Redemption The Doctrine of the Apostles is that Christ is our onely Priest for euer according to the Order of Melchizadech that with once offering of himselfe hath for euer made perfecte them that bee sanctified But the Church of Roome telleth vs that Christe hath a state of Priesthoode succeeding him which must dayly and continually offer the very natural body and blood of Christe to God the Father for the remission of the sins of y e quick the dead The Doctrine of the Apostles is that Christe is the only Mayster and teacher of his church in his holy word hath deliuered vnto it al truth But the Church of Roome teacheth vs that Christ hath not deliuered vnto vs all truth but that there be many thinges necessarye to be beleeued which are not contained in the Scriptures herevpon doe they ground al their vnwritten verities and vayne tradicions of men saying that they are to bee receiued with the like Reuerence that the written worde of GOD is The Doctrine of the Apostles is that Christ is the onlye Heade of his Churche and the Ruler and gouernor of the same but the Church of Rome would perswade vs that the Pope his successors are the heads of the vniuersall church of Christ The doctrine of the Apostles is that Christ is the only Foundacion ground of his Church wherevpō it resteth and is stayed for S. Paule sayth that No man can lay any other foundacion then that is layd Christe Iesus But the church of Rome teacheth vs that S. Peter and his successours be the foundation of the Church and that Hell gates shall neuer preuayle against that church that is builded vpon that foundation This may you see very euidently how well the doctrine of the Church of Roome agreeth w t the doctrine of y e Apostles And therfore though they haue personall Succession neuer so muche yet because they haue not Succession of this true doctrine that may not iustly be taken for the right Churche of Christ Now if they will continue to aske of vs where oure Succession is We aunswere that wheresoeuer since the comming of Christ there hath bene any persons vpon the the face of the earth that haue confessed this sincere truth and doctrine We say that they are our predecessors we are their Successors and with them members of the true Church Therefore our church is not so new a Church as they would make it but as auncient as the Doctrine is which is the most auncient Doctrine y t euer was vpon the face of the earth But if this their personal Successiō be the greatest proofe of their Church What will they saye of the Grecians Who haue hadde Successyon of Bishops for as long continuaunce as they haue and yet did neuer acknowledge the Supremacy of Rome nor that it was the only Catholike church but a member of it only as others were Oh will they say The Grecyans were Scismatickes yea but they haue cōtinual succession of Bishops professing Christ And by what authority proue they that forsooth because they separate themselues from the Apostolicall Sea And is that sufficient Why if the Grecians are to bee counted Scismatyckes because they forsake the sea of Roome howe muche more is Roome it selfe to be counted no true Churche whiche hath swarued from Christe himselfe as before I haue declared both in Doctrine and in the right vse of the Sacramentes Wherefore their alleadging of the name and Title ot the Church is euen a lyke shyft as the Jewes vsed against Ieremie and the other Prophets of God in old tyme saying Templum Domini Templum Domini i. The Tēple of the Lord The Tēple of the Lord. Whereas the Lord did acknowledge nothing among them to bee his So do they now crie we are the catholique church We are the catholique Church and God hath promised that he will neuer forsake it but alwaye assiste it with his holye spirite and therefore hath it prospered so many yeares Or if the Churche of Roome be not the true Church there hath bene no church at all for certayn hundred yeares For where was your churche scene within these fourty yeares before Luther began What token was there of your Doctrine had christ no church at al yes truely had he God forbid that Christ at any time should not haue his true church But good people it is not alway necessarie that the churche of GOD should be Notable or flourishe in the outwarde face of the Worlde by continuall Successyon of Byshops GOD and the worlde bee contrary and therefore often times the Churche is more notable by contempte of the world and persecution then by great Number or Power Yea sometime they whiche in the outwarde shewe of the Worlde and by certayne externall Signes mighte seeme to bee the Church and haue taken vppon them the name of the Churche and people of GOD haue bene persecutors and to theire power the Oppressors of the true Churche of God as it appeareth towarde the Prophets towarde Christe himselfe and towarde his Apostles Wherefore though the heads and gouernors of the church with the assistance of the greater number doe forsake the true worde worshipping of God doe make new lawes repugnante to gods word do bring newe Rites ceremonies into the church and vtterly corrupt and deface the righte Sacramentes and true markes of the Churche yet GOD reserueth to himselfe his true churche sending from tyme to tyme Doctours and Teachers to lead them although the same bee not allowed by them that will bee counted the Ordinary gouernoures of the churche but esteeme them as Scismatiks as Heretiques as disturbers of the people of God So were the Prophetes vsed so was Christe himselfe and his Apostles serued by the Jewes that woulde be counted the true churche of of GOD. But this I wil declare vnto you by particuler Examples Noe had preached as some write sixe score yeares but to howe small effecte it did afterwarde appeare when that in the Deluge eyghte personnes onelye of his Familye were saued Consyder then what countenaunce the Churche of GOD had in the World before the Deluge when it consisted onlye in eighte Personnes and they not the best esteemed in the time of Abraham Isaac and the Patriarches In how few and small families were they dispersed vpon the face of the Earth in whome the dignitie of the Church consisted Achas King of Iuda Vria the high Bishop and the other Priests not resisting him shut vp the Temple of GOD and tooke away the Chayre so that vndoubtedly the ordinary Sacrifice and Teaching of Gods Lawe did cease and yet was there an holy and true Church in the Kingdome of Iuda where Esay and other good men did Teach but extraordinarily Vnder Manasses the true Doctrine and celebration of the Sacramentes ceased and so this Defection continued vntill it was refourmed by the good King Iosias yet
commaundeth that christians willing to vnderstand the sure ground of faith should haue recourse to no other thing but to the Scriptures And agayne in the same place Before time it was euideÌ„t by many meanes what the true churche was and what gentillitie but now after that heresie is growne into the church there is no way whereby it may be knowne but only by the Scriptures Now Dearely beloued we shunne not this Triall we desyre to be iudged hereby only we say with Moyses yea with God himselfe Nothing is to be added or taken away from his worde We say with S. Iohn 20 chapter So much is written that if we beleeue we shall haue saluation by the name of Christ We say with S. Paule that the scriptures can make vs wise to saluation We say with S. Paule agayne that the scriptures written by the inspiration of the holy ghost are profitable to teache to reproue to correct to instruct in Iustice and to make a man perfect in all good workes Finally we say with S. Ambrose Noua omnia quae Christus non docuit iure damnamus quia fidelibus vita Christus est i. All newe Doctrine which christ hath not taught we rightly condemne because that christ is life to all the beleeuers Contrariwise the aduersaries of the Gospell will not abide this triall of their Doctrine but seeke by all meanes they can to auoide it I wil not in this place discribe their whole practise herein but I will note vnto you three pointes First the keeping of the scriptures in an vnknowne tongue from the common people and to make it little lesse then Heresie to haue it in their mother tongue Haue not many good men partly lost their liuing and borue fagots partly bene burned for no other cause Manye yet aliue knowe it to bee true But they did not only finde this meanes to keepe it from the common people of GOD but brought to passe that it was almost out of vse euen with the learned sorte of which very fewe did reade the Texte of the Bible you had almost tenne that wrotte vppon the mayster of the sentences The greate heapes of schoolewriters declare this to be true Secondly they doe marueilously disgrace and discredit the Scriptures as vnsufficient to saluation and not contayning all necessary truth but that there are manye Articles of necessity to be beleeued whiche are not contayned in the Scriptures So sayth Lindan lib. 1. Cap. 10. The Apostles sayth hee Woulde not committe certayne principall pointes of our Fayth to paper and ynke thereby to perishe and be forgotten but they committed them to the faythfull hartes of Christians As though those thinges remayned more sure whiche be committed to the frayle memorye of seeble men in this sinfull world then those thinges that by the spirite of God are put in writing Doe you not see howe this malicious and reuolting Aduersary doth ouerthwart the gratious and ordinary prouidence of God in preseruing the truth of his doctrine and holy will When God saw that the law written in the heart of man was in continuaunce of time by corruption of the world greatly blemished and almoste cleare forgotten then that it might bee renewed and remayne more surelye in the memoryes of men did hee not by Moyses put the same in writing But this is the manner of the olde Heretiques as Irenaeus sayeth When they are confuted by the Scriptures they fall to blame and accuse the scriptures as though they were not in good case and of sufficient Authoritie and because they may be diuersely interpreted or as though the truth could not be knowne by them without the knowledge of Traditions For say they the truth was not deliuered by them but by the liuely voice of the speaker Hitherto Irenaeus This was the gappe whereby almoste all Heresies were drawen into the Churche that eyther they deâ—ied the Scriptures or else depraued them as vnsufficient without priuate traditions reuelations And so the aduersaries at these dayes strine to keepe the same gappe open as well for the maynteinaunce of their tradicious as for that they see they are not by them hable to maintayne the moste of their Doctrines What shall I say of them which are not contented by these means to accuse and discredit the Scriptures as the old Heretiks did but giue vnto the sacred written worde of God contemptible and blasphemous titles of reproche as to call it A dead writing A dumbe maister doubtfull and vncertaine A black Gospell Dead ynke Ynkie Diuinitie A Nose of waxe A leaden Rule c. But the eternall and euer liuing God whose immortall word scede of life they so reuile sitteth in heauen and seeth their wicked blasphemy howsoeuer conningly they will seeme to cloake their doinges Thirdly they say the scriptures take authority of the church and therfore that the Church is aboue y e scriptures and her authoritie the greater Sine authoritate ecclesiâ— saith Friar Soto Scriptura sacra non habet authoritatem hoc certissime fatemur i. Without the authoritye of the Church the holy scripture hath no authoritie This we confesse most certainly As though the maiestie of Gods wisdome the truth contained in the scriptures depended vpon the authoritie of man For though the Church be neuer so holy yet it consisteth of men which maye and often times do erre when they leane not to the word of God Oh say they how know you that the Scriptures came from God but by the church I graunt dearely beloued that the true church that is the faythfull people of God haue the spirit of discretion to discern what writings are according to the law Prophets which are not And therfore the Godly Fathers in the primatiue church partly in the time of the Apostles partlye after reiected many counterfeyted writinges fathered by Heretiques vppon some of the Apostles because they agreede not with the lawe and the Prophets nor were agreeable to the Analogie of fayth and truth of Doctrine contained in them and so by their witnesse they iustifyed the truth of those canonicall scriptures and that no other ought to be Judges ouer them or in any part of doctrine in them or to haue authoritie aboue them or withoute them When a Prince sendeth a commission to certayne â—ounsaylers they may by their skil in the lawes in the realme and practise of gouernmente consult whether it be a right true commission or other wise but when they haue by their iudgement determined that it is a true commission vnder the Princes hand and seale they take not to them Authoritye ouer it yea they submitte themselues in all thinges to bee ruled by it They may not be so bold to ad to diminish to change or to interprete it further then authority doth warrant theÌ„ So is it with the church of Christ it must submit it selfe to be directed by the word of God
