. 31. Iohn 5. Luke 9. Leuit. 11. Luke 6. 〈◊〉 Tim. 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 4. Ioh. 13. Psal. 133. 1. Cor. 13. 1. Cor. 4. Iohn 14. Iohn 〈◊〉 Iohn 11. Act. 7. Rom. 14. Luk 7. Iohn 11. Mat. 27. 2. Tim. 2. Rom. 8. Colos. 3. Philip. 3. Esay 26. Iohn 6. Iohn 5. Iohn 11. 1. Cor. 15. Rom. 8. Ioh. 12. Rom. 6. 2. Cor. 5. 1. Cor. 15. Matth. 24. 2. Pet. 3. Matth. 24. Luke 18. 〈◊〉 Reu. 6. Reu. 1. 1. Cor. 15. 1. Cor. 15. Psal. 2. Mat. 24. Act. 1. Mark 1â—… Psal. 44. Psal. 74. Matth. 18. Iam. 5. Eccle. 23. 〈◊〉 Cor. 11. Ioh. 20. Luke 10. Esa. 56. 1. Cor. 9. 1. Tim. 5. Gal. 4. 1. Cor. 11. Iosuah 7. Iam. 1. 1. Pet. 2. Psal. 126. Luke 6. Rom. 12. Mat. 5. 1. Iohn 2. Luke 6. 1. Pet. 1. Rom. 7. Rom. 9. Ioh. 3. Gen. 8. 〈◊〉 10. Prou. 20. Ier. 18. 2. Cor. 3. Iohn 15. Coloâ—… 2. Matth. 7. Heb. 4. Luke 7. Iudges 14. Rom. 8. Rom. 5. Iob. 1. Iob. 13. Psal. 8. 1. Cor. 12. Rom. 8. Ibid. 1. Peâ—… 1. Cor. 1. Mat. 7. 1. Iohn 4. 2. Ioh. Galat. 1. Esai 8. 1. Tim. 1. 26. Quae. 2. Sors Ignat. ad Philadelphienses Heb. 10. 1. Iohn 1. Gala. 4. Col. 2. Machab. 1. Daniel 6. Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 15. Rom. 14. 1. Cor. 8. 1. Iohn 4. 1. Iohn 3. Iohn 17. Iob. 16. Ibid. Rom. 15. Iohn 17. Ierem. 7. Psal. 14. Malac. 1. I. Tim. 3. Psa. 118. Matth. 10. Mat. 5. Act. 14. 〈◊〉 Cor. 5. Heb. 12. Athanas. ad solitariam vitarn agentes Psal. 11. Exod. 12. Iudges 〈◊〉 Ier. 2. Ier. 1 〈◊〉 Ierem. 44. Gal. 4. Gala. 3. Gal. 5. Gala. 4. Psal. 14. Eecle 4. Maâ—…h 10. Iohn 14. 1. Iohn 4. 1. King 2â—… Aug. contra Fauflum lib. 22. cap. 80. Matt. 24. 2. Pet. 3. 〈◊〉 Thes. 4. Mat. 24. 2. Pet. 3. Mat. 24. Iohnâ—… Matth. 16. 1. Cor. 3. Chrys. hom 55 in Mat. Hom 13. de verb. dom sec. Mat. Ioh. 3. Iohn 6. â—…g in Psal. 98. Itid Primas in apoc ca. 16. Greg. in 10. ca. 29. lib. 19. ca 9. Mat. 23. Luke 19. Tim. 4. Bern. Serm. 6. in Ps. 91. Greg. lib. 6. epist. 30. 1. Cor. 14. Chri. ho. 36. in 1. ad Cor. Tertul in Apologetics Chris. in 14. 1. Corinth Matt. 11. Psal. Beaâ—…e Mariae ps 2. Bernardinus in Mariali Luke 22. Mâ—…tth 16. 1. Per. 2. Act. 20. Luke 18. Mat. 24. Rom. 11. Exod. 4. Esaie 45. Esâ—…i 35. Galat. 4. Iohn 1. Iohn 3. Mat. 11. Luke 10. Dan. 7. Reue. 13. Heb. 10. Ibid. Eph. 1. Matt. 26. Iohn 18. Ioh. 13. Mat. 17. Marke 10. Iohn 5. Psal. 22. Phil. 2. Matt. 8. Luke 12. Matth. 11. Irenaeus lib. 5. cap. pâ—…timo Reu. 13. Dist. 96. satis cuideter Bulla Pii V. contra Eliz. In concilio Later sess 4. Extravag Ioh 22. cum inâ—…er in glosa tid clemenâ—… in prooemio in glosa Extra de Maior obedientis Summa angâ—…i in dictione Papa Extra de conâ—… statuta canonun Felinus 9 Qu. e. 3. câ—…ncta Pit de paludede potest Pp. Artic. 4. Distinct. 40. non no 1 in glos Euseb. de praepara li. 〈◊〉 Greg. in Iob. lib. 25. cap. 14. Marke 16. Psal. 19. 1. Ioh. 2. Hieron dial cont Luciferian ca. 7. Matth. 13. 〈◊〉 Tim. 4. Hieron in 11. Dauiel Mat. 24. Mat. 6. Matt. 7. 1. Thes. 5. Psal. 145. Epi. 13. Ioh. 1. Cor. 2. 〈◊〉 Cor. 4. Greg. lib. 4. Epist. 38. Greg. lib. 6. Epist. 30. Oraeulorum cap. 8. Reuel 17. Syb. oracul cap. 8. Iraen lib. 5. cap. vltimo Bern epist. 125. De ciuit dei li. 20. ca. 19. Ad Algasia Hieron Quaest. 11. Ibid. Hil. contra Auxentium Ibid. Reuel 17. Aug. in Psa. 9. Johan de Paris de potestat regia ca. 22. Greg. 〈◊〉 33. ca. 22. in lob Dan. 7. Dan. 7. Hiero in 11. Zâ—…cgar Ibid. De 〈◊〉 dai li. 20. ca. 19. Chriso hom 4. in 2.2 Thess. Extra de costit licet 9 qu. 3. cuÌ„ci 10. de parisiis de pot reg papali Dist. 40. non nos in glosa Pet. de palâ—… de depot. Pp. Art 4. Extra de translat Epi. quanto in glo Distinct. 