plenty sufficient both for the strong to eate and for the litle one to sucke So Irenaeus Scripturae in aperto sunt sine ambiguitate similiter ab omnibus audiri possunt The Scriptures are playne and without doubtfulnes and may be heard indifferētly of all men So sayth Chrisost Omnia clara plana sunt in Scripturis diuinis quaecūque necessaria sunt manifesta sunt All thynges are cleare and plane in the holy Scriptures whatsoeuer thyng is necessary for vs is also manifest So sayth Epiphanius Lib. 2. So sayth Saint Hierom. in Psal. 86. So to conclude Gregory sayth it is a streame wherin the litle lambe may wade and the great Elephantes may swymme But touchyng the discourse of naturall reason S. Ambrose sayth that No creature in earth or in heauen is able to reache to the depth of these thyngs These are his wordes Mens deficit vox silet non mea tantum sed angelorum supra potestates supra angelos supra Cherubim supra Seraphim supra omnē sensum est The mynde is astonyed the voyce fayleth not onely of me but also of the angels it is aboue the powers aboue the angels aboue the Cherubins aboue the Seraphins aboue all maner of vnderstandyng Notwithstandyng all these excellēt properties of Gods word and mo then a thousand thousand tounges cā declare We become Citizens of Corazin Bethsaida and Capharnaum Tyrus Sidō Sodom the Quéene of the South the men of Niniue and that barbarous Eunuche shall rise agaynst vs in the day of iudgement If such preachyng had bene in Tyrus Sidon as hath bene in England especially these xx yeares they would haue repēted in sackcloth and ashes Therfore it shal be easier for Tyrus Sidon at the day of iudgemēt thē for England If the mighty workes which haue bene done in England had bene done among them of Sodom They had remained without plague of fire and brimstone The Quéene of the South shall rise against vs at the day of iudgement A woman a Quéene a frayle sexe the weaker vessell yet of Princely power men the stronger vessell and yet most of them not of Princely power She was a straunger we are now Domestici of the houshold She wanted the promises of Messias we haue the promises of Messias She came to Salomō a wise man certainly yet a mortall and sinfull man whiche could not helpe her but in externall thynges and therein peraduenture barely and slenderly we refuse to come to Christ God and man who can helpe vs in all thyngs who is all in all and all to all She came to heare the wisedome of Salomon Wōderfull was his wisedome his wisedome exceeded the wisedome of all thē of the East all the wisedome of the Egyptiās he excéeded all mē in wisedome he wrote iij. thousād Prouerbes His songes were a thousād fiue He disputed of trees euen from the Ceder trée that groweth in Libanō vnto the Isop that springeth out of the wall And he disputed of beastes foules wormes and fishes There came of all nations to heare the wisedome of Salomon from all kynges of the earth whiche had heard of his wisedome But behold he that preacheth this day out of the ship is greater then Salamon and preacheth farre greater and better matters Notwithstāding fooles refuse to heare his preachyng This famous Quéene came to Salomon from far out of a swéete and frutefull countrey the frutefull Arabia called also Saba so frutefull that it bringeth corne and fruite twise in the yeare where groweth all kind of spices and swéet gummes and the Townes are vnwalled because the people do liue alwayes in peace But we neglect to walke a litle way within the walles of our Cities to leaue ill ayre ill soyle ill company ill exercises ill maners to come to Christ She came with great perill we may come without perill yet we come not She left her happy kyngdome with long and painful trauaile came to Salomon we haue Christ in the kyngdome of England without leauing of kyngdome and with litle trauaile may wee heare him yet wee heare him not She came with giftes She came to Hierusalem with a very great trayne with Camels that bare swéet odours gold excéedyng much and precious stones But wee may haue accesse to Iesus Christ cōmyng without trayne without gifts Come to the waters all ye that be thirsty ye that haue no money come buy c. We refuse grace offered fréely This noble Queene knew Salomō by onely fame we know Christ by his manifold miracles yet we come not yet we beleue not yet we bring forth no good fruites Therfore iustly shall we be condemned It is shamefull to be vanquished of a woman more shamefull of an heathē woman most shamefull in such a cause The men of Niniue shall rise agaynst vs and condemne vs and reproue vs of vnbeliefe not by authoritye but by comparison of the better act They heard Ionas a very man we reiect Christ God man They heard Ionas a straunger we neglect to heare Christ a Sauiour a father a maister a freind cōnuersant with vs many yeares They repented at the preaching of Ionas we repent not at the preaching of Christ Ionas preached but only thrée dayes Christ hath preached