of the Gospell are offended to heare the Preachers to reproue not onely their outwarde euill workes but also to require that man shoulde vtterly forsake himselfe die vnto sinne mortifie the fleshe together with the lustes thereof and so wholy to be giuen and addicted to Christ and his holy will that we should not so much as keepe company with the wicked and vngodly Oh saye they you cleane take away all curtesie and pleasaunt life and bring into the worlde a Monkish Stoicall seueritie and solitarinesse contrarie to all ciuill fashion and humanitie Wherfore when we tell the iolly Gentlemen and lustie Courtiours that their gorgeous apparell is but a lewde wasting of their thrift and a loose vanitie that their ydle swearing is horrible blasphemie that their Dicing DauÌ„sing and dalieng is wicked spending of time and practises of impietie they mislike this doctrine they are ashamed of this Gospell and in their outrage depraue the Preachers and speake ill of them When we tell the fine Ladyes and Gentlewomen that their painted coates with gazing colours their friâ—â—ed heare and imbrodered hattes their â—itle Cappes and light Fethers are but instruments of wantonnesse snares of sinne and open tokens of lightnesse they are displeased with vs. In their brauerie they scoffe at vs they thinke it a shame for them to be taught out of the Gospell to goe like graue Ladies and sober or sad Matrons When we tell the couetous riche men that they shoulde not heere laye vp the treasures of the world but seeke after euerlasting ryches that no rust can consume When wee tell them that they brought nothing into the worlde and as assuredly shall carrie nothing out of the worlde when wee byd them gyue the one halfe of their goods vnto the poore and restore agayne those that they haue yll gotten as Zacheus did They mislyke our doctrine they are ashamed of the Gospell they go with heauie heartes from the Sermon as the yong riche man went from Christ When with Saint Paule wee tell the riotous gluttons that they shoulde walke soberly as in the daye time and not pamper vp theyr fleshe to vice and wantonnesse by feastyng by banqueting by riotous feedyng and drunkennesse but that they shoulde put on the Lorde Iesu Christ and not followe the fleshe by satisfying the lust thereof they thinke it an harde doctrine they thynke the sweete of their life taken from them and therefore are ashamed in that to followe the Gospell But they that bee the true people of God consider that as Christ sayth He hath chosen his out of the world so he requireth that they shoulde forsake the worlde abandon the pleasures of the fleshe and vanitie of this lyfe die vnto sinne and by the seede of hys holy Gospell bee borne agayne to a newnesse of lyfe His Apostles also soundyng vppon the same string tell vs that wee should be seperated from this naughtie generation that wee may rise in Christ to a newnesse of life as an holy nation and set foorth his goodnesse that hath deliuered vs from darknesse to light vnestimable The same Apostles crie vnto vs and by Proclamation as it were exclude out of the Kingdome of heauen Whooremaisters Adulteres couetous men nyce and wanton persons drunkards backbiters contenders brawlers idolaters theeues and extorcioners Wherefore wee may not chaunge the lawes of the Citie of God and make these things to hang on the pleasures and affections of men that Christ and his Apostles haue so straightly and seuerely forbydden Therfore neuer let the pleasures of the worlde nor the maisters and maintainers of them pull you from the profession of the Gospel but still say with Saint Paule I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ c. Nowe are wee come to another quarrell that they make against the Gospell but as for this and other quarrels that they make against the Gospell they shall afterwarde bee intreated of ¶ The second Sermon Non me pudet Euangelij j. I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ for c. THe greatest defence that the aduersaries of the Gospel haue at this day for themselues and agaynst vs is the title authoritie of the Churche wyth that do they greeuously assault and trouble mens consciences and seeke to make them ashamed of the Gospell Oh saye they the professours of the pretensed Gospell at this day are but Schismatikes and Heretikes they are departed from the true and Catholike Church of Christ that hath continued these 1500. yeeres and is confirmed by Vniuersalitie Antiquitie and Generall consent This Church ought to be taken of al Christian men as the pillar and stay of al truth This Church by Christes owne promise can neuer erre This Churche is the house of God This Churche is the onely spouse of Christ Beside this piller there standeth no sounde truth Out of this house there is no saluation They are not the sonnes of God which are not the children of the Church Non est dignus deo patre qui non habet Ecclesiam matrem i. He is not worthie to haue God for his Father whiche hath not the Church for his mother This is a greeuous assaulte this is a sore batterie vnto mindes not yet confirmed this vndoubtedly hathe and dothe shake manye a weake conscience at thys daye For who wyll not bee afearde to bee out of the Churche of Christ to bee oute of the house of GOD to bee oute of the Arke of Noe and so moste certayne to bee ouerwhelmed with the water of desperation and condemnatioÌ„ But bee you strong in the Lorde and by the power of hys holy worde confirme and fortifie your consciences And first that you be not in this poynt astonied and troubled with a false alarume learne you out of the holy scriptures what the True Church of God is and what are the True markes of it wherby it must be knowne And then conferre the same with the Church of Rome that gyueth you thys assaulte and see whether you are departed from the Churche of Christ or from the state of Antichrist and synagoge of Sathan The Churche sometime in the Scripture is taken for the whole number of the elect of God that are and haue beene from the begynning of the worlde in all places and all ages euen to thys daye And this is that Churche that is the pyller of trueth This is that Churche that neuer can abyde in errour Thys is that Churche that by imputation of Gods mercye is the immaculate and vndefyled spouse of Christ but this Churche is not alwaye seene This is the inuisible Churche that is knowne to God alone and is neuer certaynely and truely and for the whole opened to mannes eyes For they by Hypocrisie maye seeme members of thys Churche whiche in deede are no partakers of it as appeareth by the example of Iudas And contrariwyse they to mans iudgement maye seeme not
to bee of this Churche which yet in Gods appoyntment are the certaine members of it as euidently was shewed in the example of S. Paule But the visible Churche that is discerned of man and by outwarde tokens is knowne to the worlde maye in thys manner bee described to you It is the multitude of all them bee they fewe or manye whiche beeing vppon the face of the earthe and called by the worde of the Gospell protest to beleeue in our Sauiour Christe looking for sanctification and saluation by hym and worshipping him according to his holy word That it is the whole multitude of all beleeuers it is euident when Christ himselfe sayth Ite predicate Euangelium omni creaturae i. Go ye and preache the Gospell to all creatures He excepteth none and therefore the grace of God and benefites of his Church are not tied to anye one place as to Rome to Hierusalem to Constantinople to Antioche or any other place That the number of this Church may be as wel small as great Christ himselfe teacheth saying Grex meus pusillus est i. My Flocke is verye small And where two or three be gathered togither in my name there am I in the middest of them Hereby maye you learne that the argument of Multitude or great number is not alwaye strong For by it the Doctrine of the Prophets the Doctrine of Christ and of the Apostles mighte be reiected which vndoubtedly were but few in comparison of them that misliked and reproued it That this multitude must be called by the word of the gospel S. Paule affirmeth Rom. 10. Fides ex auditu auditus per verbum Dei Et quomodo predicabunt nisi missifuerint that is Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God And how shall they preache vnlesse they be sent And therefore Christ did sende his Apostles to preache the Gospell that thereby they mighte by brought to the beleefe of the Church The members of the Church be graffed into it by professing the beleefe saluation in Christ In the 8. chapt of the Acts. When the Eunuche desyred Baptisme Phillip aunswered If thou beleeue with all thy harte thou mayst he aunswered I beleeue that Iesus Christe is the sonne of God By this branche of the description the Jewes and Turkes are excluded and as many as seeke other meanes of saluatioÌ„ then by Christ Jesus though y t they pretend to be christians though that they pretend to be the church This church is knowne by certayne markes and tokens Nowe what they are lette vs consider The Gentiles for the state of their Religion alleadge Pindarus and other Poets The Jewes their Talmud The Turkes their Alcorane and all sorts doe ground their religion vpon some authoritie But God in Esay to his people saith this Ego ineo cum his quiresipuerint in Iacob hoc meuÌ„ foeduâ— vt Spirit us meus qui est super te verba mea quae posui in ore tuâ— non recedant ab ore tuo neque ab ore seminis tui amodo vsque in saeculum i. I will make this my couenaunt with them that turne from iniquitie in Iacob My spirite that is vpon thee my words which I haue put in thy mouth shal not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seede from henceforth euen for euer Here you see that God willeth his church to sticke vnto his word And in the 10 of Iohn Qui ex deo est verbuÌ„ Dei audit He which is of God heareth Gods word And Oues meae vocem meam aâ—diunt c. My sheepe heare my voice and I know them and they follow me A stranger they wil not follow c. True doctrine then according to the word of God is one vnfallible token of the righte church of Christ For god by his Prophet by his sonne witnesseth that it is his worde and that it is his voyce that his people doe staye vpon This marke S. August acknowledgeth in his Booke Contra litteras Petil. I haue the manifest voice of my shepheard sayth hee without all circumstaunces declaring which is his Churche My sheepe heare my voice and they follow me Beholde we heare his plaine and euident voyce For how dareth he call himself christes sheepe that doth not vouchsafe to followe christe Let no man saye vnto mee what sayde Donate what sayde Petilian or Pontius for wee must not consent to catholike Bishops if they be in any pointe deceaued and iudge contrary to the canonicall scriptures c. And agayn If thou crie out recite vnto me any other thing vnderstaÌ„d then that after the voice of our sheapherd vttered euideÌ„tly vnto vs by the mouth of the Prophets by his owne mouth and by the mouth of the Euangelists we will not hearken to your voices nor giue eare to any thing that you shal speake Whosoeuer wil not waÌ„der froÌ„ his flock let him hearken to him let him folow him Now as Christ y â— true sheapheard doth call his sheepe by his voice lead them by his word so doth he mark theÌ„ by his Sacraments The Gentiles the Jewes the Turkes haue their ceremonies but only the church of christ hath the true SacrameÌ„ts by him appointed distributeth the same orderly lawfully vnto faithfull people according to his Justitucion for by one spirit saith S. Paule are we al baptised into one body And of y â— Lordes supper he saith We being many are one bread one body because we are all partakers of the same bread By these marks theÌ„ of baptisme the Lords supper Christ doth vnite his flock togeather in one folde maketh them known to be his Now let vs examine these tokens how well they agree to the Church of Roome Touching the fyrst how can they haue truth of doctrine which vse not that rule of Religion nor that Touchstone whereby onely all truth of faith and holinesse is tryed Can that Goldsmith alwaies haue good and pure mettall that doth not vse a right and true Stone to trye it The right touchstone perfect directory whereby all trueth in doctrine is known is The word of God deliuered in his holy scriptures Therefore sayth y â— Psalmist Thy word is a lantern to my feete and a light vnto my pathes And Christ himself saith vnto y e Jewes Search the scriptures for they beare witnes of me He imputeth the grosse errours of the Saducies to the ignoraunce of the scriptures The Conuerts of Berrhaea in the Acts to trie Paules doctrine did dayly search the scriptures whether all thinges were so as Paule preached This is it then wherby preachers and teachers are discerued This is it whereby the true church of God is tried This is it wherby al truth of doctrine is examined So sayth Chri. The Lord knowing the coÌ„fusion of al things that would be in the latter dayes
it must not adde diminish alter or change or otherwise by wrested interpretatioÌ„ draw it to another meaning then the Analogie of our fayth and the conference of one place with another place of it in it self may warrant And therefore it is strangely written of Hossius that if a man haue the Interpretation of the Sea of Roome vppon anye place of the Scriptures though he knowe not nor cannot vnderstande howe it can possibly agree with the wordes of Scripture yet is it sayeth hee the moste certaine worde of GOD. Yea they say that the interpretation of the scripture Varyeth with the practise of the Church so that as that changeth the interpretation of the Scripture chaungeth also Of this Vsurpation of authoritie ouer the worde of GOD and of this discrediting of the scriptures it commeth not onelye that they make in manye places Interpretations repugnant to the Text as when they interprete Datur for Offertur and Facite for Sacrificate But also that the moste parte of their Doctrines are contrarye to the expresse wordes of GOD and the Analogie of oure fayth As by example of a fewe you shall take the measure of the residue As for interpretations when Christ sayth in the matter of the Sacrament This is my body that is say they this is Transubstantiated or hath the substance of it turned into my Body contrary to all writers and the nature of al tongues expounding est the Verbe substantiue is by Transubstantiatur Let them shew eyther any auncient Father yea or anye latine writer that euer did the like and let them take the victorie Agayne where Christ sayth This is my body that is Giuen for you that is say they that is Offered for you So that that which he meÌ„t to be giuen to death vpon the crosse as al good christians vnderstand the place they to mayntayne their Sacrifice of the Masse drawe it to this that Christ then presently in the time of the Ministration offered his body to God the Father in waye of a Sacrifice And so for to mayntayne a deuise of their owne they doe robbe the people of God of that sweete promise and comfortable legacie wherein Christe in his last will assureth them that his body shoulde be giuen to Death for their redemtion In like manner when christ sayth Do this in remembraunce of me that is say they Sacrifice this in my remembraunce Wherein with as great absurditie as before they doe peruerte the meaning of Christ For where his purpose was to giue a warrante to all christian people to vse and celebrate this Sacrament in remembraunce of his death they bring it to bee spoken to Priestes only wringing them vtterly contrary to that exposition of Christes wordes whiche S. Paule maketh 1. Cor 11. saying So often as you eate this bread and drinke this Cuppe you shewe the Lordes death vntill he come Nowe as touching their Doctrines repugnaunte to Gods word you shall â—â—te these few examples in steede of many mo The Scripture teacheth that we haue redemption and iustification by fayth in Christes blood onelye without the helpe of our owne Vertues and good workes For S. Paule saith Therefore we gather that a man is iustified by faith without the deedes of the lawe And to the Ephe. 2. Ye are iustified by grace and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of works least any man should boast And yet if wee beleeue not that our workes doe helpe vs to our iustification and remission of sinnes the Churche of Rome will condemne vs as Heretikes The scriptures teach vs that Christ By once offering himselfe on the Crosse made perfect all them that are sanctified For so saith S. Paule to the Hebr. And yet