40. si Papa in glosa Ibid. De transâ—… Epis ca. quanâ—… glosa â—…is 7 Daniel 7. 10. Maior in 4. sentent dist 20. qu. 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 4. Mark 13. Mat. 7. Mark 16. Heb. 2. 2. Tim. 3. Exod. 7. Exod. 8. Wis. 17. Ier. 11. Rom. 1. 2. Cor. 2. Act. 4. 2. Pet. 2. Iohn 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 13. Psal. 36. 1. Cor. 〈◊〉 Ioh. 6. Ioh. 3. Psal. 109. Tit. 2. Coloss. 1. Rom. 10. Rom. 10. Esai 65. 1. Tim. 4. Luke 22. 1. Cor. 11. Mat. 21. Aug. quae 43 in quaestion vâ—…ter no vitestam Wisd. 1. Rom. 10. Reuel 1â—… Eza 11. 2. Cor. 10. Hicro libâ—… in 2. Abâ—… 2. King 19. Dan. 4. Exod. 14. Reu. 17. Reu. 1. Heb. 4. 1. Sam. 5. Exod. 7. Reu. 14. Reuel 16. Reuel 17. Reuel 18. Iohn 1. 1. Iohn 1. Matt. 9. Esaie 48. Psal. 22. Eph. 2. Hcb. 11. Rom. 10. Philip. Reu. 18. 19. Matt. 18. Matt. 11. Psal. 68. Iohn 15. Act. 16. 2. Cor. 4. Psal. 67. Iam. 5. Matt. 6. Ierem. 44. Matt. 15. Mat. â—…3 1. Cor. 5. 1. Tim. 3. 1. Tim. 4. 1. Cor. 9. Prou. 12. Prou. 28. Prou. 20. Eccle. 23. Ezech. 16. Mat 12. Ephe. 4. 1. Tim. 3. 2. Cor. 11. 2. Cor. 11. 2. Tim. 4. Matth. 18. 1. Cor. 5. 1. Tim. 1. Num. 5. Gen. 17. Luke 10. Ioh. 20. Matt. 18. Psal. 59. Psal. 35. Psal. 69. Psal. 109. Luke 19. 2. Cor. 11. Eus lib. 3. cap. 23. 2. Sam. 18.
in the wildernesse wée call vppon the people to prepare the waie of the Lorde and to make his paths straight wée giue warning that the Lord is euen at hand He that teacheth is nothing hée that planteth is nothing he that watereth is nothing our tongue is nothing our word is nothing our wit is nothing Peter is nothing Paul is nothing It is God which openeth the hearts of the people and maketh them tremble at his words It is God which giueth the increase and maketh his worde to be of force The Prophet saith The Lord gaue the worde great was the companie of Preachers It is the worke of GOD both to make his worde mightie and to make the people to receiue it and yéelde vnto it Hée giueth vs hearts to féele the comfort of his word and to yéeld our obedience in doing as the worde requireth For he is the father of lights from whom al giftes are powred downe vppon vs. Wée are the children of Adam wée are flesh and bloud and nothing but vile claie and ashes Our eies are dimme our senses dul and our hearts heauie Christ telleth vs truely Without me ye can do nothing neither heare the word nor beléeue it I marke your presence that you are manie gathered together this daie in this place Euerie man séemeth to stand with bent countenance and earnest lookes and desirous to learne And albeit I which speake am but a worme vnworthie to créepe vppon the earth yet the word which we haue heard is the word of God the word of comfort and the word of life But God knoweth in al this companie how manie haue eares to heare In the Acts of the Apostles when God opened their harts they vnderstoode the Scriptures Before they heard and knew not what they heard Paule preached Lydia a woman which solde purple heard him the Lord opened her heart that shée hearkned vnto Paul Then she vnderstoode his words and beléeued This comfort is of God who hath loued vs and hath giuen vs euerlasting consolation he wil giue you vnderstanding hearts and will stablish you in euerie word and good worke CHAP. 3. FVrthermore brethren praie for vs that the word of the Lord maie haue free passage and be glorified euen as it is with you PRaie for me that I may be a faithfull seruante doing the will of GOD from my heart that he will open my mouth boldly to publish the secret of the Gospell and to declare the