most gratiously and mercifully these Twenty yeares in England and for all his so gratious and mercifull preaching we repent not Ionas wrought no miracle Christ hath wrought many maruelous miracles He hath mightely deliuered vs from Pharao of Egipt from Nabuchadnazer of Babilon from Holofernes of Syria and hath miraculously preserued Iudith of England her people For all these graces and giftes wée are nothing thankfull we are become carnall gospellers wée waxe colde in religion the Papistes waxe whot we waxe colde I knowe it We amend Mandrabuli more as sower ale in sommer we become euery day worse worse That barbarous Eunuche of the Queene of the Ethiopians shall at the day of iudgement rise agaynst vs and condemne vs He was an Eunuche florishing in authoritye estimation riches and yet for all that in his iorney sitting in his chariot he read Esaias the prophet Moreouer he vnderstode not what was contayned in the prophet He aunswered Philip not onely gentlely and courteously albeit he asked him saying vnderstandest thou what thou readest but also desired him notwithstanding he was clothed in poore attire that he would come vp and sit with him in the chariot You sée the promptnes of his minde you see the godly feruēcie of a barbarous Eunuche Chrisost largely and swéetely discoursing of this matter in fine concludeth thus Idoneus est barbarus iste qui nobis omnibus doctor fiat This barbarous Eunuch is méete to be a doctour and teacher to vs all Sithence the case thus standeth that we are wearye of spiritual Manna the best meate and demeane our selues with the vnthankfull Israelites vngratiously in
heart word and worke against God and Moyses saying Anima nostra nauseat super cibo isto leuissimo Our soule lotheth this light bread we may assuredly loke to be plagued with the Israelites God is a righteous iudge strong and patient and God is prouoked euery day If a man will not turne he wil whet his sword he hath bent his howe and hath made it ready He hath prepared for him the instruments of death he hath ordained his arrowes against the persequtours Behold the day is come sayth the Lord that I will sēd a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst of water but a hunger thirst of hearing the word of god And they shall wander from sea to sea and from the North vnto the East shall they runne to and fro to séeke the word of the lord In that day shall the fayre virgins and the young men perish for thirst He will also send famine of bread pestilence fire and sword he will send Tamerlane Nabuchadnazer the host of Sēnacherib Titus and Vespatian The Syrians shall deuoure before and the Philistines behinde He will destroy murtherers burne vp their citie as Esay sayth the leage which they haue made with death and hell shall be disanulled He suffereth long he is a patient god It is sayd that he hath leaden feete but he hath iron handes He commeth slowlye but when he commeth he payeth home Violatours and contemnours of Gods word alwayes haue bin punished For this fault Adam and Eue were banished out of Eden a most fruitfull and delightsome garden into a valley of teares miserie and calamitye there to eate their bread with the sweate of their face The enemies of Noah were miserablye drowned in the floud The enemies of Lot were destroyed with brimstone and fire The Israelites were greuously punished and plagued as Moyses and the Prophets in many places make mention Dauid lost seuenty thowsand men plagued with pestilence Absolon was hanged slayne and cast into a pit Saule was sore plagued deposed from his kingdome afflicted and vexed with a deuill and finally slayne with his thrée sonnes his harnes bearer and all his men in one day Sedechias was sent into Babilon and made blinde Roboam the sonne of Salomon of twelue tribes lost tenne Sennacherib was slayne of his sonnes Pharao with all his chiualrie was drowned in the red sea Herod horriblely ended his lyfe Iesabel was cast out of a window and doggs did eate her Ionas was cast into the sea A certayne Prophet was killed by a Lyon. The children that mocked Eliseus were torne of beares Corazin Bethsaida and Caphernaum were cursed with woe woe and cast downe to hell That famous citie Hierusalē named sometyme the holye citye was piteouslye plagued made euen to the ground with the children within it destroyed stick and stone and turned to a heape of stones for contemning the gracious and mercifull visitation reiecting Christes heauenly word miracles and all his benefites So Christ prophecied and so it came to passe For the same fault truely a horrible fault the kingdome of the Romaines was destroyed the kingdome of the Chaldeans the kingdome of the Macedonians the kingdome of the Persians the kingdome of the Carthaginiās and many other moe Paule preached to the Collossians Hierapolians and Laodiceans but they contēned his wordes and therefore as Orosius witnesseth the earth opened and swallowed them vp O Hierusalem Hierusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which haue bene sent vnto thée how oftē would I haue gathered thy children together euen as a henne gathereth her chickens vnder her winges and ye would not behold your house is left vnto you desolate O England england which contēnest the word of god and dealest vnthankfully with them that are sent vnto thée hating them that rebuke thee in the gate and abhorring them that speake vprightly how oft sayth Christ woulde I haue gathered thy children together as a henne gathereth her chickens vnder her winges ye would not Behold your house shall be left vnto you desolate and the vineyard shall be let out vnto other husbandmen which shall yelde fruite in due season except ye spedely repent For now is the Axe layd to the roote of the trée and euery trée that bringeth not forth good fruite shall be cut downe and cast into the sire Therefore know the tyme redeme the tyme while you haue time The swallow knoweth her time The Crane knoweth her tyme The whery man taketh his tyde The sea-man his gale The Smith stryketh whilest the Iron is whot The husbandman felleth his corne when it is ripe the haruest mā maketh haye whē the sunne shineth The sower casteth his séede when the ground is melow As yet the sunne shineth as yet is the acceptable tyme as yet to day lasteth as yet the gate is open as yet grace is offered yet the tyde serueth and yet Christ cryeth by his preachers Earth earth earth heare the word of the lord Therfore especially considering the season after the exāple of this people let vs with all indeuour and feruencye preasse vpon Christ to heare his swéete and comfortable worde Thus much for the first part And he stood by the lake of Genezareth and sawe two shyps stand by the lakes side but the fishermen c. The place is noted where these thinges were done Mathew Marke call it the sea of Galilee It is called also the sea of Tiberias The place was pleasaūt and delectable not without goodly pastures Nighe to the same were many goodly and populous Cities as Capharnaū Bethsaida Corazin the regiō of the ten Cities and the region of the Gadarenes In these Cities he often taught both in their Synagoges and houses as occasion serued You haue an elegant description of this place in Egesippus Iosephus and Plini Here he saw two shyppes but the fishermē were gone out of them and were washyng their nets They had now no hope at all to catche any fish but God of his infinite mercy doth often tymes shew his power in workyng when thynges are past all hope of good recouery And whē he was entred into one of the shyppes which belonged to Simon he prayed him that he would thrust out a litle from the land c. Behold the wonderfull humilitie of Christ he might haue commaunded but hee prayeth For the earth is the Lordes and all that therein is the cōpasse of the world and they that dwel therein c. Learne humilitie of this Doctour of humilitie the best doctour that euer was who sayth Learne of me for I am méeke and low in hart Whiche wholesome counsaile that excellent learned diuine S. August notyng sayth Ille ille cui omnia tradidit Pater c That euen the king of kinges and Lord of Lordes and onely son of the euerliuyng God to whō the father had
vnitye to the Church of Roome and to their Byshop the head thereof the aduersary of Christ and vtter enemy to his crosse boldly braying and bragging that out of the vnitye of this bodye and head of theirs no man can be saued For these miserable men ought to vnderstaÌ„d that this necessary vnitye without which no man can haue saluation is not that vnitye whereby members are ioyned to members bunches to bunches monsters to monsters and the deceiued to Antichrist the deceiuer but that it is that vnitye wherby the true members of the true bodye are conioyned to the true and onely one head Iesus Christe our mediator and Sauiour The tyranne of Roome is not the head of the true church I proue thus He hath not the worde of God for his warrant Ergo he is not the head of the true church Christ sayth that he himselfe is the onely vniuersall Shepheard The prophets haue prophesied so of Christ Esai 40. Ezech. 37. 34. Hierem. 30. Psal. 33. c. The Apostle so nameth him Christ himselfe not long before he left this worldâ— sayd to his disciples I will pray the father and he shall geue you another coÌ„forter that he may abide with you for euer euen the spirite of truth Here we learne what vicar Christ hath substituted Not the Pope but the holy ghost So writeth Tertul. Barnard and others This place of Iohn I am the good shepheard S. August expoundeth of Christ So doth Chrisost So doth Nicholas Lyra as simple an interpretour as he was Fiet vnus pastor id est Christus There shal be one shepeheard that is to say not the Pope but Christ The Apostles had no knowledge of this monstrous head The Nicene Councell knew it not The Councell of Carthage excommunicated cursed him to the deuill that called him selfe vniuersall Byshop or