by the Churche of Rome are they horrible heretikes that say there is not daylye sacrifice propitiatorie for our sinnes in their Masse The scriptures teach vs y t Christ is ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hande of God the Father and from thence and no place else he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead yet contrarie to this article of our faith and contrarie to the nature of Christes humanitie if wee beleeue not that Christ euen in his fleshe is still in earth with vs yea and that in a. 1000. places at once we must be pronouÌ„ced detestable heretikes The scripture saith in the vse of the Lordes Supper Bibite ex hoc omnes Drinke ye all of this The Churche of Rome saith it is heresie to affirme that y e lay people should drinke of the Lordes Cuppe The scriptures say Thou shalt make thee no grauen image nor thou shalte not bow downe to worship it The Church of Rome saith it is godlye to haue the churche full of Images to kneele downe before them to set vp candels to them and with incense to honour them The scripture saith In the Church it is better to speake fiue wordes vnderstanded to edifie than to speake tenne thousande in a tongue not vnderstanded yet you knowe the churche of Rome hath defined it that it is more fruitfull and godly to haue all the diuine seruice in a straunge and vnknowen tongue Wherefore howe truely they can claime to haue this first marke of Christes churche I doubte not but those consciences that haue the feare of God can easily perceiue As for the sacraments it is not onely sufficient to haue them but to haue those that Christ appoynted and to vse them accordyng to hys institution Saint Ambrose sayth verie notablye Qui aliter presumunt accipere quam Christus instituit deuotus esse non potest i. Hee that presumeth to receaue it he meaneth the sacrament of the bodye and bloud of Christ after another sorte then Christ hath ordained can not be accounted to be truely deuoute But howe they haue altered the Sacraments both in number and in the right vse of them no man almost can bee ignoraunt Where the Scriptures mention but two they haue appointed seuen I will not now stand vpon the number of sacramentes I will speake only of those which both parts agree to be sacraments Baptisme the Lordes Supper First as touching Baptisme we teache not onely as some falsely father vppon vs that it is signum Initiale a Signe wherby we be first consecrated Christians but wee adde also that we by faith and the operation of the holy Ghost doe put on Christ as a garment that is that wee haue him so fastened and appropriated to vs that he is ours and wee his and that he hydeth and couereth our nakednesse according as S. Paule saith As many as are Baptized haue put on Christ We beleeue and teache that Baptisme is to Christians the Fountaine of life whereby our sinnes are washed away So saith S. Peter Baptizetâ—r vnusquisque vestrum in nomine Jesu in remissionem peccatoruÌ„ i. Let euerie one of you
teache it to be a cognizaunce or badge of our Religion whereby wee bee separated and distincte from Turkes Jewes and all other Miscreantes and by the vse thereof confesse before God and the worlde that wee are of the number of them that looke to bee saued by the death of Christ And therefore sayeth Saint Paule Yee cannot drinke of the Cuppe of the Lord and of the cuppe of deuils Thirdlye wee teach it to hee a Seale added to the laste wyll of Christ to assure vs of all those legacies that in the same hee hath bequeathed vnto vs and principally that hys bodye was gyuen to death for vs and his blood shedde for the remission of our sinnes Fourthlye wee teache that it is a linke of vnitie among our selues and a spirituall ingraffing of vs into the mysticall bodye of Christ so that as the braunches haue lyfe and mayntenaunce from theyr roote and stocke so haue wee from Christ Lastlye wee teache that it is a spirituall and heauenly Feast and banquet◠wherein the sonne of God Christ Jesu offereth to the faythful hartes of Christians the heauenly foode of hys moste precious body and blood they therein receiue the same effectuallye truely indeede and not in sygne onelye for wee doe from our heartes detest that opinion that Christes body and blood is receaued in the Sacrament onely figuratiuely For S Paul sayth Panis quē frāgimus nonne comunicatio est corporis Christi poculus benedictionis cui benedicimus nonne comunicatio sanguinis eius est i. The breade whiche wee breake is it not the partakyng of the body of Christ and the cuppe of blefsing whiche wee blesse is it not the partaking of the blood of Christ Wee beleeue therfore teach that the faithfull Christians are made partakers of the bodye and blood of Christ indeede and of all the benefites procured vnto mankind by the same And yet wee meane not this carnally and grossely so that the Reall and naturall bodye of Christe vnder the shape of a rounde peece of breade or his blood vnder the forme of Wine entreth into our mouth and descendeth into the naturall partes of our bodye God forbyd As wee say with Christ He that eateth not his bodie nor drinketh hys blood hath no life in him So we say with Cyprian Non acuimus dentes ad mordendum sed panem sanctum fide syncera frangimus i. Wee sharpen not the teeth to byte but wee breake the holy bread with sincere faith And with August we say Quid paras dentcm ventrem crede manducasti i. Why preparest thou thy teeth and thy bellie Beleue thou hast eaten Faith then is y ◠mouth wherby we receiue Christ so digest him into y ◠stomacke of our soules That which Christ did generally vpon the crosse to y ◠whole world y ◠do we thinke to euery man perticularly with no lesse good effect through faith to be applyed in the Lordes Supper So farre bee wee from teaching it to bee a signe or figure onely Let vs nowe continue in the comparison consider how the church of Rome doth vse this sacrament But Lord God what a sea should I enter into if I should take vpō me fully to declare their abuse of this reuerend Mysterie I will not I cannot thys time wil not serue for it yea diuers sermons wil not serue to deliuer it Who knoweth not y ◠this onely matter hath occupyed the tongnes and pennes of all the learned of Europe I will therefore rehearse vnto you onely the titles of the abuses reseruyng the full discourse to some other tymes Christ instituted a Supper or holy Feast they make it a priuate repast In a feast there is both the Feast maker and the guestes but in theyr priuate Masse one supplyeth the person both of the Feast maker and of the guest Christ Instituted a Sacramente of thankesgeuyng as hee sayeth Doe thys in remembraunce of mee They make it a Sacrifice propitiatorie for the quick and for the dead hauing not one syllable of Gods worde for it Christ gaue breade they say there is no breade Christ gaue Wine they saye the substaunce of Wine is cleane vanished awaye Christ said Drinke yee all of thys nay saye they none but Priestes maye drinke of it Christ sayde when hee gaue breade This is my bodye and when he gaue Wyne This is my blood They saye when the aue or the other is gyuen that it is both the bodye and bloud I omitte that they mixed diuers corrupte doctrines and vnfruitful and daungerous Ceremonies I omitte that they made it a common Marchandize to buy soules out of Purgatorie Finally I omitte that they haue made of this heauenly mysterie a perpetuall matter of Idolatrie by leading the people in theyr Eleuations to worshippe the creature in steede of the Creator If I shoulde enter to declare how they haue wrested and wroong the words of Christes Institution it myght seeme to all men that haue the feare of God verye marueilous but this that I haue spoken may suffice Seeyng therfore they haue not the ryghte vse of the Sacramentes accordyng to the Institution of Christ they cannot challenge vnto them the second Note or marke of the true Churche of God but that the same remayneth rather wyth vs then with them Yea wyll some say but they haue one token wherevppon the olde learned Fathers dyd seeme more to stay their consciences than al y ◠residue that you haue spoken of that is Continuall succession of Bishops for y ◠space of 1500. yeeres Irenaeus Tertullian Augustine c. and other when truth was in controuersie heretikes challenged the name of y ◠Church did flie to this as a principall anker whereby to stay them and their doctrine I graunt deerely beloued that it is true in same respect they did so But I praye you who were they agaynst whom they so reasoned Forsooth Marcion Valentinian and other lyke Heretikes which did refuse reiect almost the whole Scriptures both of y ◠olde newe Testament And such few bookes as they admitted they had corrupted by adding chaunging and by pulling out that these learned Fathers were there by forced to appeale to the Succession of the Apostolicall Churches as well for the triall of the auctenticall Scriptures alway frō the Apostles age left among them as also for the iustifying of that doctrine which they taught out of the Scriptures and had bene alway obserued in the same That it was thus Tertul. himselfe witnesseth Ista haeresis sayth he non recipit quasdam scripturas si quas recipit adiectionibus detractionibus ad dispositionem instituti sui interuertit si recipit non recipit integras c. i. This Heresie doth not admitte certain Scriptures and those that it receiueth by additions and detractions it wresteth to her purpose as it receiueth certain so it receueth them not wholly c.
And yet doth Irenaeus confute the same Heretiks by those bokes of holy Scriptures which they themselues allowed Now as it was necessary in this case for those fathers for trial of truth to resort to the Succession of the Apostolicall churches that the scriptures in them reserued from the Apostles time mighte bee of more authoritie among them that beleeued not the scriptures So it is not necessary so to deale agaynst them which willingly and gladly submit themselues to all the partes of the Canonicall scriptures Neither do those Fathers stay vpō these churches because of their ordinary Successiō as the patrones of the church of Roome now doe but because in that ordinarye Succession the Doctrine of the Fathers was still kept inuiolable according to the word of God Whiche thing if the Church of Roome were able to prooue wee would willingly yeelde vnto it That those learned Fathers did this it shall euidently appeare vnto you by the verye same places whiche they alleadge for their purpose Irenaeus sayth Presbyteris obaudire oportet qui successionem babent ab Apostolis i. We must heare or giue eare to the ministers which haue their suc cessyon from the Apostles But he sayeth not so onelye but immediately addeth Et cum Episcopatus Successione charisima veritatis certum secundum placitum patris acceperunt i. And together with the Succession in their Bisho pricke haue receaued also the certaine grace of true Doctrine according to the will of the Father And in the very next Chapter agayne after he had giuen certayn Markes of ill teachers much agreeing to the course of the Church of Roome at these dayes he addeth Of all suche persons we must beware and cleaue to them which as I haue sayde before both keepe the Doctrine of the Apostles and togither with the order of Priesthood shew wholesome and true teaching with honest conuersation of life Neither doth Irenaeus onlye thus replye vpon the Doctrine of the Apostles but the residue also of those Fathers whome they alleadge for the authoritye of Succession Tertul. sayth as he is alleaged by them Let them shew the beginninges of their Churches Let the Heretikes deuise some such Succession c. But marke I pray you what immediately followeth For their Doctrine being cōpared with the doctrine of the Apostles by the diuersity and contrarietie thereof wil euidently shew it selfe to be the doctrine neither of any Apostle nor any Apostolicall man Doth he not in playne words shew y ◠Succession without the Doctrine of the Apostles is nothing worth S. Augusti likewise against the Epist Fūdamentum c. when he hath reckoned vp those things which moued him to remayne in the church among which Successiō is but one He addeth No such thing is with you where is only a promise of persons teaching the truth which truth if it were so euidently declared that we might not iustly doubt of it it were to be preferred before all those thinges with whiche I am kept in the Church c. What can be more euident then that S. Aug. doth attribute more to truth of doctrine manifestly proued by the word of God then to Succession or any other token that can be alleaged Succession with continuance of Apostolical Doctrine ought to be of great authoritie but without it nothing It is notable that Tertullian hath in the Boke before alleaged How commeth it saith he that Heretikes are straungers and ennimies to the Apostles but only by the diuersity of their Doctrine which they deuise of their own brayn agaynst the Apostles Wherfore the corruption of scriptures and the exposition thereof is to be thought to be among thē where diuersitie of Doctrine contrarye to the Apostles is founde This is a notable witnesse agaynst the church of Roome whose Doctrines be so diuerse from the doctrine of y ◠primatiue church The sonnes of Aaron had more allowable Succession from Aaron than the Bishops of Rome haue from Peter and yet because they brought straunge Fyre into the Temple of God they were reiected and perished Euen so sayth Cyprian Those which in the Churche of God do imitate them and contemning the truth deliuered by God desire strange doctrines and bring into the church the instruction of humain ordinance them Christ sharpely rebuketh in the Gospel saying You cast away the commaundement of God that you may place your own deuises c. Annas and Cayphas had full Succession from Aaron yet were it hard therevpon to conclude that they had the righte of the true Churche and Christe and his Disciples to be Seismaticks Though they pretend to haue the ordinary Succession of Bishoppes in their Seas sure wee are that wee haue the Succession of the sincere Doctrine of our saluation which they haue not For if their Doctrine be cōpared with the Doctrine of the Apostles by the diuersitye contrarietie thereof it will appeare that it is the Doctrine neyther of the Apostles nor of anye Apostolicall men The Doctryne of the Apostles is that Christe is not onelye GOD Eternall with the Father but that hee is Manne also taking fleshe of the blessed Virgine in all thinges like vnto vs sinne only excepted and that in his humanitie hee is nowe ascended into Heauen and sitteth perpetually at the right hand of the father But the Doctrine of the Church of Roome telleth vs that the humanitie of Christ and his very naturall body and blood are really and carnally not in heauen alone but in tenne thousande places also on the earth at one instante the whiche propertye is peculier to God alone For nothing but God can be in moe places but one at once As the whole scriptures declare The Doctrine of the Apostles is that Christ is by God appoynted to be our only Mediatour Reconciler Aduocate and intercessoure to make attonemente betweene God and vs so often as our sinne shall seuer vs from him and that to that end he sitteth now at the right hande of God that he may appeare before him for vs. But the doctrine of the Church of Roome putting Christ out of office teacheth vs that beside Christ we haue an infinit number of Mediatours and Intercessours to procure vs fauoure and to make reconciliation betweene God and vs that is the whole number of the Aungels and Saintes in Heauen The Doctrine of the Apostles is that Christ is our only Redeemer and sauyoure and by the price of his blood hath purchased for vs full and perfite remission of sinne But the Doctrine of Roome is that we haue remission of sins not onely by Christe but by the merites and prayers of saynts by our own good workes by Masses by Pardons by Purgatory by holy water a number of other things so that not without note of blasphemye they matche the vayne deuises of men for the remission of our sinnes with the Blood of the sonne of God the most excellente price of our