riches and glorie of his kingdome For of my selfe I am nothing I haue not the key of Dauid I cannot giue light vnto the worâ—…e and am not able to open the hearts of the people That the word of God may haue free passage he saieth not praie for vs that my word may haue passage or that my name may be spoken of and glorified or that the people may beholde my doings and talke of me For we preach not our selues but Christ Iesus the Lorde and our selues your seruants for Christes sake I am but an vnprofitable seruant I am the poore Ore that treadeth out the wheate I am a poore crier to proclaime the will of the Lorde Praie you that the worde of the Lorde may haue frée passage that the Gospell of Christ may be glorified that the hearts of the people may be readie and gréedie to receiue it that the kingdome of Heauen suffer violence and the violent take it by force that the worde may so possesse the heartes of the people as fire hath passage through stubble that it may shine as the sunne beames ouer al the worlde that it may be knowne from Cast to Weast and from North to South In this forte pray that the worde may haue a glorious entraunce into you and also among other Héerein shall appeare the loue you haue to the Saintes and the zeale you beare to the house of God when you wish others to be partakers of his blessednesse with you when you séeke not your owne glorie but the building of the Church of Christ when you praie that GOD will be mercifull vnto otherâ—… as vnto you that a light may be giuen to them which sitte in darkenesse and in the shadow of death that they may knowe the time of their visitation Such a praier made Dauid God be merciful vnto vs and blesse vs and cause his fare to shine among vs that they may knowe thy waie vpon earth thy sauing health among al nations Let the people praise thée oh God let al the people praise thée Thus did Hieremie praie Turne thou vs vnto thee oh Lord and we shall be turned Giue vs a new heart and a new spirit encline our hearts vnto thy testimonies that wée may knowe and feare thy name So did Christ teach vs to praie Halowed be thy name among the infidels which knowe thée not let thy name be had in reuerence among al people Thy kingdome come thy will be done There is no other God but onelie thou let al the earth come and worship thée Euen so must we also pray that the word of God may haue frée passage and his name be glorified in al places V. 2. And that we may be deliuered from vnreasonable and il men for al men haue not faith 3. But the Lorde is faithfull which will stablishe you and keepe you from all euill 4. And wee are perswaded of you thorowe the Lorde that yee both doe and will doe the thinges which wee commaunde you 5. And the Lorde guide your heartes to the loue of GOD and the wayting for of Christ. From vnreasonable and euil men Which conspire against the Lorde and his annointed which blaspheme that good name that is called vpon vs. Such were Iannes and Iambres which resisted Moses in the time of the lawe Such were they in the time of the Prophets which saide The worde that thou hast spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lorde wee wil not heare it of thee But we wil doe whatsoeuer thing goeth out of our owne mouth as to burne incense to the Queene of Heauen as we haue done both we and our fathers our Kings and our Princes Such were in the time of the Gospel the Scribes and the Pharises Which made the commaundement of God of no authoritie by their tradition Which turned darknesse into light and light into darkenesse Such was