chief Priest The whole Councell of Aphrica condeÌ„ned the attempt of this vsurped iurisdiction and called it the smokie pride of the world The Romish Prelate doth subuert corrupt prophane the doctrine of Christ and his Sacraments manifestly maintaineth Idolatrie Therfore he caÌ„ not be the vniuersall Shepheard He is not worthy to be called a Shepheard A Shepheard nay a fleashéepe A Byshop a Butcher a Pastour a Pyrate a Prelate a Pylate a Vicar of Christ a Vicar of Venus a Cephas Caiphas Phocas that execrable murtherer was he that first proclaimed the Byshop of Rome to be head of the vniuersall Church about vj. hundred xiij yeares after Christ was borne This Phocas beyng but a common souldiour did by treason and conspiracie lay hands vpon his liedge Lord and Maister the Emperour Mauritius and in cruell sort did him to death and so by trayterous vilanie he aspired to the Empire The maner of his crueltie was this First he commauÌ„ded foorth the Emperours yongest sonne and caused him to be slayne euen in the fight of his father and so the second and then the third and afterwarde the Empresse Mauritius heauely lookyng on lamentyng saying vnto God Righteous art thou O Lord and rightfull is thy iudgement Last of all he vsed the like tyranny also vpon the Emperour and layd him his wife and his iij. children on a heape together After that he had thus liued and coÌ„mitted sundry murthers and other great misâ—â—â—â—â— the people tooke him slue him â–ª 〈◊〉 â—â—ew him in to the fire Here you maâ— sée the first promotour a holy promotour of the Popes holynes A murtherer â—â—e finder out of supremacie And Supâ—â—â—â—cie fouÌ„ded and builded vpon murther S. Cyprian calleth Stephen and Cornelius Bishops of Rome brethreÌ„ and companions And whereas certaine Schismatickes yelded them selues subiect to the Byshop of Rome perswading them selues that the Bishops of Aphrica had lesse power theÌ„ the Byshops of Rome Cyprian called them desperate wicked persons for so doyng I frame this Argument out of Chrisost Quicunque desyderauerit primatuÌ„ in terra in Coelo inueniet confusionem Whosoeuer ambitiouslye desireth supremacy vpon earth shall finde in heauen confusion The Byshop of Roome ambitiouslye desireth supremacye on earth Therefore he shall finde confusion in heaueÌ„ The Pope is Antichrist Ergo he is not the head of the Church He which auauÌ„ceth himself aboue all that is called God is Antichrist The pope doth so Ergo the Pope is Antichrist Irenaeus a most auncient doctour of the Church who liued almost fiften hundred yeares since disputyng of Antichrist sayth thus Antichristus cum sit seruus tamen adorari vult vt Deus Antichrist notwithstaÌ„ding he be but a slaue yet he will be worshipped as if he were god Ioachimus Abbas saith Antichristus iam pridem natus est Romae altiùs extolletur in sede Apostolica Antichrist is long since borne in Rome yet shall he be higher aduaunced in the Apostolick sea Antichrist sayth Gregory is he that shall clayme to himselfe to be called the vniuersall Byshop and shall haue a garde of priestes to attend vpon him S. August sayth BabyloÌ„ is the first Roome and Rome the second Babylon And to come nearer the matter S. Iohn sayth Antichrist shall sit in the Citye that is built vpon seuen hilles and so is the Citie of Roome And Sybilla sayth that the greatest terror and furye of his Empire and the greatest woe that he shall worke shall be by the bankes of Tyber and there is Roome He that hath eyes to sée let him see he that hath eares to heare let him heare Agayne Christ was humble the Pope proude Christ was poore the Pope rich Christ patient the Pope impatient Christ merciful the Pope vnmercifull Christ vsed admonitioÌ„ the Pope imprisonment Christ communication the Pope extirpation Christ all manner of clemencie the Pope all manner of tyranny briefely you shall finde the Pope in all vertue seuered from Christ you shall finde him to Christ Beliall to light darcknes to truth falshode Are not these and such lyke the very fruites of Antichrist the trée is knowne by his fruite Whereas these shakers of the ship of Christ vrge Antiquitie Vniuersalitye and Succession to make much for them I aunswere these thinges make nothing for them but rather agaynst them Notwithstanding their Vincentius Lirinensis whome they haue in so high price This is Vincentius pretious assertion In ipsa catholica Ecclesia magnopore curandum est vt id teneamus quod vbique quod seÌ„per quod ab omnibus creditum est In the Catholick Church we must haue especiall care to hold that which euery where alwayes and of all men is beléeued Yet to helpe his credite the Church of Roome was not so deformed with heresies at the time when he did write which was a thousand yeares more since as it is mentioned Antiquitye doth not preiudice or hinder trueth Their antiquity is no marke of the Church Their Antiquitie is iniquitye Tertull. sayth nothing can prescribe agaynst truth neither time nor authoritye of