turne their studies to Lawe to Phisiche and to other purposes and will hardly be brought to the studde of Diuinitie but in no wise to followe the Ministerie But I will not tarrie longer in this matter althoughe I haue good matter to vtter in it The time doth abridge me I will returne to my purpose They that are ashamed of the Gospell in respect of worldly disdayue and trouble do not sufficiently consider that Christ in the middest of hys owne persecution and affliction saide that his kingdome was not of this world yea he sayde the world hated him because he detected the wickednesse of the worlde They therefore that will bee true followers of Christ may not looke to haue better intertainment in the world than Christ had himselfe If the world hate you sayth Christ you knowe that it hated mee before you If yee were of the worlde the worlde would surely loue that is his owne Because you are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the worlde therefore doth the world hate you The seruant is not aboue the maister If they persecuted me they will persecute you also And all these things shall they doe for my names sake And although wee be sure by Christes promyse that the worlde shall thus vse vs Yet consider how gratiously and mercifully he hath in these dayes delt with his scattered flocke Though Antichrist grenne and gnashe his teeth at vs Though the greatest powers of Europe be bent against vs yet as he promised by his Prophet Esay He hath giuen Kings to be nursing Fathers and Queens to be nursing mothers He hath raised to vs our most gratious soueraigne vnder whose protection praise be to his name for it we doe safely and quietly enioye the preaching of y ◠Gospell yea notw tstanding y e threatnings and indeuours of mighty aduersaries abrode some great enimies at home And yet still doth the say as I pray God she may long euer from hir heart say Non me pudet Euangelij c. I am not ashamed of the Gospell If any be so affected that they thinke the kingdome of Christ and his Gospell is but weake and worthie contempte because it is commonly tossed in daūger and trouble of the world and hath Princes more commonly against it then wyth it they are in that point much deceaued For thereby it may appeare that it is preserued kept by the mightie power of God and not by the vncertaine and brittle Fauour of Princes and worldly puisance which then commonly falleth most sodainly when it seemeth to men to florishe most gloriously to be in most high estate dignitie Looke in all the kingdomes of the earth if it hath not bene so But for the Church of God and Professors of his truth what a notable example is it of Diuine protection that when the whole world perished with the Deluge yet God in y ◠middest of the waters by the benefite of the Arke preserued his chosen sorte of the house of Noah from all daunger Likewise afterward Abraham and his posteritie was safe euen in the middest of the Caananites their enimies In Aegypt Gods people although for the time oppressed yet afterwarde myraculously were deliuered to the terrour of all Princes y ◠bend their power against God The same people were afterward fedde from heauen in the Desert when they despaired of foode and nourishment were planted in the land of Promise in despite of al their Enimyes preserued from extreame Ruine in great Chaunges Troubles and Banishments that the Relictes myght remayne whereof the Sauiour of the worlde Christ Jesu shoulde come c. ⸪ ¶ Certaine Sermons vppon this Texte of the Euangelist Beware of false Prophetes that come to you in sheepes clothing but inwardly be rauening Wolues By their fruites you shall knovve them Mat. 7. 15. AS wee haue nothing deerelye beloued more precious in this worlde then the blessed Word of God and his heauenly Doctrine taken out of it so haue we not any kinde of persons more worthy to bee loued and had in estimation than those whom God sendeth to impart the same vnto vs. Agayne on the other side as nothing is more perilous and pernitious to Gods people than false and corrupt Doctrine contrarie to Gods holy will reuealed in the scriptures so is there no sort of men more to be shunned and taken heede of than false teachers whom Sathan thrusteth into y ◠church of God to corrupt that precious Treasure meane of our saluation Wherefore our Lord and Sauiour Christ after that he had made that notable Sermon in the Mount to his Disciples and had set forth the true interpretation of the Lawe of God giuen by Moyses and discouered the false Doctrine and hypocrisie of the Scribes Pharisies and had rightly instructed his hearers in the true exercise of Almes Prayer Fasting trust in God and other workes of charitie not contented herewith but knowing the malice of the Diuell that would leaue nothing vndone wherby all hys Disciples myght be seduced from the trueth of his doctrine In this place he carefully giueth them thys forewarning that they shoulde take heede of false Prophetes that should come to deceaue them and as rauening Wolues to deuour their Soules And first he describeth them what they be that they may the better take heede of them Secondly he giueth a note rule or marke whereby they may more easily be knowne There was neuer time in which this warning was more necessarie then in these our dayes when so many diuers doctrines are spred defended and the one repugnant vnto the other The patrons of the Church of Rome say that we be schismatikes heretikes false teachers and therefore doe they will the people to beware of vs. Againe the professors of the Gospell charge them with the like and say they are those false prophets of whome Christ giueth warning Let vs first therefore examine the description and afterward come to the rule wherby they may bee knowne that all men may vnderstande to whether partie both those things can be more iustly aptly applyed They shall come to you saieth Christ in sheepes clothing but inwardly they are rauening Wolues This descriptiō is more largly declared by S. Paul Such false Apostles saith he are deceitfull workers and transforme themselues into the Apostles of Christ and no meruaile for Sathan himselfe is transformed into an Angell of light and therfore it is no great thing though his ministers transforme thēselues as though they were the ministers of righteousnesse c. And to the Thessa The comming of Antichrist is by working of Sathan with all power and signes and lying wonders and in all deceauablenes of righteousnesse That which Christ vttereth by a figuratiue speache That they should come in sheepes clothing that Saint Paule expoundeth to be their transformyng of themselues into the likenesse of Gods true ministers in
authoritie which preachers haue had the very same intertainmēt at their hands y ◠the ancient Prophets had of y ◠false prophets priests Princes of y ◠people We must not therfore beleue y t he is a true minister of god a deliuerer of sound Doctrine y t is furnished w t ordinary authority challengeth y ◠cōmendacion of successiō lawful calling for the wolues often times be couered w t that clothing And I wil note vnto you in this place one claw whereby you shall not lightly fayle to Discearne the greedy and greeuous Wolfe that is Tyranny crueltie and blood for the false Prophets are alwayes cruell and bloody Take Example of the olde false Prophets in the time of Esay Ieremie Micheas Zacharie and other and Christe himselfe doeth note that Marke in them in sundrye places of the Gospell Howe blooddye and cruell Eusebius and the other Arians and false Teachers were toward Athanasius other Godly catholike Bishops of that time the ecclesiasticall Histories doe largely declare might be layde down in this place if time would serue But neuer was shewed more notable examples herof thē in these oure dayes by the Popes their Prelates which to extinguish y ◠Gospell the true preachers professours therof haue bene Trompets to mooue Princes to war murder by sword fyre haue imbrued the whole earth with the blood of Gods saintes and blessed martirs But cōtrariwise the spirit of truth in the right preachers of God is alway charitable mild merciful so much as possible may be with the safety of the church of Christ detesting crueltie and blood Let example bee taken hereof by the practise of all the primatiue church for the space of sixe hundred yeares and of all the professoures of the gospell in these latter dayes in comparison of the contrarye part The third Lambes cloathing wherewith false prophets seeke to couer and hyde themselues is the goodlye name title of y e Holy Apostolical Catholique church wherewith they seeme gloriously to aduance set forward themselues as though that all their Doctrines Traditions deuises of new worship proceded not frō thēselues but were established by the perpetual consent of y ◠church and allowed by the sentence and interpretacion of the holy counsailes and ancient learned fathers Doctours and yet whē it shalbe rightly trulye examined it is nothing so In deede cōsent of y ◠church to true godly Preachers is not onely a goodlye and bewtifull Garment but a moste necessarie Ornament that men may not faigne and deuise Doctrines opinions and Phantasies of their owne heads but professe beleeue and teache the consent of the true Catholike Churche in that doctrine that was first planted in Paradice by God him selfe and after renewed and continued by the Patriarches and Prophetes and so published into the whole world by Christ himselfe and his Apostles The summe whereof is briefely contained in the articles of our faith teaching vs the vnestimable goodnesse of Almightie God towarde vs as well in making of the world as in redeeming mankinde by the Incarnation and deathe of hys Sonne c. This faith and beliefe ought to be established and conserued by the consent of the Catholike Churche from the beginnyng But it is of all Christian heartes to bee lamented that most wicked and rauening Wolues vnder this cloake of the Churches Consent do abuse the people of God bring into the Churche and maintaine straunge worshipping of God and what soeuer they haue newly deuised of themselues without iust warrant of the holy Scriptures and contrarie to the manifest doctrine of the Prophetes Apostles and auncient Fathers of the Primitiue Church And by the authoritie of this Title of the Church doe persecute and feare men from embracing the reformation of the Gospell and striue still by violence to keepe them in the blindnesse of ignoraunce and errour But for so much as I haue sufficiently and at large in another place spokē against this Lambes clothing and haue taught men how by certayne Tokens to espie the same I will not stande longer vpon it at this time but will referre the reader hereof to the seconde Sermon made vpon this Text the briefe some whereof was recited in this place The last Lambes clothing that I meane to note vnto you at this time is their Vaunting of myracles wonderous workes that haue bene done for the confirmation of their doctrines Ceremonies which they haue brought into the Church For as Christ by myracles did confirme the true doctrine of the Gospell so doe the Scriptures witnesse that wicked teachers members of Antichristes schoole shoulde vse the countenaunce of the same to leade men into errour For the Diuel doth often turne himselfe into an Angell of lyght and wyll seeme to imitate the diuine power of God That false Prophetes doe sometimes vse this clothing to commende themselues and their profession it is euident in many places of the Scriptures Iannes and lambres by this meanes resisted Moyses and did harden the heartes of Pharao and the Aegyptians against the messengers and people of God Simon Magus Elymas the Sorcerer by such straunge working seduced many Moyses giueth warning of such and wylleth the people of God to take heede of them saying If there arise among you a Prophete or a dreamer of dreames and giueth thee a signe or wonder and the signe or wonder that he hath tolde thee come to passe saying Let vs goe after other Gods c. Thou shalt not harken to the wordes of that Prophete for the Lord your God doth proue you to knowe whether you loue him with all your heart c. Christ himselfe sheweth that they be not all by and by true Prophetes and ryght teachers that haue power to worke Myracles Many will say vnto mee in that day Lorde Lorde haue not we in thy name prophesied haue we not cast out Diuells in thy name and by thy name haue done many great workes But it followeth Then I will professe vnto them I neuer knew you departe from mee all yee that worke iniquitie Here we see that with wickednesse and corrupt doctrine may be ioyned working of Myracles and straūge doyngs And agayne our Sauiour Prophesying of y e latter dayes sayeth Then if one saye vnto you beholde heere is Christ or there is Christ beleeue hym not for there shall aryse false Christes and false Prophetes and shall shewe great Signes and wonders in so muche that if it were possible the verie elect of God shoulde bee seduced Beholde I haue giuen you warning before And Saint Paule in lyke manner giuyng vs warning of Antichrist and his false Prophets sayth Whose comming is after the working of Sathan with all power signes and lying wonders and in all deceaueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse among them that perishe because they receiued not the loue of the truth