Alexander the copper smith Such were others The whole Scriptures are ful of such They were false prophets false Apostics false brethren They cauled diâ—…sion in the church They went out to preach in the name of Christ but inwardly they were rauening woolues Such were in the dayes of our fathers and such there are in our dayes such Iannes and Iambres such idol worshippers such srorners of Gods word such scribes and Pharises such Alexanders such false prophets false Apostles and false brethren we haue more than a good many in our dayes They pretend the Gospel no man more In company of protestants
they wil be protestants in company of others they are quite become contrarie They come to the church and receiue the holy communion they resort secretely to corners where they heare masse They like the one and like the other They like the light and they loue darkenesse and make no difference betwéene them These are readie to serue Christ and also readie to serue Antichrist faithful neither to God nor to Baal And this is among many counted the highest point of wisedome to be able so to colour and hide himselfe that you shal not know what profession he is of to what church he ioyneth himselfe what religion he holdeth whose worde or Gospel he followeth in what GOD he beléeueth Such there are And they onelie bée the singuler men reckoned the sine wittes and cunning fellowes of the worlde This is to be lamented that in a christian estate there should be any such That they at whose handes God shal require a straiter accoumpt than of others because he hath giuen them the vse of greater talents either of wit or of learniâ—…g or of preferment or of riches should so mispende the good giftes of God or vse his talents to such euil purpose that they more than al other shoulde deuise meanes how to deny Christ among men and as much as in them lieth to seeke to crâ—…e againe the Lorde of glorie The lewes deale not so wickedly the Turks deale not so traiterously The Jeâ—…e although his case bee miserable and his heresies most dangerous yet hee is earnest in his folly he wil not dissemble his profession The Turke is faithful vnto Mahomet and wil not denie or forsake him These false brethren and dissembling christians are worse than Iewes and Turkes They are voyde of conscience voyde of sayth voyde of feare of shame and of the grace of GOD. They are filthie swine shamelesse dogges and the enemies of the crosse of Christ. These hinder the passage of the Gospel and blaspheme the holie worde of their saluation and do al that in them lyeth to abolish the light of Gods truth S. Paule telleth vs al men haue not faith many hearts lie naked and voide of faith many séeme to liue and yet are dead Howsoeuer these men carie out their doings in this life they cannot mock God He knoweth who are his Christ shall say vnto these running witted dissemblers depart from mée ye hipocrites I knowe you not You shal receiue your portion with the diuel and his Angels Pray that we may be deliuered from such vnreasonable and euil men that they stoppe not the frée passage of the Gospel that they may haue no power against the glorie of God Then shal it appeare that God is faithful in al his wordes and holy in al his workes that his truth and mercie shal last for euer He wil establish vs in al goodnesse and defende vs from al euil he wil kéepe vs from al the power of Satan he wil kéepe vs from al temptation that the wicked shal not preuaile against vs. And we are perswaded of you through the Lorde that ye both doe and wil doe the things which wee warne you of You knowe what commaundements we gaue you by the Lord. I spake vnto you the wil of GOD and not mine owne I was vnto you but a messenger to deliuer vnto you such an errand as GOD sent vnto you I hope ye haue receiued it in such dutie as becommeth and that you both doe and wil hereafter obey it I am your phisitian The receipt which I haue giuen you is soueraigne and shall worke your health I trust it tarieth with you you brooke it wel I haue spoken vnto you in the name of God His name is holy He wil cause that my labor shal not be in vaine but wil make it fruitful in you Although al men haue not saith yet al men are not voide of faith Although there be many the children of this world yet there be some the children of light he that is of God heareth the worde of God They that be the sonnes of God are obedient to the wisedome of god their father God guide your harts that you may loue him that you may knowe what good God hath wrought vnto your soules that you may sée the depth of his mercie that in al your tribulation and aduersitie vnder the crosse and in your death you may looke for the day of Christ when the trumpet shal be sounded the graues shal be opened the dead bodies shal come foorth and we shal bée taken vp into the cloudes then shal he chaunge our vile bâ—…die that it may be like his glorious bodie then shal we be like the Angels of God wée shal sée God face to face and rest with him for euer V. 6. We warne you brethren in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ that yee withdrawe your selues from euerie brother that walketh inordinately not after the instruction which he receiued of vs. The kingdome of God is like to a draw net â—…ast into the Sea that gathereth of al kinde of thinges it is like a fielde wherein groweth both corne and wéedes Sundrie Uirgines went out to waâ—…e vppon the Spouse some were wise some were foolish some had oyle in their Lampes some had none Many came to the mariage some had their wedding garment some lacked it Manie are called but fewe are chosen Some beare the name of christians yet liue in Vsurie to the spoyle and vndoing of their brethren Some beare the name of Christians yet liue in adulterie and fornication as the heathen which knowe not God These be they through whom the name of God is euil spoken of Therefore sayeth Paule I warne you that you withdrawe your selues from euerie brother that walketh inordinately Forsake him refuse his companie eate not with him druâ—…ke not with him that so he may be ashamed of his filthinesse Keceiue him not to your house nor bid him God spéede For he that biddeth him God spéede is partaker of his euil béedes Haue you no fellowship with the vnfruitful workes of darkenesse but euen reprone them rather A little leauen doth leauen the whole lâ—…mpe The wrath of god shal come not onelie vpon those which commit wickednesse but also vpon al those which consent to the working thereof Among the Corinthians one had committed incest taken his fathers wife Saint Paule sayeth Let such one be deliuered vnto Satan for the destruction of the fleshe that the spirite may be saued in the day of the Lorde Iesus Deliuer him vp to Satan Marke his â—…rdes and in what case he speaketh them For they that delite in wickednesse are sold ouer vnto sinne which are filthie and increáse in filthines They are not of God they haue no part in the Church of God The Diuel and Satan hath power ouer them therefore deliuer thâ—…m vp vnto Satan The rewarde of sinue is death the soule which hath sinned shal die For this cause hath the