these manye hundred yeeres and by that meanes it is come to passe that the Texte of the Scriptures is nowe better vnderstanded than euer it was in anye age That sundrie poyntes of doctrine bee refourmed without which men can not possiblye haue anye true sense of Christianitie as the doctrine of Originall Sinne of the Lavve and the Gospell of Repentaunce of Faythe of Hope and Charitie whiche before were maruaylouslye corrupted and wrapped in darkenesse and errour Principally the wholesome doctrine of the grace and merite of Christ of Remission of Sinnes of eternall lyfe receyued by fayth in Christ and Sealed and confirmed by his Sacramentes doth in these dayes bryng vnestimable comforte to troubled consciences as well at all other tymes as chiefely at the houre of death when Sathan most seeketh to shake mennes consciences wyth desperation The sence hereof the godlesse Epicures and secure Hypocrites haue not but suche as feare God and haue any touche of conscience conceiue exceeding comforte thereby Men in these dayes also are better instructed to praye and call vppon the name of God and indeede doe the same more sincerely because they vnderstande what they speake whereas before when they were taught to praye in a straunge tongue it coulde not possibly bee that their heartes and lyppes coulde goe together which of al other was a most myserable seducing of the people and as it were a mocking of God and his seruice and a singular instrument of the Diuell to keepe the people in errour and blindnesse Lastlye as I haue fayde reformation of manners and lyfe in verye many hath beene wrought and I doubt not but a great deale of euyll in these myserable and corrupte latter dayes restrayned by the sincere Preachyng of the Gospell and earnest callyng of men to repentance whiche otherwyse surelye according to the infection of this tyme woulde haue broken out to greates corruption of mannes lyfe These fruites and a number suche lyke althoughe the aduersaryâ—â— wyll not acknowledge I trust suche as feare GOD and wyll but indifferently iudge of thinges can not choose but perceaue and wyth comforte confesse to bee true Thus haue you hearde that externall shewe of honest lyfe ordinarie callyng and succession the Tytle and Name of the Catholike Churche the vse and workyng of Myracles bee in deede the clothing of Christes true sheepe but yet that rauening Wolues oftentymes hyde themselues vnder them to deceaue Gods people You haue hearde that the fruites whereby false Prophetes are discerned and knowen is corruption of doctrine and teaching of errours and lyes And you haue hearde it euidentlye proued as well by the testimonie of Saint Iohn as other partes of the Scripture that those fruites haue beene in the Churche of Rome and not among vs whiche submit all our doctrines to the touchstone of Gods holye worde Lastly you haue hearde by comparison that the good fruites of godly life and detesting of sinne hath more prospered among the professors of the Gospell than among the patrones of the Churche of Rome The Lorde graunt vs the grace of his holye spirite that to his glorie vice and wickednesse may dayly bee more repressed and vertue and honestie more aduaunced ⸪ Amen ¶ Certaine Sermons made vppon this Text. 1. Cor. 10. 1. c. Moreouer brethren I would not that you should be ignorant that al our fathers were vnder the cloude and all passed through the Sea and were all Baptized vnto Moses in the cloude and in the Sea and did all eate of the same spirituall meate and all drunke of the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of the spirituall Rocke that followed them and the Rocke was Christ But with manye of them God was not pleased c. SAint Paul dearely beloued from the beginnyng of this Epistle blamed the Corinthians for sundry faultes and corruptions among them As that they had factions and dissentions one parte against another that they more esteemed in their Preachers eloquence of speeche then the simplicitie of Christ crucified that they made small accompt of him in coÌ„parison of some other corrupt teachers that they suffered incest among them vnpunished that they resorted to Idolatrous feasts with the heathen and did eate of those things that were offered to Diuels contrary to the sinceritie of true Christians Now because men are very prone to flatter their owne mindes by vaine pretences and to feede themselues in euill doing he preuenteth an obiection or excuse y â— happily they might make for themselues For they might haue said Sir we beare y â— name of Christ and bee Christians wee haue his Gospell among vs and vse hys Sacramentes whereby his merite is sealed in vs. Therefore wee are sure that wee are in the fauour of God and that his displeasure and plague shal not lyght vpon vs. c. To this S. Paule aunswereth that this trust and secure confidence in the profession of Christianitie and vse of the Sacramentes is but vayne vnlesse they approue make good their fayth and outward profession of Christ wyth the exercise of honest lyfe and Godly conuersation This he confyrmeth by comparison of the Israelites The people of Israell sayth S. Paule were the chosen people of God they had his law and Ceremonies among them yea they had promise of saluation by the same blessed sede that we haue they did vse in effect the same Sacramentes that we doe they were baptised in the Cloude and in the Sea they did eate of the same spirituall meate that we doe they did drinke of the same spirituall drinke that we drinke of for the Rock that they dranke of was Christe And yet many of them by Gods heauy hand perished in the Wildernesse And if you looke into the cause you shall fynde it to be nothing else but for y â— they were inclinable proane to the corruption of Idolatrie that they were giuen to fornication and vncleannesse that they tempted Christe and munnured against God and committed other like naughtinesse against the will of God c. Seing it is so you may be sure that God is no changeling but will deale in the same manner with you nowe as he did with his people before time Now for so much as S. Paules reason doth principallie stand vpon the vse of the Sacramentes and that the people in those dayes were more skilfull and better taughte the effecte nature and strength of a Sacrament theÌ„ in this time they be through slacknesse of teaching and way wardnesse in learning before I come to that which S. Paule principallye respecteth in this place I thinke it necessary for your better instruction fyrst to speake generally of Sacraments and to shew what a Sacrament is of what partes it standeth for what causes they are ordayned and what fruite maye be taken of them Secondly because he sayth The Rocke was Christ and that they did eate and drinke of the same Christ I will declare what manner of speethe this is and shew why Chist
and his blood is called meate and drinke and how he is to be eaten and drunken in the sacramente truely and in deede And lastly I will let you vnderstand that the bare professyon of Christianitie the externall vse of the sacramentes and outward exercise of praying and other â—the thinges are not sufficient without the inwarde worshipping in spirite and truth and christian obedience to the will and lawe of God A sacrament is a reuerend and holy misterie ordayned of God wherin he by his holy word and promise doth both stirre vp and practise the faith of his people and by y â— operation of the holy ghost increase his grace in them bestoâ— his benefites and blessinges vpon them wee on the other part testifye our obedience toward him vnity of faith among our selues The authour and ordainer of sacrameÌ„ts is none but God himself No Patriarche nor prophet nor Apostle nor Father nor the whole church hath authoâ—â—â—â— to ordayne a sacrament Who is authour of Sacraments sayth Ambrose but the Lord Iesus These SacrameÌ„ts came from Heauen c. A sacrament is a part of Gods worship but no creature can ordayne any part of Gods worship but himself according to that saying of the Prophet In vaine they worship me teaching the traditions of men In the old Testament if a man had offered any sacrifice not appointed by God it was esteemed little better then Idolatrie It is knowne what happened to the sonnes of Aaron for that they brought strange syre to the Alter of God much lesse may any appoint straunge sacramentes not ordayned by the expresse word of God in his scriptures Sacramentes be seales that confyrme Gods promises and looke what a counterfeyted seale is to a mannes writing or deede that is a sacramente in the Churche not ordayned by GOD. If this be true as in deede it is moste true what shall we saye of the Church of Roome which hath presumed not only to alter those Sacraments that Christ appoynted but also to ordayn sundry other sacramentes without any iust warrant of gods word onlye vpoÌ„ forced interpretacioÌ„s deuised of theÌ„selues Penance Orders Matrimony corrupt Doctrine being taken froÌ„ theÌ„ be good things to be exercised in y â— church so likewise are prayer fasting and almes deedes yet I see nâ— cause why they shold be called sacrameÌ„ts Ther is a great differeÌ„ce betwene a sacrameÌ„t an other godly exercise coÌ„manded in y â— church as herafter you shal better vnderstaÌ„d Seing therfore christ is author of sacrameÌ„ts none other you may not think theÌ„ to be trifles vaine Ceremonies and mens deuises y â— you may vse or not vse at your pleasures as you list but you ought to reuereâ—â—â— theÌ„ as y â— ordinance of God to receiue theÌ„ euen as at Christs own hand For as wheÌ„ gods word is taught you by the ministery of men you must not receiue it as mans word but as the word of God as it is in deede and therefore the Prophet sayd the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it euen so the Sacraments when you receiue them at the hands of a fraile and mortall yea and sometime a sinfull man you must looke to the Authour and in your faith see the hande of God offering the same vnto you The sacramentes take not their excellencye and worthinesse of him that Ministreth them though he be neuer so holy neyther be they disgraced or weakened though the Minister be wicked and euill And therfore the errour of y â— Donatistes Anabaptists and some other is sharpelye to bee reprooued that thinke the sacramentes of Christ to bee of leesse value if they be ministred by an euill or sinfull man In deede the haud of the receiuer being withoute Fayth maketh the sacramentes that of themselues bee good to bee vnto him of no Force because of his vnbeleefe But a wicked Minister cannot in anye wyse make frustrate or deceiue the Fayth of the Godlye Receauer Iudas was a wicked and false Traytoure and a Couetous naughtys person al the time that he followed Christ yet I doubte not but that the baptisme that he ministred was as auailable to the faithful receiuer as the baptisme of Peter was or of any other of the Apostles S. August vseth the same example Whereas fayth he there was great difference betweene Peter and Iudas yet was there no difference betweene the baptisme ministred by Peter that was ministred by Iudas that was all one but of the partyes one was a member of Christ another a member of the Deuill And agayne he sayth Such are the Sacramentes as they are that come vnto them Whereby one maye profitablely receiue the Sacrament of an ill minister so he himselfe be good This is a great comfort to the godly that in receiuing the SacrameÌ„t they neede not to loke into the life of the Minister but to examine theire owne hartes Now as touching the partes of a Sacrament you shall vnderstande it consisteth of three partes The fyrste is the externall signe as the Lambe in the Passouer the cutting of the fore skinne in Circumcision water in Baptisme bread and wyne in the Lordes supper Because of these outwarde â—ignes a Sacrament is called a signe a Seale a Visible word so that it were a Monster to haue a sacrament without an externall signe or elemente to the outewarde substaunce of it Water in Baptisme signifieth that as water naturally hath a propertie to wash and clense the filth froÌ„ the body so doth the grace of God through Christ his blood wash away the gilt and filthinesse of our soules As breade and wine by naturall effect nourisheth our bodyes strengthneth and comforteth oure spirites so doeth the heauenlye foode of Christes body and blood broken and shead for vs vpon the Crosse nourish our soules and quicken our Spirites to eternall life with God As the breade is made of many graynes kneaded into one loafe and the Wine pressed out of many Grapes into one cuppe so the multitude of Christians communicating at the Lordes Table thoughe many in number are ingrafted into Christ made meÌ„bers of his misticall body and ioyned in mutuall loue one with the other so that nowe they liue by the spirite of Christe as the members of a naturall bodye lyue and haue sence by that Spirite that commeth from the harte and from the heade This proportion and similitude betweene the signes and the spirituall effectes of the sacrament S. Cyprian acknowledgeth As this coÌ„mon bâ—ead saith he being chaunged into fleshe and blood breedeth life to to our bodies so by the accustomed nature of thinges the weakenesse of our fayth being holpen is taughte in sensible argument that in visible Sacramentes are the effect of eternal life These godly instructions and â—weâ—e comfortes the Church of Roome weakeneth and â—aketh away by their monstrous doctrine of TransubstaÌ„ciation Wherein they
teach and as you loue the saluatiē of your soules require you to beleeue that they be signes and figures in deede but such as most assuredly bring vnto the faithfull harte verily and in truth the selfe same things that they signifie so that the faithfull Christian receauer maye assure himselfe that as truely as God is God so truely he receaueth those things which the outward Sacrament doth signifie We ought therefore deerely beloued with humble hartes to giue immortall thankes to the eternall God in our Sauiour Christ Jesus that he hath vouchedsafe so graciously and so mercifully to haue consideration of our infirmitie to helpe our frailtie and as it were to leade vs like children by the hand and appoint vs whether to goe and what to doe and to giue vs those exercises to trade vs to the obedience of his will and confession of his name to marke vs with his badges and cognizances that wee may be knowen to be his to fasten vs together with these linkes of vnitie and Christian concorde and finally to prepare for vs such and so blessed instrumentes to bring vnto vs hys heauenly blessings Herein also we may behold his great wisedome that he would not lay forth vnto vs his spiritual mysteries and promises in wordes onely least they myght slip away and be forgotten but confirmeth and establisheth the same by his deede and seale also as I haue declared that we might the more assuredly embrace them We reade in Histories and see by experience that when men make any Couenaunt or bargayne they either shake handes or vse some other like ceremonie or solemnitie to confirme it In olde time among the heathen they vsed to kill a hogg◠or a pigge c. and to vse at the same certaine protestatious and curses if they stoode not to their couenaunt and league And euerie matter of conueighance we see passeth by deede and seale The Lorde when he made his promise to Abraham willed a Bullocke a Goate and a Weather to bee kylled and the Lorde in forme of a burning lyght passed betweene them by that solemnitie assuring him that whatsoeuer he had promysed should in truth be performed The outwarde Circumcision the Paschall Lambe and all the multitude of Sacrifices of the olde lawe were nothing but seales to confirme the trueth of Gods promise of saluation in the true sacrifice that shoulde come Euen so dealeth Christ with vs in his Sacramentes Those he hath ordayned as his deedes and instrumentes as before I haue mentioned to assure vs of his promyses And so much are his deedes more sure and his promyses more certaine and infallible than any mans can bee as his wyll is more iust to stande to that he hath sayde and his habilitie to performe it greater Nowe for so much as S. Paule in this place maketh comparison betweene the Sacramentes of the olde Lawe and of the Gospell and saith that the Israelites were Baptized in the cloude and in the sea and in Manna dyd eate the same spirituall meate and in the Rocke drinke of the same spirituall drinke that wee doe I thinke it necessarie somewhat to note what difference is betweene theyr Churche and ours and their sacramentes and ours And principally I do this because many through ignoraunce are of that opinion that the saluation of mankinde by Christ was neuer hearde of in the worlde before Christ came in fleshe and that the Iewes had some other meane of saluation than by him and therefore that their sacramentes and ours are nothing like But this errour taketh away from all Christians a passing great comforte that is that Christian Religion and that Meanes of saluatiō is no new thing but hath continued euer since the beginning of the world according as it is said of Christ Agnus qui dccifus est ab origine mundi i. That he is the Lambe which was slaine from the beginning of the world First therefore you must vnderstande and the whole course of the Scriptures teacheth vs that there is but one eternall and immutable GOD of both those Churches I meane of the Iewes before Christ and of christians nowe whome they both dyd worshyppe in spirite and in trueth For Christians must bee farre from that dinelish and wicked heresie of Marcion Valentinian and other whiche taught that there were two Gods one of the Iewes another of the Christians a good God and a badde a GOD that created the worlde and a good God that was Father of Christ Iesu But this detestable heresie hath beene iustly condemned and cast out of the Churche manye hundred yeeres since Secondlye both those Churches haue but one manner of saluation proposed to them in the promyses of GOD that is by the death of Christ the Messias and sonne of God Thys maner of saluation was first deuised by the wysedome of God and layde vp in the secrete closet of his diuine prouidence before the worlde was made So saith Saint Paule Blessed bee God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hath blessed vs with all spiritual blessing in heauenly things in Christ as he hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the worlde Thys manner of saluation God himselfe first vttered and publyshed in Paradice saying to the Serpent after sinne committed I will sette enmitie betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seede and hir seede and thy seede shall breake his heade c. Here is promysed that one should come of the seede of the womā that should breake the serpentes heade that is vtterly destroye the power of the Diuell and deliuer mankinde from his tyrannie The same promyse was confirmed to Abraham and ratified to all the Patriarches in these wordes In thy seede all the nations of the earth shal be blessed This promyse so much moued faithfull Abraham that as Christ saith he greatly longed in spirite to see the day of Christ and he sawe it and exceedingly reioyced and vndoubtedly so did the other Patriarches and Prophetes as S. Peter beareth witnesse hereof All the Prophetes from Samuel and thenceforth as many as haue spoken haue borne witnes of these dayes What shall I saye of the whole manner of the law ceremonies and Sacramentes but that they were Preachings of that redemption that should be in Christ Iesu It were infinite to giue you examples in al I will note vnto you onely two or three What can bee more euident than the Sacrament of the Passouer That as a Lambe without spot was killed so the immaculate Lambe Christ Iesu should be sacrificed for our deliuerance out of the spiritual Aegypt of the Diuels kingdome where vnder the heauie burdens of sinfull workes wee were holden thrall and in bondage And as the blood of the Lambe sprinkled vppon the poste was a token for the Angell of Gods wrathe to passe that house so as many as by fayth haue the doore postes of their heartes sprinkled with the bloud of Christ the true Lamb that taketh
will raise him vp at the last daye Who seeth not heere that Christ attributeth the same force to beleeuing that in the other verse he did to eating and drinking and therfore vseth y â— wordes indifferently as beyng of one meaning I myght stay vpon many other places wherein the holy Ghost wytnesseth that we haue eternall life by beleeuing in Christ as in the same place He that trusteth in me hath eternal life but the matter is needelesse and the time will not suffer me Therefore by Christes owne wordes to beleeue in Christ is to eat Christ That you may not thinke this is a new deuise proceeding from my selfe or from the Preachers of thys tyme hearken you what S. Augustine sayeth This is the bread that came from heauen that if any doe eate of it he shoulde not die but that stretcheth to the Vertue of the Sacrament not to the visible Sacrament He that eateth within not he that eateth without he that eateth with the hart and not he that presseth it with his teeth Marke I pray you y â— he attributeth the true effectuall eating not to the pressing with the teeth and bodyly mouthe but to the inward eating with the hart and what is that but by faith and beleeuing spiritually to eate him and so he expoundeth himselfe in an other place This it is therefore fayeth he to eate that foode that perisheth not but remaineth to eternall lyfe What preparest thou thy tooth and thy belly beleeue and thou hast eaten And againe To beleeue in hym that is it to eate the bread of lyfe Cyprian also to the same purpose writeth These things so often as wee doe wee sharpen not our teeth to byte but with sincere fayth wee breake and diuide that holye breade Some happily thinke that this spirituall eating by faith is but a â—leight matter and of no great weyght and so the teachers of the Churche of Rome woulde perswade men but they consider not the great vertue power and strength of Faith By Fayth wee knowe Christ and the true meane of our saluation by hym By Faith wee bee graffed into Christ as braunches into the roote and stocke so that wee lyue now by him and by his spirit as the braunches doe by the Iuice that commeth from the bodye of the tree By Fayth wee bee so vnited vnto Christ that we may iustly saye whatsoeuer is hys is ours also by fayth we are made the chyldren of God and heyres of eternall lyfe By fayth wee haue peace wyth God and are assured of hys fauour in the myddest of all our troubles by fayth wee dare boldly approche to the throne of Gods mercie This might and strength of fayth they feele not that thinke it so simple a matter to eate Christ by fayth Christ witnesseth That by eating him by faith and beliefe we haue saluation and eternall lyfe and that hee will raise vs at the last daye Wherefore I woulde knowe of them what other eating there is beside thys whereby wee maye assure our selues of Saluation Truely the Scriptures mention none And that carnall eating for which the Churche of Rome striueth is suche as they themselues confesse that Iudas and all wicked persons may vse and bee damned Nowe I appeale to the consciences of them that feare GOD and will not willyngly runne into errour whether wee or they deale with the people of God more sincerely They without any euident proofe of the Scriptures contende as I haue sayde for that reall and bodily eating with which damnation maye bee ioyned wee endeuour to perswade men that manner of spirituall eatyng by faythe throughe which by the testimonie of the whole Scriptures wee shall be assured of eternall lyfe and with which damnation can not bee ioyned Some perchaunce wyll saye vnto mee or wyll thinke with themselues in their mynde If this doctrine bee true then are Sacramentes needelesse For wee may eate Christ by fayth spiritually in such sort as you haue sayd without any vse of the Lordes supper and therefore it maye seeme superfluous God forbydde that the most perfect Christians and of strongest fayth should once thinke Sacramentes to bee superfluous and needelesse They bee the blessed and holy ordinaunces of Christ by his mercy and goodnesse appoynted for our great helpe and benefite as I haue in the former Sermon declared And yet I must confesse to the great comforte of many godlye persons that the faythfull Christian maye and doth often feede vpon Christ to saluation beside the vse of the Sacrament For the spirituall grace and benefites which as I haue sayd before is the principall parte of a Sacrament is not of necessitie alwaye so tyed to the outwarde signes that without them God can not or doth not sometime bestowe the same I doubte not but the Theefe vppon the Crosse without vse of the Sacrament dyd eate the bodye and blood of Christ in such sort that he was the same day w t him in Paradise We see in the Actes of the Apostles that Cornelius and hys company was sealed with the spirite of GOD before the receauing of the outward Sacrament in such sort that if he had then immediatly departed out of this life he should haue gone to heauen which coulde not bee vnlesse he had spiritually by fayth eaten the true foode of euerlasting life that is Christ Jesus crucifyed which he fed vppon most assuredly whyle he heard Saint Peter preach Christ There were in tyme of the Primitiue Churche great numbers of godly Martyrs saued which neuer outwardly receaued the Sacrament of the Lordes supper and yet fruitfully and effectually did eat Christ by faith And so doe many at this daye which either by sicknesse or by imprisonment or by any other lyke cause of necessitie are tyed from the outwarde vse of the Sacraments Yet as I haue fayde God forbyd that we shoulde thinke the Sacrament of the Lordes supper superfluous but rather exceeding profitable In the vse of y t Sacrament there is a double eating of which one helpeth the other †As manne consisteth of two partes bodie and soule so the bodye feedeth vppon the outwarde elementes of bread and wyfe but the soule feedeth in deede and truely vpon Jesus Christ crucified The outward eating by y â— instrumeÌ„ts of our body causeth al our senses our hearing our seeing our feeling our tasting to helpe our inwarde eating by faith by the same quickeneth stirreth strengtheneth increaseth our faith y t we may eate y t body and blood of Christ more effectually fruitfully For when the faithful christian heareth the wordes of Christes institution sounde in his eares This is my body that is giuen for you this is my blood that is shed for the remission of your sinnes it stirreth vppe his faith for faith is by hearing to lay strong howfast vppon this promise in his hart doth assure himselfe that Christ dyed and shed his blood not
This comforte it was that made Iob so patiently to abyde losse of goodes the spoyle of hys landes and houses and the myserable destruction of hys chyldren The same comfort caused Ioseph wyth lyke patience to endure bondage imprisonment sclaunder reproch and daunger of his lyfe For he was assuredly perswaded that nothyng was done without the certayne prouidence of hys louyng and mercifull Lorde and God and therefore was assured that it woulde fall out to the best in the end This if wee soundly and truely consider wee shall neither rashely condemne other whose sinnes bee not notoriouslye knowne and when any euill happeneth to our selues by this comfort we shall sustayne it patiently Nowe haue I briefely declared vnto you as you haue heard first that outwarde profession and externall seruice and vse of Sacramentes is not sufficient for Christians but that to the glorie of God they must confirme their calling with the practise of a vertuous godly life Secondly whensoeuer misery or plague happeneth to maÌ„ it commeth not by chaunce or fortune or by a course of nature as vaine worldly men imagine but by the assured prouidence of God that seeth knoweth worketh all things Thirdly that God is moued with two causes to cast such miseries and afflictions vpon men somtime by iust punishment of sinne for transgression of his holy lawe and secondly to trie the faithfull and godly And lastly I haue tolde you what good instructions are to be taken of true Christians in both those wayes It remaineth that we pray vnto God most hartely that this doctrine may be so imprinted in our harteâ— as it may bring forth due fruites to hys glorie to whom bee honour and glory foreuer and euer So â—â— it ⸪ ¶ Certayne Sermons vppon this Text. Mat. 13. 3. The seede sower went out to sowe his seede and some fell by the high wayes side and the foules of the aire came and deuoured it vp some fell on stonie ground where it had not much earth and anone it sprong vp because it had no deepenesse of earth but when the Sunne rose it was burned and because it had no roote it withered c. THe holy ghost in the scriptures sundry times resembleth God to a husbandman And as there be sundry kindes of husbandry so doth he in diuers respectes compare the Churche people of God to the partes thereof Auncient writers make three parts of husbandry Pasturing Vintage Tillage To al these do the scriptures compare the Church of God The Lorde is my sheepard saith Dauid therfore caÌ„ I lack nothing He shall lead me forth in a greene Pasture c. And againe We are the people of his pasture and the sheepe of his handes And Christ himselfe saith I am the good Sheepard c and my sheepe heare my voice As touching Vintage Christ saith I am the true Vine my father is the Husbandman In Esay God maketh a long discourse declaring his Churche people to be his chosen Vineyard planted in a very fertile grouÌ„d To which parable Christ also alludeth in S. Matth. To Tillage he compareth his Church in S. Joh. Doe not you say there are foure monethes and then Haruest commeth Behold I say vnto you lift vp your eyes looke vpon the countries round about you because they are white readie to Haruest and he that reapeth shall haue his rewarde that he may gather in fruites to euerlasting life And in S. Mat. There is a large haruest few workmen desire the Lord of the haruest that he will thrust forth labourers into his haruest But in no place more plainely than in this parable of the seede sower which now I haue recited vnto you This y e spirit of God doth of purpose by these familiar similitudes to set before our eyes and to impresse more deepely in our minâ—â—s partly the great goodnes and singular care of god toward vs partly to teach vs our duetie toward him As the husbandman trauaileth and hath great care of his pasture his Vineyarde and Tillage and leaueth nothing vndone whereby he may further them so ought they to aunswere his expectation to yeelde fruit accordingly But as touching this parable of the seede sower ye haue to note these partes God is the husbandman the Preachers of the word are the seede sowers the seede is the worde of God the grounde is the heartes of men the duiersitie of the grouÌ„nde noteth the diuersitie of mens dispositions in hearing the worde of God If preachers bee the seede sowers then haue they authoritie froÌ„ God as doyng his seruice and as comming in hys message and therefore sayth Paule Let man so esteeme vs as the seruaunts of Christ and bestowers of the secretes of God They must bee heard therefore as the messengers of GOD they must be esteemed as hys seruauntes that come to sowe the seede of saluation in the heartes of men It is the worde of God that they vtter and ought to haue the Maiestie of hys person though it bee vttered by the mouthe of a mortall and fraile man The Prophets say thus Thus saith the Lorde The mouth of the Lord hath spoken and yet were they men that deliuered the message So God honoureth his messenger that though he bee couered wyth fraile fleshe sometime also stayned with sinne yet he maketh hym his mouth to open his will vnto his people When you receaued the worde of me you receaued it not as the worde of man but as it was in deede the worde of God And to the Galathians You refused not my infirmitie in fleshe but you receaued mee as the Angell of God yea euen as Christ Iesus And agayne to the Thessalonians Hee that reiecteth vs reiecteth not vs but God who hath giuen his holye spirite vnto vs. And for that cause sayeth Christ He that heareth you heareth me and he that reiecteth you reiecteth me And God in his Prophetes alwayes taketh as to himselfe that contempt or that reproche that was shewen to his Ministers whom he sent vnto hys people threatneth for the same most greeuous punishments This should they consider which in these dayes make so small accompt of Preachers and Preaching of gods word that they esteeme neither any thing of lesse price nor any persons of lesse credite But therein they shew both howe little regard they haue of their owne saluation and howe lyghtly they esteeme the glorie and Maiestie of God who offereth that benefite vnto them by his Preachers The worde of God by Christes owne exposition is the seede and so saith S. Peter also You are new borne not of mortall but of immortall seede through the worde of God that liueth and abideth foreuer All fleshe is grasse and all the glory thereof as the floure of grasse grasse withereth and the floure falleth but the worde of God abydeth for euer and this is the vvorde which
maliciously seeking to supplant one an other Which of you is able to accuse vs that wee pull downe Townes and inclose whole fieldes to feede wylde beastes famish a number of Christian people or that we ioyne house to house lande to land with oppression of the poore as thoughe wee woulde lyue alone vppon the face of the earth Which of you is able to saye that wee wast the treasure of the lande in feedyng three Cankers riotously to consume the same I meane Monstrous Vanitie in Apparell Needelesse pompe in Sumptuous building and Excessiue charge in daintie feeding Which of you is able to say that in all our doings we set not the feare of God before our faces make not his holy word the directioÌ„ of all our deuises Which of you I say is able to accuse vs in any of all these things If all men in all states and conditions bee able with good conscience thus to say Surely this lande is blessed But Heauen and earth seeth and the Lorde knoweth that it is not so in a number yet God forbyd for that number that we should condemne all God hath his in euery state and condition of man Nowe come I to the thirde parte contayned in the second sentence of my Theame Si veritatem dico vobis quare non creditis mihi If I say the truth why doe you not beleeue mee Wherein I promised to let you vnderstande that the doctrine of the Gospell which we haue Preached in this lande by the space of this 20. yeeres and that hath beene confirmed and established by the authoritie of the Prince lawes of this Realme is the onely truth that there is no truth of doctrine but it therfore y t you ought both faythfully without exception to embrace it and constantly wythout reuolting to abyde in it But mee thinketh I heare some say Sir if you coulde resolue vs that it is the trueth whiche you Preache wee would easilye receaue it but wee may iustly doubt of it For ye are but men and such men as carie their blemishes openly in the sight of the world ye may be deceaued and deceaue others As good Clarkes as you and as honest men for any thing wee see teache vs the contrarie and say their doctrine is the truth or at the leastwyse wee may iustly thinke that those great contentions that you make against y t Churche of Rome are but for trifling ceremonies and matters of small weight and importance and therefore that Christian Princes might do verâ—e well to see some order for those matters and to force you to agree for the residue whether you will or no that you may no longer trouble the worlde as you haue done these many yeeres with these needelesse controuersies Surely that they wyll not receaue our doctrine with triall I can not mislike it for S. Iohn in his 1. Epist 4. cap. giueth them the same Counsell Deerely beloued saith he beleeue not euery spirit that speaketh to you but trie the spirites whether they be of God or not for many false Prophetes are come into the world Therefore I would to God all sortes of men but chiefely Princes Counsellers and Magistrates would trie our doctrine by the true touchstone of Gods word as those noble Conuerts of Berrhaea did meÌ„tioned in y â— Act. 17 which came to heare Paules Sermons not of custome and fashion onely But dayly searched the Scriptures whether those things were true that Paule spake or no. If God would moue them so to doe they should easily vnderstand not onely that our doctrine were the truth but also that the controuersie betweene vs and the Church of Rome is not for trifling Ceremonies as they saye or matters of small weight but for the very substaunce of our fayth and ground of all Christian Religion and that there can bee made no more agreement betwene our doctrine and theirs then betweene light and darkenesse truth and error God and Beliall Christ Antichrist which thing it behoueth all Christians and professors of the Gospell deepely to consyder For as before time often I haue sayde in this place so now thinke I the time draweth nigh that Godds iustice for our vnthankefulnesse will pull vs to the tryall of our fayth and therefore it behooueth vs to vnderstande that we contend not for trifles but for matters of principall importance as I mean now to declare vnto you And if som persons shall thinke these poyntes needelesse to be spoken of in this place I humbly craue leaue that for the confyrmation of mine own fayth I may declare vnto you y â— grounds of my conscience that if euer I liue to be tempted to forsake my Lorde God and his truth that this my protestation made in this place may bee a bonde vnto my conscience The rule that I will vse to prooue that our Doctrine is the truth and not that which commeth from Rome shal be the same that the Scripture of God layeth downe by S. Iohn in the place before mentioned where after he hath as you haue heard admonished men to trye the Spirites whether they be of God or no hee addeth these meanes of triall Euery Spirite that confesseth Christ to haue come in flesh is of God and euery spirite that denieth Christ to haue come in flesh is not of God but is the Spirit of Antichrist of whome you haue heard howe hee shoulde come and now already is he in the worlde Nowe that you may vnderstande I go not about to deceaue you with shewe of eloquence and Rhethoricall amplifications and with motions of affections to leade you into erroure earâ— you be ware I will laye open myne argumente vnto you nakedly and barely that you may see euery ioynt thereof and with your selues consyder of what force it ought to bee in any christian coÌ„science And this I say euery spirit that confesseth Christ to haue come in fleshe is of God and teacheth you the truth And euery spirite that denyeth Jesus to haue come in fleshe is not of God but leadeth you into errour and is that spirite of Antichrist But wee and the Preachers of the Gospell in all Godly sence coÌ„fesse Christ to haue come in fleshe and our Aduersaries of Roome doe not therefore we and not they haue brought the truth vnto you The 2. proposition I know wil be denied for both y t parts therof which I wil proue vnto you by this meanes First I will let you vnderstand the causes why christ came in fleshe and what benefites he procured to mankynde by the same Secondly I will shew vnto you what it is to denye Christe to haue come in fleshe The firste of these two shall confirme our truth The seconde shall confound their error As touching the cause why christ came in flesh When sinne had made separation betweene God and man and the exceding great mercy of God was not willing vtterly to cast away man and to rasâ— him
is so hard a thing for him that aboundeth in Riches too bee saued Fol. Folio 202. 203 Two meanes to withstād the mischiefes of Riches and worldly wealth Folio 204 There is no assurance to bee had of worldly Riches Folio 204 The estimation that is to be had of all earthly things and consequently of Riches Folio 205 S. Sacrament ¶ What a Sacrament is Folio 118 How the body and bloud of Christ are sayde to be meate and drinke thys concerneth the Sacrament Folio 137. 138 Against the carnal eating and drinking of Christ body and bloud in the Sacrament Folio 142. 143 What to eate Christes bodie and to drinke his bloud as in the Sacrament Fol. Folio 144. 145. 146 The eating of Christ by faith is no derogation to the dignitie of the Sacrament and profit therof Folio 147 In the vse of the Sacrament is a double eating to be noted Folio 148 Our sences in the vse of the Sacrament are helpers to our better receyuing of the same Folio 148. 149. 150 The dissention of the Protestantes for the Sacrament is no such greate matter as the Papists make it Folio 56 The wickednesse of the minister doeth not derogate any thing from the effect of the Sacrament c. Folio 119 The faith of the receiuer not the life of the minister doth helpe or hinder in the effect of the Sacrament Folio 120 Fruiteful actions and doctrines concerning the Sacrament of the Lords supper Folio 33 Christ his body c. receiued in the Sacrament of the Lords supper Folio 34 The enemie of Christ in the Sacrament is not carnally to be vnderstoode Folio 35 Papisticall vntruthes and abuses concerning the Sacrament of the Lordes supper Folio 35 Blasphemous doctrine of wicked mens eating of the bodie of Christe in the Sacrament refelled Folio 152 153 How we ought to prepare our selues to the worthye receiuing of the Sacrament of Christs bodie and bloud Folio 154 How we are to make triall of our selues before we come to receiue the Sacrament of Christs bodie and bloud Folio 154. 155. 156. A briefe and pithie prayer for communicāts to say before they receiue the Sacrament of Christs bodie and bloud Fol. Folio 157. 158 The faithful togither with the outward signe receiue the inwarde thinges in the Sacrament Folio 128 Sacraments ¶ The difference betwixte the Iewes Sacrament and ours consisteth in externall signes respect of time Folio 133. 134 Sacramēts are badges by which we christians are knowne from Idolaters Folio 150 Sacraments are the seales whereby Gods promises are confirmed vnto vs. Folio 151 How Christes bodie and bloud is truely and rightly to be eaten and drunken as well in the Sacraments as without them Folio 142 What the internal part of Sacraments is Fol. Folio 122 Sacraments are seales whereby the letters patents of our saluation in Christ are confirmed vnto vs. Folio 123 Why Sacraments were ordayned Folio 125 Our infirmitie the first cause why Sacraments were ordayned Folio 125 The second cause why Sacraments were instituted is oure exercise in the remembraunce of Christs benefits Folio 126 The thirde ende wherevnto Sacramentes were appointed Folio 126 Sacraments consist of three parts Folio 120 The second part whereof Sacraments doe consist is the spiritual or inward thing Fol. Folio 122 The third part wherein Sacraments consist is the words of Christs institution and promise Folio 124 The fourth cause why Sacramentes were ordayned Folio 126 The last cause why Sacraments were appointed Folio 127 God the only author of Sacraments Folio 118 Sacraments vnite vs vnto Christ Folio 151 Sacraments are too linke vs togither in brotherly vnitie Folio 151 Papisticall Sacraments of their owne deuise Folio 32 Papistes cannot be knowne to be of the true Church by their Sacraments Folio 30 Papisticall number of sacraments Folio 30 Sacraments markes of Gods Church Folio 23 What diffeeence is to bee obserued betwixt the Sacramentes of the olde Iewes c. Folio 129 Saluation ¶ Christonly is al in al to Saluatiō Folio 85. 86 It is not sufficient to Saluation to be idle professours of God but also doers of godly deedes Folio 160. 161 Blasphemous derogation to the merits of Christs working our Saluation Folio 91 The letters patents and seales of our Saluation what they are Folio 123 The old Iewes vnder the law hadde the same hope of Saluation by Christ that we now haue Folio 129. 130. 131 Protestants doctrine of Saluation is the doctrine of the Scripture Folio 234 Scismes ¶ Christēdome torne by Popish Scismes Fol. Folio 103 Scismes in the East Church whiche were Christians Folio 58 Scismes between diuerse of the auntient fathers Folio 58. 59 The Papistes cannot without their own great shame obiect Scismes to Protestants Folio 59 Scriptures ¶ The learned aduersarie refuseth to be tryed by the Scriptures and why Folio 25 Why Papistes doe refuse tryall by the Scriptures Folio 26 Blasphemie of the Papistes againste the Scriptures Folio 26 The written Scriptures onely are and ought to bee sufficiente to trye all truth Folio 23 The Papistes refuse triall by the Scriptures Folio 24 Three poyntes shewing how the Papistes esteeme the Scriptures Folio 24. 25 How the Church may iudge or vse the Scriptures concerning their truth Folio 27 Greuous faults in the Church of Rome by taking hir authoritie ouer the Scriptures Folio 27. 28 Manifest false interpretations of Scriptures vsed by Papistes Folio 28 Doctrines of Papists againste the Scriptures in sixe perticulars Folio 28. 29 Sectes ¶ Protestantes are not to be blamed for the Sectes that happen in the time of the Gospell Folio 55 Sectes do more agree to Papistes than to Protestants Folio 55 Papisticall Schoolemen which diuided themselues into Sectes and how hurtfull that is to Christianitie Folio 6 Sinne. ¶ God is not the author of Sinne. Folio 166 The punishment of Sinne and what are the causes that moue God to plague men Folio 168 We cannot acknowledge a God but that withall he must punish sinne Folio 191 Wicked menne are plaged of God for their owne Sinnes to our example Folio 162 Soule ¶ Faith the mouth of the Soule whereby Christ is eaten Folio 144 A comparison betwixte the body and the Soule Folio 138 What the Soule is to the body that is God to the Soule Folio 138 How Christ was prepared to bee the foode of our Soules Folio 139 Christ the foode of our soules Folio 136. 137 Succession ¶ Papistes obiect Succession as a true note of their Church Folio 36 How the argumente of Succession hathe bin vsed by the fathers Folio 37 Succession is nothing without the doctrine of the Apostles Folio 38 The true Church better proued by doctrine than succession c. Folio 39 Personall Succession is no sure proofe that the Romish Churche is the true Church Folio 42 T. Transubstantiation ¶ The absurditie of Transubstantiation Fol. Folio 121 V. Vniuersities ¶ The cause of few Diuines in Vniuersities of the best sorte of wittes Folio 64 Diuersitie of opinions betwixt
the Vniuersities and the Friers Folio 62 Vnthankefulnesse ¶ OpinioÌ„ of fre will is VnthaÌ„kefulnesse Folio 13 W. Wealth ¶ The means wherby the Welth of England is wasted Folio 227 Wickednesse ¶ Of colouring Wickednesse with other mens faults Folio 224 What a mans flattering of himselfe in Wickednesse may come vnto Folio 224. 225 Word ¶ The true cause why the Word preched doth not alway bring forth fruite Folio 185 The godly alway take profit by the preching of the Word Folio 185 Three â—oâ—tes of foule whiche eate vp the seede of Gods Word in the high ways Fol. Folio 186 The inconuenience of preaching the Word in generalitie Folio 187 That the Word of God is resembled to seede and why Folio 179 The power of the Word of god in it self in the estimation of the world Folio 180 What Gods Word worketh in the hearers Folio 180 How gods Word preuaileth eueÌ„ against mans wisedome and cunning Folio 180 The imaginations practises and means of the wicked to withstand GODS Worde Folio 181 The Authoritie of the Worde of God is from it selfe c. Folio 26 Such are openlye of the Churche as are called therto by Gods Worde Folio 21 Gods word is a marke of his Church Folio 22 The causes which holde men from obedience to Gods Worde Folio 203 The negligence of our dayes in hearing the Worde Folio 203 Of the power of Christe appearing in himselfe and his Worde Folio 4 The gouernement direction by gods Worde preuaileth more than any deuise of men Folio 5 How the church of Christ must preserue Gods Word and deliuer the meaning of it Folio 27 Workes ¶ Papistical iustification by Workes Folio 29 The doctrine of iustification by Faythe only doth procure good Workes c. Fol. Folio 13. 14 That the Gospell doeth not discourage man from good Workes why Folio 15 FINIS 1. Cor. 1. 23. Hovv contemptible Christ and his Gospell vvere vnto the vvorld in the begynning Vayne opinion of gentilitie may be occasion of the eternall distruction of those which regarde it Considerations concerninge Christ which maketh mans carnal reason to contemne him The more excellent men are in carnall reason only the more they contemne Christe Hilar. 5. de trinit what estimation alway pertayned to Christ and his gospell VVhat povver is in the Gospell of Christ and hovv it appeareth tvvo vvayes 1. Cor. 15. 56. Rom. 6. 23. Luk. 1. 73. 74. Ephe. 4. 8. Psa 68. 18 1. Cor. 15. 55. Rom. 8. 33. 2 The power of Christ appeareth both in himselfe and also in his word Man in his eccellency of carnal wit is not able to giue any perpeâ—uiâ—ie to his diuice The gouernment and direction by Gods word preuaileth more than any deuise of man Example in the Apostles Tertul coÌ„tra Judâ—os Aug. de agone Christi Act. 17. 6. Aug. de ciuitate dei Lib. 22 Example of late and present tones 2. The. 2. 4 The power of the gospel doth most manifestly appeare in these latter dayes The mightye povver of the Gospell is no vvhyt to be discredyted by afflictions vvhych may follovv it VVâ—â—â— kinde of grounde mans policie is to common weales Hovv GOD câ—â— shevve himself vvhâ—n all mens deuyse fayleth yea and agaynst man also in his cheefest povver Psal 2. 4. The seconde parte Diuerse sortes of ennimâ—es to the Gospell Epicures 2 Politikes 3 Hypocrites Sixe Obiections made agaynst the Gospell to bryng it into dyscrâ—d it and the ansvvers to them 2. Obiection against the Gospel that it doth not further but hinder good co 〈…〉 on Answere Rom. 6. â— Rom. 3. 23. 24. Rom. 5. 12. 14. Cor. 15. 22. Eph. 2. 3. Ioh. 3. 3. Iob. 14. 4. Psa 51. 5. Gen. 6. 5. Ioh. 15. 5. 2. Cor. 3. 5. August Aug. ser 2. de verbis Opinion of freewill is vnthankfullnes August How we had freewill And how we haue it not How profitable the doctrine is which is againste free-will The doctrine of iustification by faythe only doth procure good workes and noâ— hinder them Ioh. 14. 2â— Luk. 17. 10 â—it 2. 11. 12 Ephe. 2. 10. Luâ— 1. 73. 74. 75. Rom. 6. 4. Eph. 6. 5. c. Rom. 13. 12. â—an nedeth not by the Gâ—spell thinke himselfe so debased that he should thereby be any whit discoâ—â—aged from good works for he is also therby maruellously exalted by gods goodnes toward him 1. Pet. 3. â— Ioh. 15. 4. 5. Rom. 3. â—5 The second obiection against the Gospell that it doth make this lyfe lesse pleasant to vs then it should be The answere is anneâ—ed to euerie perticular part of the obiection Esay 3. 16. â—c Mat. 6. 19. 20. 1. Tim. 6. 7 Luc. 19. 8. Mat. 19. 22. Rom. 13. 13 Joh. 15. 19. 1. Pet. 2. 9. 1. Cor. 6. 9. 10. 〈◊〉 of the answere The thirde obiection against the Gospell â—â— That we the pretended professors of it are not of the catholike Churche Answere The inuisible church consisting of the electe Col. 1. 24. Rom. 11. 4. 1. Cor. 2. 11. The visible church The description of the church Mat. 28. 19. Mar. 16. 15. The church of Christ is tied to no one place The number of the church may be smale Luc. 12. 32. Mat 18. 20. None are openly of the Church but such as are called theris by the worde of God Io. 10. 17. 15. Faith doth in graffe vs into the Church Act. 37. The markes of the church Esa 59. â—1 Ioh. 8. 47. Io. 10. 27. The firste marke is Gods word August contra litteras petil The second marke is the sacraments 1. Cor. 12. â—â— 1. Cor. 10. 17. The Church of Roome hath not in it the tokens of the true Church The written Scriptures only are and ought to bee sufficient to trie all truth Psal 119. 105. Ioh. 5. 39. Act. 17. 11. Chrisost Deut. 4. 2. 31. 2. Tim. 3. 1â— Verse 16. Ambrose Papistes refuse triall by the Scriptures Three points shevving that Papistes vse not neyther esteeme the scriptures as they ought if they vvere the true churche The firste point The seconde poynte Matters of fayth maye better be preserued by meanes of writing then when they are only left to the bare memorie of man The learned Aduersarye refuseth to be tried by the Scriptures because they do manifestlye confound all such Why Papistes do refuse triall by the Scriptures Blasphemies of the Papistes agunst the scriptures The thirde poynt The authoritie of the word of God is from it selfe and not from the Church principally Howe the Churche maye iudge or vse the Scriptures concerning their truth Howe the Churche of Christ muste preserue Gods worde and deluer the meaning of it Greeuous Faultes in the Churche of Kome which haue come by their taking of authority ouer the Scriptures Manifest false interpretations of papistes 1 Mat. 26. 26. 2 Luc. 22. 19. 20. 3 1. Cor. 11. â—4 1. Cor. 11. 26. Doctrines of papistes against the scriptures iâ—â—â—â—â—aâ—â—i â—uleâ—â— Rom. 3. 28. verse 8. 9. 1 Papisticall iustification
by vvorkes Heb. 10. 14 2 Papisticall dayly sacrifice propitiatorie Col. 3. 1. 3 Papisticall presence of Christ on earthe 4 Papisticall keeping avvay of the cuppe of the Lorde Mat. 26. 27. 5 Papisticall vngodlinesse in vvorshipping saintes Exo. 20. 4. 6 Papisticall abuse of the scripture in a tonge vnknovvne 1. Cor. 14. 19. Papistes cannot be knowne to be of the true church by their sacramentes Papisticall number of sacraments Fruitfull doctrines of the protestantes concerninge Baptisme vâ— 5. Gal. 3. 27. Act. 2. 38. Act. 22. 16. August Joh. 3. 5. Tit. 3. 5. Papisticall vntruthes and abuses concerning Baptisme vâ— 3. Papisticall sacramentes of their own deuise Thres sortes of Papistical annointing Fruitfull actions and doctrines of the protestantes concerning the Lordes supper vz. 5. 1. Cor. 11. 23. 1. Cor. 11. 25. 1. Cor. 10. 21. Christ his body and not signe only of his body is receaned 1. Cor. 10. 16. The receuing of Christ in the sacraments is not carnallye to be vnderstod Jo. 6. 53. Papisticall vntruthes and abuses concerning the Lords Supper vz. 5. Note Papistes obiecte Succession as a note whereby to proue themselues the true church De prescrip Heret How the argument of Succession hath bene vsed by the fathers Lib. 4. ca. 43. Succession is nothing without the doctrine of the Apostls De prescrip Aug. ca. 4 The true Church better proued by Doctrine then Succession and neuer without doctrine what Church is moste likely to haue falle interpretations De simplic Prael Phil. 2. 7. Heb. 2. 17. Act. 1. 11. Rom. 3. 25. â— Joh. 2. 1. Col. 1. 20. Act. 10. 43. Jer. 31. 34. Rom. 3. 25. Eph. 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. Heb. .10 1. 10 Joh. 3. 2. Joh. 14. 26 Joh. 16. 13. 1. Cor. 11. 3. Eph. 5. 23. 1. Cor. 3. 11. Personall Succession is no sure profe for the Romishe church that it is the true church It is against the papists that they say the Gretians are Scismatikes Papists obiecte the visible state of their churche to proue it to be the true churche Gods true churche may be and yet not appears generally visible That may seame to be the true Churche whiche is not Examples prouing a Church and yet not visible as the papistes require it In the time of the prophets Noe. Achas 2. Chro. 28. 24. Esay Manasses 2. Chro. 33. 1. c. 2. Chro. 34. 1. c. Ieroboam 3. Reg. 12. 31. Achab. 2. Reg. 16. 33. 1. Reg. 19. 10. Also in the time of Christ and his Apostls The iuâ—isible state of the Church since the Apostles doth not proue the Church to be no true Church Rom. 1. 16. The. 4. obicetion against the Gospell Answere Dissolutsnesse of protestantes lyues doth not make their doctrine errour or to be hated Mat. 11. 19. Jo. 8. 48. Act. 21. 28. Act. 24. 5. Dissolutnesse and wickednesse of life hath beene more in the church of Rome then amongest the protestantes That the popedome was to begotten by ambition and briberie Vertue and learning not regarded in choise of popes And yet worse then so to c. Of horrible cruelties in popes A cruell tormentor Time when in state of the popishe clergie vertue seemed to be vtterlye decayed Popes Sorcerers Nicromancers Coniurers Poisoners Popes did greate iniuries even to Emperours Of couetousnesse and extortions in Popes Protestants not to be hated of papistes as seditious persons which is parte of the answere to the 4. obiection Wars were in time of papistrie more then frâ—â—ce Spensers Popes raisers of war Popes by their strife curâ—ing one the other set all christendome by the eates Meanes for Magistrates to iudge what cebellious subtectes Papists are The Religion of protestantes maintaineth no â—â—â—â—ultes c Rom. 13. 1. The stirre following the Gospell is not to bee imputed to the Gospell Rom. 3. 8. How stirres doe come in the time of the Gospell Act. 19. 24. Papisticall slaunder of Protestants to be sedicious c. is no new thing The. 5. obiection against the gospell vs. That the professors of it agree not in opinion Obiection of dissention is no new thing Mat. 13. â—5 Protestants at not to be blamed for the sectes that happen in the time of the gospell 1. Jo. 2. 19. Sectaries Sectes do more agree to papistes then protestantes Obiection â— conuince protestantes for dissention in opinions The dissencion of the protestantes for the sacrament is no such greate matter as papistes make it The dissention among Protestants for apparell is no suche great matter as Papistes make it God suffereth diuersitie of opinions euen in his true Church Gal. 2. 11. Act. 15. 39. 1. Cor. 11. 18. â—â— Act. 17. 5. Act. 21. 27. Act. 15. 6. Diuersitie of opinion which was in the Easte and Weste Church for Easter Other Scismes in the East church whiche were Christians Chrisost Other Scismes of others Papistes comâ—â—e without their owne shame obiect scismes to protestants Of multitude of dissentions amongst papistes Of their diuersitie of helpers Of their diuersitie of orders professions whereby to goe to heauen Mar. 13. 21. 1. Cor. 1. 12. Repugnancie euen in the decres of popes The Scholemen are full of diuersitie of opinions Lib. 2. di 25. For originall Sinne. Li. 4. di 4. For the vertue of the Sacramentes Diuersitie of titles chalenged of Papisticall Scholemen Papisticall Scholemen which deuided themselues to sectes and how hurtfull that is to christianitie The bitternesse of the coutention amongest the Scholemen papistes Counselles to disagree differ in opinion Diuersitie of opinion betwâ—â—t the vniuersitie the Friers Of late dissentions in opinion amonge papistes 1 2 3 4 Rom. 1. 16. The. â— obicetion againste the gospell vz. That ignoâ—â— and persecution doth followe it The cause of few diuines in vniuersities of the best sorte of witts Answere to the â— obiection Ioh. 15. 18. How god hath blessed Englande enen in this late time of the gospell That princes do resist the gospel that is no cause of discredite vnto it The gospell often florisheth when it is most resrifted God his good prouidence is such to his that they may hope wel against any force whatsoeuer Mat. 5. 1. c. Discription of false Prophets examined Mat. 7. 15. 2. Cor. 11. â—3 c. 2. Thess 2. 9. c. Distinction to be made betwixt the Cloathinge the fruites of false prophets The fyrste Sheepes cloathing where with Wolues are cladde Outward holinesse no sure token of true teachers Mat. 6. 2. Mat. 6. 16. â— Wolfe in a sheepes skinne is discried by his clawes The first claw where by a Wolfe is knowne is trust in holinesse of life Luc. 18. 21. Mat. 3. 4. The seconde Claw to know the Wolfe by is the holinesse consisting in obseruation of mens traditions Mat. 15. 3. The thirde claw is the respect that the wolues haue more to their owne bellyes then to the glory of god Mat 23. 14. Luk. 20. 47. Ezec. 13. 2. Ezec. 34. 2. 2. Pet. 2. 3. 1. 2. Tim. 3.